diff --git a/Doc/c-api/init.rst b/Doc/c-api/init.rst
index 7ea48aec009c92..14049ee64205f1 100644
--- a/Doc/c-api/init.rst
+++ b/Doc/c-api/init.rst
@@ -1048,6 +1048,10 @@ All of the following functions must be called after :c:func:`Py_Initialize`.
    Reset all information in a thread state object.  The global interpreter lock
    must be held.
 
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.9
+      This function now calls the :c:member:`PyThreadState.on_delete` callback.
+      Previously, that happened in :c:func:`PyThreadState_Delete`.
+
 
 .. c:function:: void PyThreadState_Delete(PyThreadState *tstate)
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-01-31-16-35-21.bpo-39511.nv9yEn.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-01-31-16-35-21.bpo-39511.nv9yEn.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..14a04875a88947
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-01-31-16-35-21.bpo-39511.nv9yEn.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+The :c:func:`PyThreadState_Clear` function now calls the
+:c:member:`PyThreadState.on_delete` callback. Previously, that happened in
+:c:func:`PyThreadState_Delete`.
diff --git a/Python/pystate.c b/Python/pystate.c
index d792380de46498..ebc17ea5a72193 100644
--- a/Python/pystate.c
+++ b/Python/pystate.c
@@ -806,6 +806,10 @@ PyThreadState_Clear(PyThreadState *tstate)
     Py_CLEAR(tstate->async_gen_finalizer);
 
     Py_CLEAR(tstate->context);
+
+    if (tstate->on_delete != NULL) {
+        tstate->on_delete(tstate->on_delete_data);
+    }
 }
 
 
@@ -830,9 +834,7 @@ tstate_delete_common(PyThreadState *tstate,
     if (tstate->next)
         tstate->next->prev = tstate->prev;
     HEAD_UNLOCK(runtime);
-    if (tstate->on_delete != NULL) {
-        tstate->on_delete(tstate->on_delete_data);
-    }
+
     PyMem_RawFree(tstate);
 
     if (gilstate->autoInterpreterState &&