diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_opcode_metadata.h b/Include/internal/pycore_opcode_metadata.h
index dd1bf2d1d2b51a..358c2f44855c22 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_opcode_metadata.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_opcode_metadata.h
@@ -1322,7 +1322,7 @@ _PyOpcode_macro_expansion[256] = {
     [BINARY_OP] = { .nuops = 1, .uops = { { _BINARY_OP, OPARG_SIMPLE, 4 } } },
     [BINARY_OP_ADD_FLOAT] = { .nuops = 3, .uops = { { _GUARD_TOS_FLOAT, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _GUARD_NOS_FLOAT, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _BINARY_OP_ADD_FLOAT, OPARG_SIMPLE, 5 } } },
     [BINARY_OP_ADD_INT] = { .nuops = 3, .uops = { { _GUARD_TOS_INT, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _GUARD_NOS_INT, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _BINARY_OP_ADD_INT, OPARG_SIMPLE, 5 } } },
-    [BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE] = { .nuops = 3, .uops = { { _GUARD_TOS_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _GUARD_NOS_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 5 } } },
+    [BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE] = { .nuops = 5, .uops = { { _GUARD_TOS_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _GUARD_NOS_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 5 }, { _POP_TOP_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 5 }, { _POP_TOP_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 5 } } },
     [BINARY_OP_EXTEND] = { .nuops = 2, .uops = { { _GUARD_BINARY_OP_EXTEND, 4, 1 }, { _BINARY_OP_EXTEND, 4, 1 } } },
     [BINARY_OP_INPLACE_ADD_UNICODE] = { .nuops = 3, .uops = { { _GUARD_TOS_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _GUARD_NOS_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _BINARY_OP_INPLACE_ADD_UNICODE, OPARG_SIMPLE, 5 } } },
     [BINARY_OP_MULTIPLY_FLOAT] = { .nuops = 3, .uops = { { _GUARD_TOS_FLOAT, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _GUARD_NOS_FLOAT, OPARG_SIMPLE, 0 }, { _BINARY_OP_MULTIPLY_FLOAT, OPARG_SIMPLE, 5 } } },
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_capi/test_opt.py b/Lib/test/test_capi/test_opt.py
index 0a85b19e06f158..eb1691775488cc 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_capi/test_opt.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_capi/test_opt.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 import unittest
 import gc
 import os
+import random
+import string
 
 import _opcode
 
@@ -2362,6 +2364,24 @@ def testfunc(n):
         self.assertNotIn("_GUARD_TOS_INT", uops)
         self.assertNotIn("_GUARD_NOS_INT", uops)
 
+    def test_store_fast_pop_top_specialize_unicode(self):
+        def random_str(n):
+            return ''.join(random.choice(string.ascii_uppercase + string.digits) for _ in range(n))
+        def testfunc(args):
+            a, b, n = args
+            c = ''
+            for _ in range(n):
+                c += a + b
+            return c
+
+        r0, r1 = random_str(32), random_str(32)
+        res, ex = self._run_with_optimizer(testfunc, (r0, r1, TIER2_THRESHOLD))
+        self.assertAlmostEqual(res, TIER2_THRESHOLD * (r0 + r1))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(ex)
+        uops = get_opnames(ex)
+        self.assertIn("_POP_TOP_NOP", uops)
+        self.assertNotIn("_POP_TOP_UNICODE", uops)
+
     def test_attr_promotion_failure(self):
         # We're not testing for any specific uops here, just
         # testing it doesn't crash.
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_sys.py b/Lib/test/test_sys.py
index 27524d86355b9c..3b5411f8615d62 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_sys.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_sys.py
@@ -1671,7 +1671,7 @@ def func():
             INTERPRETER_FRAME = '9PihcP'
         else:
             INTERPRETER_FRAME = '9PhcP'
-        check(x, size('3PiccPPP' + INTERPRETER_FRAME + 'P'))
+        check(x, size('3PiccPPP' + INTERPRETER_FRAME + 'PP'))
         # function
         def func(): pass
         check(func, size('16Pi'))
@@ -1688,7 +1688,7 @@ def bar(cls):
             check(bar, size('PP'))
         # generator
         def get_gen(): yield 1
-        check(get_gen(), size('6P4c' + INTERPRETER_FRAME + 'P'))
+        check(get_gen(), size('6P4c' + INTERPRETER_FRAME + 'PP'))
         # iterator
         check(iter('abc'), size('lP'))
         # callable-iterator
diff --git a/Programs/test_frozenmain.h b/Programs/test_frozenmain.h
index dbeedb7ffe0ce6..4e8d43d62c1e3e 100644
--- a/Programs/test_frozenmain.h
+++ b/Programs/test_frozenmain.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // Auto-generated by Programs/freeze_test_frozenmain.py
 unsigned char M_test_frozenmain[] = {
-    227,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,9,0,0,
+    227,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,10,0,0,
     0,0,0,0,0,243,184,0,0,0,128,0,94,0,82,1,
     73,0,116,0,94,0,82,1,73,1,116,1,93,2,33,0,
     82,2,52,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,31,0,93,2,33,0,
diff --git a/Python/bytecodes.c b/Python/bytecodes.c
index 535e552e047475..ae7816901f55d4 100644
--- a/Python/bytecodes.c
+++ b/Python/bytecodes.c
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ dummy_func(
         macro(BINARY_OP_SUBTRACT_FLOAT) =
             _GUARD_TOS_FLOAT + _GUARD_NOS_FLOAT + unused/5 + _BINARY_OP_SUBTRACT_FLOAT;
 
