diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 1f8c468475470c..7db0100c6b3e9e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -143,6 +143,22 @@ jobs:
         if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'  # $GITHUB_EVENT_NAME
         run: make check-c-globals
 
+  check_refcounts:
+    name: 'Check if refcounts.dat is up to date'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 30
+    needs: check_source
+    if: needs.check_source.outputs.run_tests == 'true'
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.x'
+      - name: Install Dependencies
+        run: sudo ./.github/workflows/posix-deps-apt.sh
+      - name: Check refcounts.dat
+        run: make -C Doc/tools check_refcounts
+
   build_windows:
     name: >-
       Windows
@@ -554,6 +570,7 @@ jobs:
     - check-docs
     - check_autoconf_regen
     - check_generated_files
+    - check_refcounts
     - build_macos
     - build_ubuntu
     - build_ubuntu_ssltests
@@ -590,6 +607,7 @@ jobs:
             && '
             check_autoconf_regen,
             check_generated_files,
+            check_refcounts,
             build_macos,
             build_ubuntu,
             build_ubuntu_ssltests,
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index ccde03f91983df..4b175fbbe90279 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -24,3 +24,17 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: "3.x"
       - uses: pre-commit/action@v3.0.1
+
+  check_refcounts_format:
+    name: 'Check if refcounts.dat is correctly formatted'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 30
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.x'
+      - name: Install Dependencies
+        run: sudo ./.github/workflows/posix-deps-apt.sh
+      - name: Check refcounts.dat format
+        run: make -C Doc/tools check_refcounts
diff --git a/Doc/tools/Makefile b/Doc/tools/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..6b51f89a5e1a2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Doc/tools/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,335 @@
+# Makefile for Python documentation tools
+# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+# You can set these variables from the command line.
+PYTHON       = python3
+VENVDIR      = ./venv
+SPHINXBUILD  = PATH=$(VENVDIR)/bin:$$PATH sphinx-build
+BLURB        = PATH=$(VENVDIR)/bin:$$PATH blurb
+JOBS         = auto
+PAPER        =
+SOURCES      =
+DISTVERSION  = $(shell $(PYTHON) tools/extensions/patchlevel.py)
+REQUIREMENTS = requirements.txt
+SPHINXERRORHANDLING = -W
+
+# Internal variables.
+PAPEROPT_a4     = -D latex_elements.papersize=a4paper
+PAPEROPT_letter = -D latex_elements.papersize=letterpaper
+
+ALLSPHINXOPTS = -b $(BUILDER) \
+                -d build/doctrees \
+                -j $(JOBS) \
+                $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) \
+                $(SPHINXOPTS) $(SPHINXERRORHANDLING) \
+                . build/$(BUILDER) $(SOURCES)
+
+.PHONY: help
+help:
+	@echo "Please use \`make <target>' where <target> is one of"
+	@echo "  clean      to remove build files"
+	@echo "  venv       to create a venv with necessary tools"
+	@echo "  html       to make standalone HTML files"
+	@echo "  gettext    to generate POT files"
+	@echo "  htmlview   to open the index page built by the html target in your browser"
+	@echo "  htmllive   to rebuild and reload HTML files in your browser"
+	@echo "  htmlhelp   to make HTML files and a HTML help project"
+	@echo "  latex      to make LaTeX files, you can set PAPER=a4 or PAPER=letter"
+	@echo "  text       to make plain text files"
+	@echo "  texinfo    to make Texinfo file"
+	@echo "  epub       to make EPUB files"
+	@echo "  changes    to make an overview over all changed/added/deprecated items"
+	@echo "  linkcheck  to check all external links for integrity"
+	@echo "  coverage   to check documentation coverage for library and C API"
+	@echo "  doctest    to run doctests in the documentation"
+	@echo "  pydoc-topics  to regenerate the pydoc topics file"
+	@echo "  dist       to create a \"dist\" directory with archived docs for download"
+	@echo "  check      to run a check for frequent markup errors"
+
+.PHONY: build
+build:
+	-mkdir -p build
+# Look first for a Misc/NEWS file (building from a source release tarball
+# or old repo) and use that, otherwise look for a Misc/NEWS.d directory
+# (building from a newer repo) and use blurb to generate the NEWS file.
