diff --git a/Parser/asdl_c.py b/Parser/asdl_c.py
index daac0966f564a4..e899df93dbde89 100755
--- a/Parser/asdl_c.py
+++ b/Parser/asdl_c.py
@@ -998,8 +998,8 @@ def visitModule(self, mod):
         self.emit("if (!init_types()) return NULL;", 1)
         self.emit('m = PyState_FindModule(&_astmodule);', 1)
         self.emit("if (!m) return NULL;", 1)
-        self.emit('Py_INCREF(astmodulestate(m)->AST_type);', 1)
         self.emit('if (PyModule_AddObject(m, "AST", astmodulestate_global->AST_type) < 0) return NULL;', 1)
+        self.emit('Py_INCREF(astmodulestate(m)->AST_type);', 1)
         self.emit('if (PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, PyCF_ALLOW_TOP_LEVEL_AWAIT) < 0)', 1)
         self.emit("return NULL;", 2)
         self.emit('if (PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, PyCF_ONLY_AST) < 0)', 1)
diff --git a/Python/Python-ast.c b/Python/Python-ast.c
index d5465d795cfa4d..048a5440de00cc 100644
--- a/Python/Python-ast.c
+++ b/Python/Python-ast.c
@@ -9887,9 +9887,9 @@ PyInit__ast(void)
     if (!init_types()) return NULL;
     m = PyState_FindModule(&_astmodule);
     if (!m) return NULL;
-    Py_INCREF(astmodulestate(m)->AST_type);
     if (PyModule_AddObject(m, "AST", astmodulestate_global->AST_type) < 0)
         return NULL;
+    Py_INCREF(astmodulestate(m)->AST_type);
     if (PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, PyCF_ALLOW_TOP_LEVEL_AWAIT) < 0)
         return NULL;
     if (PyModule_AddIntMacro(m, PyCF_ONLY_AST) < 0)