-        pure op(_BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE, (left, right -- res)) {
+        pure op(_BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE, (left, right -- res, l, r)) {
             PyObject *left_o = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectBorrow(left);
             PyObject *right_o = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectBorrow(right);
             assert(PyUnicode_CheckExact(left_o));
@@ -780,15 +780,15 @@ dummy_func(
 
             STAT_INC(BINARY_OP, hit);
             PyObject *res_o = PyUnicode_Concat(left_o, right_o);
-            PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(right, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
-            PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(left, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
             INPUTS_DEAD();
             ERROR_IF(res_o == NULL);
+            l = left;
+            r = right;
             res = PyStackRef_FromPyObjectSteal(res_o);
         }
 
         macro(BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE) =
-            _GUARD_TOS_UNICODE + _GUARD_NOS_UNICODE + unused/5 + _BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE;
+            _GUARD_TOS_UNICODE + _GUARD_NOS_UNICODE + unused/5 + _BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE + _POP_TOP_UNICODE + _POP_TOP_UNICODE;
 
         // This is a subtle one. It's a super-instruction for
         // BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE followed by STORE_FAST
diff --git a/Python/compile.c b/Python/compile.c
index c04391e682f9ac..d05a67421a5918 100644
--- a/Python/compile.c
+++ b/Python/compile.c
@@ -1431,6 +1431,10 @@ optimize_and_assemble_code_unit(struct compiler_unit *u, PyObject *const_cache,
                                                  &optimized_instrs) < 0) {
         goto error;
     }
+    /* Reserve an extra word on the stack to ensure there is space for uops to
+       pass at least one item on the stack to a subsequent uop.
+    */
+    stackdepth++;
 