+	@if [ -f  ../Misc/NEWS ] ; then \
+		echo "Using existing Misc/NEWS file"; \
+		cp ../Misc/NEWS build/NEWS; \
+	elif $(BLURB) help >/dev/null 2>&1 && $(SPHINXBUILD) --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then \
+		if [ -d ../Misc/NEWS.d ]; then \
+			echo "Building NEWS from Misc/NEWS.d with blurb"; \
+			$(BLURB) merge -f build/NEWS; \
+		else \
+			echo "Neither Misc/NEWS.d nor Misc/NEWS found; cannot build docs"; \
+			exit 1; \
+		fi \
+	else \
+		echo ""; \
+		echo "Missing the required blurb or sphinx-build tools."; \
+		echo "Please run 'make venv' to install local copies."; \
+		echo ""; \
+		exit 1; \
+	fi
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) $(ALLSPHINXOPTS)
+	@echo
+
+.PHONY: html
+html: BUILDER = html
+html: build
+	@echo "Build finished. The HTML pages are in build/html."
+
+.PHONY: htmlhelp
+htmlhelp: BUILDER = htmlhelp
+htmlhelp: build
+	@echo "Build finished; now you can run HTML Help Workshop with the" \
+	      "build/htmlhelp/pydoc.hhp project file."
+
+.PHONY: latex
+latex: BUILDER = latex
+latex: build
+	@echo "Build finished; the LaTeX files are in build/latex."
+	@echo "Run \`make all-pdf' or \`make all-ps' in that directory to" \
+	      "run these through (pdf)latex."
+
+.PHONY: text
+text: BUILDER = text
+text: build
+	@echo "Build finished; the text files are in build/text."
+
+.PHONY: texinfo
+texinfo: BUILDER = texinfo
+texinfo: build
+	@echo "Build finished; the python.texi file is in build/texinfo."
+	@echo "Run \`make info' in that directory to run it through makeinfo."
+
+.PHONY: epub
+epub: BUILDER = epub
+epub: build
+	@echo "Build finished; the epub files are in build/epub."
+
+.PHONY: changes
+changes: BUILDER = changes
+changes: build
+	@echo "The overview file is in build/changes."
+
+.PHONY: linkcheck
+linkcheck: BUILDER = linkcheck
+linkcheck:
+	@$(MAKE) build BUILDER=$(BUILDER) || { \
+	echo "Link check complete; look for any errors in the above output" \
+	     "or in build/$(BUILDER)/output.txt"; \
+	false; }
+
+.PHONY: coverage
+coverage: BUILDER = coverage
+coverage: build
+	@echo "Coverage finished; see c.txt and python.txt in build/coverage"
+
+.PHONY: doctest
+doctest: BUILDER = doctest
+doctest:
+	@$(MAKE) build BUILDER=$(BUILDER) || { \
+	echo "Testing of doctests in the sources finished, look at the" \
+	     "results in build/doctest/output.txt"; \
+	false; }
+
+.PHONY: pydoc-topics
+pydoc-topics: BUILDER = pydoc-topics
+pydoc-topics: build
+	@echo "Building finished; now run this:" \
+	      "cp build/pydoc-topics/topics.py ../Lib/pydoc_data/topics.py"
+
+.PHONY: gettext
+gettext: BUILDER = gettext
+gettext: SPHINXOPTS += -d build/doctrees-gettext
+gettext: build
+
+.PHONY: htmlview
+htmlview: html
+	$(PYTHON) -c "import os, webbrowser; webbrowser.open('file://' + os.path.realpath('build/html/index.html'))"
+
+.PHONY: htmllive
+htmllive: SPHINXBUILD = PATH=$(VENVDIR)/bin:$$PATH sphinx-autobuild
+htmllive: SPHINXOPTS = --re-ignore="/venv/" --open-browser --delay 0
+htmllive: _ensure-sphinx-autobuild html
+
+.PHONY: clean
+clean: clean-venv
+	-rm -rf build/*
+
+.PHONY: clean-venv
+clean-venv:
+	rm -rf $(VENVDIR)
+
+.PHONY: venv
+venv:
+	@if [ -d $(VENVDIR) ] ; then \
+		echo "venv already exists."; \
+		echo "To recreate it, remove it first with \`make clean-venv'."; \
+	else \
+		echo "Creating venv in $(VENVDIR)"; \
+		if $(UV) --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then \
+			$(UV) venv $(VENVDIR); \
+			VIRTUAL_ENV=$(VENVDIR) $(UV) pip install -r $(REQUIREMENTS); \
+		else \
+			$(PYTHON) -m venv $(VENVDIR); \
+			$(VENVDIR)/bin/python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip; \
+			$(VENVDIR)/bin/python3 -m pip install -r $(REQUIREMENTS); \
+		fi; \
+		echo "The venv has been created in the $(VENVDIR) directory"; \
+	fi
+
+.PHONY: dist-no-html
+dist-no-html: dist-text dist-pdf dist-epub dist-texinfo
+
+.PHONY: dist
+dist:
+	rm -rf dist
+	mkdir -p dist
+	$(MAKE) dist-html
+	$(MAKE) dist-text
+	$(MAKE) dist-pdf
+	$(MAKE) dist-epub
+	$(MAKE) dist-texinfo
+
+.PHONY: dist-html
+dist-html:
+	# archive the HTML
+	@echo "Building HTML..."
