diff --git a/Python/bytecodes.c b/Python/bytecodes.c
index 366bca44f83f16..2e86e11e140ebc 100644
--- a/Python/bytecodes.c
+++ b/Python/bytecodes.c
@@ -802,15 +802,18 @@ dummy_func(
              */
             assert(Py_REFCNT(left_o) >= 2 || !PyStackRef_IsHeapSafe(left));
             PyObject *temp = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectSteal(*target_local);
-            PyObject *right_o = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectBorrow(right);
-            PyUnicode_Append(&temp, right_o);
-            PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(right, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
-            DEAD(right);
+            PyObject *right_o = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectSteal(right);
+            /* gh-143403: It's critical to close this reference *before*
+             * we append. Otherwise, append can move the underlying
+             * unicode object, which will cause a use after free!
+             */
             PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(left, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
             DEAD(left);
+            PyUnicode_Append(&temp, right_o);
+            _Py_DECREF_SPECIALIZED(right_o, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
+            *target_local = PyStackRef_NULL;
             ERROR_IF(temp == NULL);
             res = PyStackRef_FromPyObjectSteal(temp);
-            *target_local = PyStackRef_NULL;
         }
 
        op(_GUARD_BINARY_OP_EXTEND, (descr/4, left, right -- left, right)) {
diff --git a/Python/executor_cases.c.h b/Python/executor_cases.c.h
index 3fe7a3200269c3..def627204b4b11 100644
--- a/Python/executor_cases.c.h
+++ b/Python/executor_cases.c.h
@@ -4957,30 +4957,22 @@
             STAT_INC(BINARY_OP, hit);
             assert(Py_REFCNT(left_o) >= 2 || !PyStackRef_IsHeapSafe(left));
             PyObject *temp = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectSteal(*target_local);
-            PyObject *right_o = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectBorrow(right);
-            stack_pointer[0] = left;
-            stack_pointer[1] = right;
-            stack_pointer += 2;
-            ASSERT_WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS(__FILE__, __LINE__);
+            PyObject *right_o = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectSteal(right);
+            PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(left, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
             _PyFrame_SetStackPointer(frame, stack_pointer);
             PyUnicode_Append(&temp, right_o);
+            _Py_DECREF_SPECIALIZED(right_o, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
             stack_pointer = _PyFrame_GetStackPointer(frame);
-            PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(right, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
-            PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(left, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
+            *target_local = PyStackRef_NULL;
             if (temp == NULL) {
-                stack_pointer += -2;
-                ASSERT_WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS(__FILE__, __LINE__);
                 SET_CURRENT_CACHED_VALUES(0);
                 JUMP_TO_ERROR();
             }
             res = PyStackRef_FromPyObjectSteal(temp);
-            *target_local = PyStackRef_NULL;
             _tos_cache0 = res;
             _tos_cache1 = PyStackRef_ZERO_BITS;
             _tos_cache2 = PyStackRef_ZERO_BITS;
             SET_CURRENT_CACHED_VALUES(1);
-            stack_pointer += -2;
-            ASSERT_WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS(__FILE__, __LINE__);
             assert(WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS_IGNORING_CACHE());
             break;
         }
diff --git a/Python/generated_cases.c.h b/Python/generated_cases.c.h
index a1d5a98255c405..a0a1e94921b92d 100644
--- a/Python/generated_cases.c.h
+++ b/Python/generated_cases.c.h
@@ -428,20 +428,22 @@
                 STAT_INC(BINARY_OP, hit);
                 assert(Py_REFCNT(left_o) >= 2 || !PyStackRef_IsHeapSafe(left));
                 PyObject *temp = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectSteal(*target_local);
-                PyObject *right_o = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectBorrow(right);
+                PyObject *right_o = PyStackRef_AsPyObjectSteal(right);
+                PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(left, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
+                stack_pointer += -2;
+                ASSERT_WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS(__FILE__, __LINE__);
                 _PyFrame_SetStackPointer(frame, stack_pointer);
                 PyUnicode_Append(&temp, right_o);
+                _Py_DECREF_SPECIALIZED(right_o, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
                 stack_pointer = _PyFrame_GetStackPointer(frame);
-                PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(right, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
-                PyStackRef_CLOSE_SPECIALIZED(left, _PyUnicode_ExactDealloc);
+                *target_local = PyStackRef_NULL;
                 if (temp == NULL) {
-                    JUMP_TO_LABEL(pop_2_error);
+                    JUMP_TO_LABEL(error);
                 }
                 res = PyStackRef_FromPyObjectSteal(temp);
-                *target_local = PyStackRef_NULL;
             }
-            stack_pointer[-2] = res;
-            stack_pointer += -1;
+            stack_pointer[0] = res;
+            stack_pointer += 1;
             ASSERT_WITHIN_STACK_BOUNDS(__FILE__, __LINE__);
             DISPATCH();
         }