diff --git a/asyncstdlib/itertools.py b/asyncstdlib/itertools.py
index 006da37..febd591 100644
--- a/asyncstdlib/itertools.py
+++ b/asyncstdlib/itertools.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 from ._core import (
     ScopedIter,
     awaitify as _awaitify,
-    Sentinel,
     borrow as _borrow,
 )
 from .builtins import (
@@ -64,9 +63,6 @@ async def cycle(iterable: AnyIterable[T]) -> AsyncIterator[T]:
             yield item
 
 
-__ACCUMULATE_SENTINEL = Sentinel("<no default>")
-
-
 async def add(x: ADD, y: ADD) -> ADD:
     """The default reduction of :py:func:`~.accumulate`"""
     return x + y
@@ -78,7 +74,7 @@ async def accumulate(
         Callable[[Any, Any], Any], Callable[[Any, Any], Awaitable[Any]]
     ] = add,
     *,
-    initial: Any = __ACCUMULATE_SENTINEL,
+    initial: Any = None,
 ) -> AsyncIterator[Any]:
     """
     An :term:`asynchronous iterator` on the running reduction of ``iterable``
@@ -105,11 +101,7 @@ async def accumulate(iterable, function, *, initial):
     """
     async with ScopedIter(iterable) as item_iter:
         try:
-            value = (
-                initial
-                if initial is not __ACCUMULATE_SENTINEL
-                else await anext(item_iter)
-            )
+            value = initial if initial is not None else await anext(item_iter)
         except StopAsyncIteration:
             raise TypeError(
                 "accumulate() of empty sequence with no initial value"
diff --git a/asyncstdlib/itertools.pyi b/asyncstdlib/itertools.pyi
index f65ff6d..e561d57 100644
--- a/asyncstdlib/itertools.pyi
+++ b/asyncstdlib/itertools.pyi
@@ -16,13 +16,17 @@ from ._typing import AnyIterable, ADD, T, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5
 
 def cycle(iterable: AnyIterable[T]) -> AsyncIterator[T]: ...
 @overload
-def accumulate(iterable: AnyIterable[ADD]) -> AsyncIterator[ADD]: ...
+def accumulate(
+    iterable: AnyIterable[ADD], *, initial: None = ...
+) -> AsyncIterator[ADD]: ...
 @overload
 def accumulate(iterable: AnyIterable[ADD], *, initial: ADD) -> AsyncIterator[ADD]: ...
 @overload
 def accumulate(
     iterable: AnyIterable[T],
     function: Callable[[T, T], T] | Callable[[T, T], Awaitable[T]],
+    *,
+    initial: None = ...,
 ) -> AsyncIterator[T]: ...
 @overload
 def accumulate(
diff --git a/docs/source/api/itertools.rst b/docs/source/api/itertools.rst
index 733332f..c61b750 100644
--- a/docs/source/api/itertools.rst
+++ b/docs/source/api/itertools.rst
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ Iterator transforming
 .. autofunction:: accumulate(iterable: (async) iter T, function: (T, T) → (await) T = add [, initial: T])
     :async-for: :T
 
+    .. versionchanged:: 3.13.2
+
+        ``initial=None`` means no initial value is assumed.
+
 .. autofunction:: starmap(function: (*A) → (await) T, iterable: (async) iter (A, ...))
     :async-for: :T
 
diff --git a/unittests/test_itertools.py b/unittests/test_itertools.py
index 5f88e96..82e4e7a 100644
--- a/unittests/test_itertools.py
+++ b/unittests/test_itertools.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ async def reduction(x, y):
 
 @sync
 async def test_accumulate_default():
+    """Test the default function of accumulate"""
     for itertype in (asyncify, list):
         assert await a.list(a.accumulate(itertype([0, 1]))) == list(
             itertools.accumulate([0, 1])
@@ -53,10 +54,21 @@ async def test_accumulate_default():
 
 @sync
 async def test_accumulate_misuse():
+    """Test wrong arguments to accumulate"""
     with pytest.raises(TypeError):
         assert await a.list(a.accumulate([]))
 
 
+@sync
+async def test_accumulate_initial():
+    """Test the `initial` argument to accumulate"""
+    assert (
+        await a.list(a.accumulate(asyncify([1, 2, 3]), initial=None))
+        == await a.list(a.accumulate(asyncify([1, 2, 3])))
+        == list(itertools.accumulate([1, 2, 3], initial=None))
+    )
+
+
 batched_cases = [
     (range(10), 2, [(0, 1), (2, 3), (4, 5), (6, 7), (8, 9)]),
     (range(10), 3, [(0, 1, 2), (3, 4, 5), (6, 7, 8), (9,)]),