+	mkdir -p dist
+	rm -rf build/html
+	find dist -name 'python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-html*' -exec rm -rf {} \;
+	$(MAKE) html
+	cp -pPR build/html dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-html
+	tar -C dist -cf dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-html.tar python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-html
+	bzip2 -9 -k dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-html.tar
+	(cd dist; zip -q -r -9 python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-html.zip python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-html)
+	rm -r dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-html
+	rm dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-html.tar
+	@echo "Build finished and archived!"
+
+.PHONY: dist-text
+dist-text:
+	# archive the text build
+	@echo "Building text..."
+	mkdir -p dist
+	rm -rf build/text
+	find dist -name 'python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-text*' -exec rm -rf {} \;
+	$(MAKE) text
+	cp -pPR build/text dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-text
+	tar -C dist -cf dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-text.tar python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-text
+	bzip2 -9 -k dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-text.tar
+	(cd dist; zip -q -r -9 python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-text.zip python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-text)
+	rm -r dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-text
+	rm dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-text.tar
+	@echo "Build finished and archived!"
+
+.PHONY: dist-pdf
+dist-pdf:
+	# archive the A4 latex
+	@echo "Building LaTeX (A4 paper)..."
+	mkdir -p dist
+	rm -rf build/latex
+	find dist -name 'python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-pdf*' -exec rm -rf {} \;
+	$(MAKE) latex PAPER=a4
+	# remove zip & bz2 dependency on all-pdf,
+	# as otherwise the full latexmk process is run twice.
+	# ($$ is needed to escape the $; https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/make.html#Basics-of-Variable-References)
+	-sed -i 's/: all-$$(FMT)/:/' build/latex/Makefile
+	(cd build/latex; $(MAKE) clean && $(MAKE) --jobs=$$((`nproc`+1)) --output-sync LATEXMKOPTS='-quiet' all-pdf && $(MAKE) FMT=pdf zip bz2)
+	cp build/latex/docs-pdf.zip dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-pdf-a4.zip
+	cp build/latex/docs-pdf.tar.bz2 dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-pdf-a4.tar.bz2
+	@echo "Build finished and archived!"
+
+.PHONY: dist-epub
+dist-epub:
+	# copy the epub build
+	@echo "Building EPUB..."
+	mkdir -p dist
+	rm -rf build/epub
+	rm -f dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs.epub
+	$(MAKE) epub
+	cp -pPR build/epub/Python.epub dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs.epub
+	@echo "Build finished and archived!"
+
+.PHONY: dist-texinfo
+dist-texinfo:
+	# archive the texinfo build
+	@echo "Building Texinfo..."
+	mkdir -p dist
+	rm -rf build/texinfo
+	find dist -name 'python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-texinfo*' -exec rm -rf {} \;
+	$(MAKE) texinfo
+	$(MAKE) info --directory=build/texinfo
+	cp -pPR build/texinfo dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-texinfo
+	tar -C dist -cf dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-texinfo.tar python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-texinfo
+	bzip2 -9 -k dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-texinfo.tar
+	(cd dist; zip -q -r -9 python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-texinfo.zip python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-texinfo)
+	rm -r dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-texinfo
+	rm dist/python-$(DISTVERSION)-docs-texinfo.tar
+	@echo "Build finished and archived!"
+
+.PHONY: _ensure-package
+_ensure-package: venv
+	if $(UV) --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then \
+		VIRTUAL_ENV=$(VENVDIR) $(UV) pip install $(PACKAGE); \
+	else \
+		$(VENVDIR)/bin/python3 -m pip install $(PACKAGE); \
+	fi
+
+.PHONY: _ensure-pre-commit
+_ensure-pre-commit:
+	$(MAKE) _ensure-package PACKAGE=pre-commit
+
+.PHONY: _ensure-sphinx-autobuild
+_ensure-sphinx-autobuild:
+	$(MAKE) _ensure-package PACKAGE=sphinx-autobuild
+
+.PHONY: check
+check: _ensure-pre-commit
+	$(VENVDIR)/bin/python3 -m pre_commit run --all-files
+
+.PHONY: serve
+serve:
+	@echo "The serve target was removed, use htmllive instead (see gh-80510)"
+
+# Targets for daily automated doc build
+# By default, Sphinx only rebuilds pages where the page content has changed.
