diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/common.h b/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
index 22416b0368..f0f3c50d3d 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ PYBIND11_WARNING_POP
             });
         }
 \endrst */
-#define PYBIND11_MODULE(name, variable)                                                           \
+#define PYBIND11_MODULE(name, variable, ...)                                                      \
     static ::pybind11::module_::module_def PYBIND11_CONCAT(pybind11_module_def_, name)            \
         PYBIND11_MAYBE_UNUSED;                                                                    \
     PYBIND11_MAYBE_UNUSED                                                                         \
@@ -473,7 +473,10 @@ PYBIND11_WARNING_POP
         PYBIND11_CHECK_PYTHON_VERSION                                                             \
         PYBIND11_ENSURE_INTERNALS_READY                                                           \
         auto m = ::pybind11::module_::create_extension_module(                                    \
-            PYBIND11_TOSTRING(name), nullptr, &PYBIND11_CONCAT(pybind11_module_def_, name));      \
+            PYBIND11_TOSTRING(name),                                                              \
+            nullptr,                                                                              \
+            &PYBIND11_CONCAT(pybind11_module_def_, name),                                         \
+            ##__VA_ARGS__);                                                                       \
         try {                                                                                     \
             PYBIND11_CONCAT(pybind11_init_, name)(m);                                             \
             return m.ptr();                                                                       \
diff --git a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
index 6b85ba3a9a..3160d00277 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
@@ -1206,6 +1206,8 @@ struct handle_type_name<cpp_function> {
 
 PYBIND11_NAMESPACE_END(detail)
 
+struct gil_not_used {};
+
 /// Wrapper for Python extension modules
 class module_ : public object {
 public:
@@ -1299,15 +1301,6 @@ class module_ : public object {
         PyModule_AddObject(ptr(), name, obj.inc_ref().ptr() /* steals a reference */);
     }
 
-    /** \rst
-        Mark the module as not requiring the GIL in free-threaded Python builds.
-    \endrst */
-    void set_gil_not_used() {
-#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
-        PyUnstable_Module_SetGIL(m_ptr, Py_MOD_GIL_NOT_USED);
-#endif
-    }
-
     using module_def = PyModuleDef; // TODO: Can this be removed (it was needed only for Python 2)?
 
     /** \rst
@@ -1316,6 +1309,20 @@ class module_ : public object {
         ``def`` should point to a statically allocated module_def.
     \endrst */
     static module_ create_extension_module(const char *name, const char *doc, module_def *def) {
+        return _create_extension_module(name, doc, def, false);
+    }
+
+    static module_
+    create_extension_module(const char *name, const char *doc, module_def *def, gil_not_used) {
+        return _create_extension_module(name, doc, def, true);
+    }
+
+private:
+    static module_ _create_extension_module(const char *name,
+                                            const char *doc,
+                                            module_def *def,
+                                            bool gil_disabled) {
+
         // module_def is PyModuleDef
         // Placement new (not an allocation).
         def = new (def)
@@ -1335,6 +1342,11 @@ class module_ : public object {
             }
             pybind11_fail("Internal error in module_::create_extension_module()");
         }
+        if (gil_disabled) {
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+            PyUnstable_Module_SetGIL(m, Py_MOD_GIL_NOT_USED);
+#endif
+        }
         // TODO: Should be reinterpret_steal for Python 3, but Python also steals it again when
         //       returned from PyInit_...
         //       For Python 2, reinterpret_borrow was correct.
diff --git a/tests/eigen_tensor_avoid_stl_array.cpp b/tests/eigen_tensor_avoid_stl_array.cpp
index aed1569c62..9f3c78bd92 100644
--- a/tests/eigen_tensor_avoid_stl_array.cpp
+++ b/tests/eigen_tensor_avoid_stl_array.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 #include "test_eigen_tensor.inl"
 
-PYBIND11_MODULE(eigen_tensor_avoid_stl_array, m) {
-    m.set_gil_not_used();
+PYBIND11_MODULE(eigen_tensor_avoid_stl_array, m, pybind11::gil_not_used()) {
     eigen_tensor_test::test_module(m);
 }
diff --git a/tests/pybind11_cross_module_tests.cpp b/tests/pybind11_cross_module_tests.cpp
index f206f67bd4..5c318391d3 100644
--- a/tests/pybind11_cross_module_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/pybind11_cross_module_tests.cpp
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@
 #include <numeric>
 #include <utility>
 
-PYBIND11_MODULE(pybind11_cross_module_tests, m) {
-    m.set_gil_not_used();
-
+PYBIND11_MODULE(pybind11_cross_module_tests, m, py::gil_not_used()) {
     m.doc() = "pybind11 cross-module test module";
 
     // test_local_bindings.py tests:
diff --git a/tests/pybind11_tests.cpp b/tests/pybind11_tests.cpp
index 4cd4757ead..93256edaff 100644
--- a/tests/pybind11_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/pybind11_tests.cpp
@@ -75,9 +75,7 @@ const char *cpp_std() {
 #endif
 }
 
-PYBIND11_MODULE(pybind11_tests, m) {
-    m.set_gil_not_used();
-
+PYBIND11_MODULE(pybind11_tests, m, py::gil_not_used()) {
     m.doc() = "pybind11 test module";
 
     // Intentionally kept minimal to not create a maintenance chore
diff --git a/tests/test_cmake_build/main.cpp b/tests/test_cmake_build/main.cpp
index 92a6e2a81d..f115406552 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmake_build/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_cmake_build/main.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 namespace py = pybind11;
 
-PYBIND11_MODULE(test_cmake_build, m) {
-    m.set_gil_not_used();
+PYBIND11_MODULE(test_cmake_build, m, py::gil_not_used()) {
     m.def("add", [](int i, int j) { return i + j; });
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_embed/external_module.cpp b/tests/test_embed/external_module.cpp
index 7b22391499..8a17aae245 100644
--- a/tests/test_embed/external_module.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_embed/external_module.cpp
@@ -6,15 +6,13 @@ namespace py = pybind11;
  * modules aren't preserved over a finalize/initialize.
  */
 
-PYBIND11_MODULE(external_module, m) {
+PYBIND11_MODULE(external_module, m, py::gil_not_used()) {
     class A {
     public:
         explicit A(int value) : v{value} {};
         int v;
     };
 
-    m.set_gil_not_used();
-
     py::class_<A>(m, "A").def(py::init<int>()).def_readwrite("value", &A::v);
 
     m.def("internals_at",