     /** Assembly **/
     co = _PyAssemble_MakeCodeObject(&u->u_metadata, const_cache, consts,
diff --git a/Python/executor_cases.c.h b/Python/executor_cases.c.h
index 46fc164a5b3bc2..f5c628a6dbeb27 100644
--- a/Python/executor_cases.c.h
+++ b/Python/executor_cases.c.h
@@ -1197,6 +1197,8 @@
             _PyStackRef right;
             _PyStackRef left;
             _PyStackRef res;
+            _PyStackRef l;
+            _PyStackRef r;
             right = stack_pointer[-1];
             left = stack_pointer[-2];
             PyObject *left_o = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectBorrow(left);
@@ -1205,16 +1207,18 @@
             assert(PyUnicode_CheckExact(right_o));
             STAT_INC(BINARY_OP, hit);
             PyObject *res_o = PyUnicode_Concat(left_o, right_o);
-            PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(right, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
-            PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(left, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
             if (res_o == NULL) {
                 stack_pointer += -2;
                 assert(WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS());
                 JUMP_TO_ERROR();
             }
+            l = left;
+            r = right;
             res = PyStackRef_FromPyObjectSteal(res_o);
             stack_pointer[-2] = res;
-            stack_pointer += -1;
+            stack_pointer[-1] = l;
+            stack_pointer[0] = r;
+            stack_pointer += 1;
             assert(WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS());
             break;
         }
diff --git a/Python/generated_cases.c.h b/Python/generated_cases.c.h
index 8f7932f0033c6f..d014f8b5edf327 100644
--- a/Python/generated_cases.c.h
+++ b/Python/generated_cases.c.h
@@ -215,6 +215,8 @@
             _PyStackRef left;
             _PyStackRef right;
             _PyStackRef res;
+            _PyStackRef l;
+            _PyStackRef r;
             // _GUARD_TOS_UNICODE
             {
                 value = stack_pointer[-1];
@@ -246,13 +248,25 @@
                 assert(PyUnicode_CheckExact(right_o));
                 STAT_INC(BINARY_OP, hit);
                 PyObject *res_o = PyUnicode_Concat(left_o, right_o);
-                PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(right, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
-                PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(left, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
                 if (res_o == NULL) {
                     JUMP_TO_LABEL(pop_2_error);
                 }
+                l = left;
+                r = right;
                 res = PyStackRef_FromPyObjectSteal(res_o);
             }
+            // _POP_TOP_UNICODE
+            {
+                value = r;
+                assert(PyUnicode_CheckExact(PyStackRef_AsPyObjectBorrow(value)));
+                PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(value, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
+            }
+            // _POP_TOP_UNICODE
+            {
+                value = l;
+                assert(PyUnicode_CheckExact(PyStackRef_AsPyObjectBorrow(value)));
+                PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(value, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
+            }
             stack_pointer[-2] = res;
             stack_pointer += -1;
             assert(WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS());
diff --git a/Python/optimizer_bytecodes.c b/Python/optimizer_bytecodes.c
index f8fbaf232ffa2e..7dc15fe7abdcad 100644
--- a/Python/optimizer_bytecodes.c
+++ b/Python/optimizer_bytecodes.c
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ dummy_func(void) {
         }
     }
 
-    op(_BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE, (left, right -- res)) {
+    op(_BINARY_OP_ADD_UNICODE, (left, right -- res, l, r)) {
         if (sym_is_const(ctx, left) && sym_is_const(ctx, right)) {
             assert(PyUnicode_CheckExact(sym_get_const(ctx, left)));
             assert(PyUnicode_CheckExact(sym_get_const(ctx, right)));
@@ -332,6 +332,8 @@ dummy_func(void) {
         else {
             res = sym_new_type(ctx, &PyUnicode_Type);
         }
+        l = left;
+        r = right;
     }
 
     op(_BINARY_OP_INPLACE_ADD_UNICODE, (left, right -- )) {
@@ -561,6 +563,13 @@ dummy_func(void) {
         value = PyJitRef_Borrow(sym_new_const(ctx, ptr));
     }
 
+    op(_POP_TOP_UNICODE, (value -- )) {
+        if (PyJitRef_IsBorrowed(value) ||
+            sym_is_immortal(PyJitRef_Unwrap(value))) {
+            REPLACE_OP(this_instr, _POP_TOP_NOP, 0, 0);
+        }
+    }
+
     op(_POP_TOP, (value -- )) {
         PyTypeObject *typ = sym_get_type(value);
         if (PyJitRef_IsBorrowed(value) ||
diff --git a/Python/optimizer_cases.c.h b/Python/optimizer_cases.c.h
index 1e581afadc9569..cc2b5ed32ae910 100644
--- a/Python/optimizer_cases.c.h
+++ b/Python/optimizer_cases.c.h
@@ -141,6 +141,12 @@
         }
 
         case _POP_TOP_UNICODE: {
+            JitOptRef value;
+            value = stack_pointer[-1];
+            if (PyJitRef_IsBorrowed(value) ||
+                sym_is_immortal(PyJitRef_Unwrap(value))) {
+                REPLACE_OP(this_instr, _POP_TOP_NOP, 0, 0);
+            }
             stack_pointer += -1;
             assert(WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS());
             break;
@@ -558,6 +564,8 @@
             JitOptRef right;
             JitOptRef left;
             JitOptRef res;
+            JitOptRef l;
+            JitOptRef r;
             right = stack_pointer[-1];
             left = stack_pointer[-2];
             if (sym_is_const(ctx, left) && sym_is_const(ctx, right)) {
@@ -577,7 +585,13 @@
                 res = sym_new_type(ctx, &PyUnicode_Type);
                 stack_pointer += -1;
             }
+            l = left;
+            r = right;
             stack_pointer[-1] = res;
+            stack_pointer[0] = l;
+            stack_pointer[1] = r;
+            stack_pointer += 2;
+            assert(WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS());
             break;
         }