+# This means it doesn't always pick up changes to preferred link targets, etc
+# To ensure such changes are picked up, we build the published docs with
+# `-E` (to ignore the cached environment) and `-a` (to ignore already existing
+# output files)
+
+# for development releases: always build
+.PHONY: autobuild-dev
+autobuild-dev: DISTVERSION = $(shell $(PYTHON) tools/extensions/patchlevel.py --short)
+autobuild-dev:
+	$(MAKE) dist-no-html SPHINXOPTS='$(SPHINXOPTS) -Ea -A daily=1' DISTVERSION=$(DISTVERSION)
+
+# for HTML-only rebuilds
+.PHONY: autobuild-dev-html
+autobuild-dev-html: DISTVERSION = $(shell $(PYTHON) tools/extensions/patchlevel.py --short)
+autobuild-dev-html:
+	$(MAKE) dist-html SPHINXOPTS='$(SPHINXOPTS) -Ea -A daily=1' DISTVERSION=$(DISTVERSION)
+
+# for stable releases: only build if not in pre-release stage (alpha, beta)
+# release candidate downloads are okay, since the stable tree can be in that stage
+.PHONY: autobuild-stable
+autobuild-stable:
+	@case $(DISTVERSION) in *[ab]*) \
+		echo "Not building; $(DISTVERSION) is not a release version."; \
+		exit 1;; \
+	esac
+	@$(MAKE) autobuild-dev
+
+.PHONY: autobuild-stable-html
+autobuild-stable-html:
+	@case $(DISTVERSION) in *[ab]*) \
+		echo "Not building; $(DISTVERSION) is not a release version."; \
+		exit 1;; \
+	esac
+	@$(MAKE) autobuild-dev-html
+
+.PHONY: check_refcounts
+check_refcounts:
+	$(PYTHON) tools/check_refcounts.py
diff --git a/Doc/tools/check_refcounts.py b/Doc/tools/check_refcounts.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..3c05630f90dd32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Doc/tools/check_refcounts.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import os
+import sys
+import argparse
+
+def read_refcounts_file(file_path):
+    if not os.path.exists(file_path):
+        raise FileNotFoundError(f"File not found: {file_path}")
+    with open(file_path, 'r') as file:
+        lines = file.readlines()
+    return [line.strip() for line in lines if line.strip()]
+
+def read_stable_abi_file(file_path):
+    if not os.path.exists(file_path):
+        raise FileNotFoundError(f"File not found: {file_path}")
+    with open(file_path, 'r') as file:
+        lines = file.readlines()
+    return [line.strip() for line in lines if line.strip()]
+
+def is_sorted(file_lines):
+    return file_lines == sorted(file_lines)
+
+def check_refcounts(refcounts_file, stable_abi_file, auto_sort=False):
+    refcounts = read_refcounts_file(refcounts_file)
+    stable_abi = read_stable_abi_file(stable_abi_file)
+
+    missing_entries = [entry for entry in stable_abi if entry not in refcounts]
+    if missing_entries:
+        print("Missing entries in refcounts.dat:")
+        for entry in missing_entries:
+            print(entry)
+        print(f"Total entries in stable_abi.dat: {len(stable_abi)}")
+        print(f"Total entries in refcounts.dat: {len(refcounts)}")
+        print(f"Missing entries: {len(missing_entries)}")
+        return False
+
+    if not is_sorted(refcounts):
+        print("refcounts.dat is not sorted alphabetically.")
+        if auto_sort:
+            with open(refcounts_file, 'w') as file:
+                file.writelines('\n'.join(sorted(refcounts)) + '\n')
+            print("refcounts.dat has been sorted.")
+        return False
+
+    print("refcounts.dat is up-to-date and sorted.")
+    return True
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Validate refcounts.dat.")
+    parser.add_argument("--refcounts", default='../data/refcounts.dat', help="Path to refcounts.dat")
+    parser.add_argument("--stable_abi", default='../data/stable_abi.dat', help="Path to stable_abi.dat")
+    parser.add_argument("--auto_sort", action='store_true', help="Auto-sort refcounts.dat if not sorted")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    if not check_refcounts(args.refcounts, args.stable_abi, args.auto_sort):
+        sys.exit(1)