diff --git a/Apple/__main__.py b/Apple/__main__.py
index 1c588c23d6b5d1..256966e76c2c97 100644
--- a/Apple/__main__.py
+++ b/Apple/__main__.py
@@ -477,6 +477,12 @@ def lib_platform_files(dirname, names):
                 or name == "build-details.json"
             )
         }
+    elif path.parts[-1] == "lib":
+        ignored_names = {
+            name
+            for name in names
+            if name.startswith("libpython") and name.endswith(".dylib")
+        }
     else:
         ignored_names = set()
 
@@ -614,6 +620,12 @@ def create_xcframework(platform: str) -> str:
             slice_framework / "Headers/pyconfig.h",
         )
 
+        print(f" - {slice_name} shared library")
+        # Create a simlink for the fat library
+        shared_lib = slice_path / f"lib/libpython{version_tag}.dylib"
+        shared_lib.parent.mkdir()
+        shared_lib.symlink_to("../Python.framework/Python")
+
         print(f" - {slice_name} architecture-specific files")
         for host_triple, multiarch in slice_parts.items():
             print(f"   - {multiarch} standard library")
@@ -625,6 +637,7 @@ def create_xcframework(platform: str) -> str:
                     framework_path(host_triple, multiarch) / "lib",
                     package_path / "Python.xcframework/lib",
                     ignore=lib_platform_files,
+                    symlinks=True,
                 )
                 has_common_stdlib = True
 
@@ -632,6 +645,7 @@ def create_xcframework(platform: str) -> str:
                 framework_path(host_triple, multiarch) / "lib",
                 slice_path / f"lib-{arch}",
                 ignore=lib_non_platform_files,
+                symlinks=True,
             )
 
             # Copy the host's pyconfig.h to an architecture-specific name.
diff --git a/Apple/testbed/Python.xcframework/build/utils.sh b/Apple/testbed/Python.xcframework/build/utils.sh
index 961c46d014b5f5..e7155d8b30e213 100755
--- a/Apple/testbed/Python.xcframework/build/utils.sh
+++ b/Apple/testbed/Python.xcframework/build/utils.sh
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ install_stdlib() {
         rsync -au --delete "$PROJECT_DIR/$PYTHON_XCFRAMEWORK_PATH/lib/" "$CODESIGNING_FOLDER_PATH/python/lib/"
         rsync -au "$PROJECT_DIR/$PYTHON_XCFRAMEWORK_PATH/$SLICE_FOLDER/lib-$ARCHS/" "$CODESIGNING_FOLDER_PATH/python/lib/"
     else
-        rsync -au --delete "$PROJECT_DIR/$PYTHON_XCFRAMEWORK_PATH/$SLICE_FOLDER/lib/" "$CODESIGNING_FOLDER_PATH/python/lib/"
+        # A single-arch framework will have a libpython symlink; that can't be included at runtime
+        rsync -au --delete "$PROJECT_DIR/$PYTHON_XCFRAMEWORK_PATH/$SLICE_FOLDER/lib/" "$CODESIGNING_FOLDER_PATH/python/lib/" --exclude 'libpython*.dylib'
     fi
 }
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_profiling/test_sampling_profiler/test_integration.py b/Lib/test/test_profiling/test_sampling_profiler/test_integration.py
index 4fb2c595bbef9a..e1c80fa6d5d1b7 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_profiling/test_sampling_profiler/test_integration.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_profiling/test_sampling_profiler/test_integration.py
@@ -414,8 +414,8 @@ def main_loop():
         if iteration % 3 == 0:
             # Very CPU intensive
             result = cpu_intensive_work()
-        elif iteration % 5 == 0:
-            # Expensive recursive operation
+        elif iteration % 2 == 0:
+            # Expensive recursive operation (increased frequency for slower machines)
             result = slow_fibonacci(12)
         else:
             # Medium operation
diff --git a/Makefile.pre.in b/Makefile.pre.in
index 59c3c808794cf3..13108b1baf976a 100644
--- a/Makefile.pre.in
+++ b/Makefile.pre.in
@@ -3050,6 +3050,9 @@ frameworkinstallunversionedstructure:	$(LDLIBRARY)
 	$(INSTALL) -d -m $(DIRMODE) $(DESTDIR)$(PYTHONFRAMEWORKINSTALLDIR)
 	sed 's/%VERSION%/'"`$(RUNSHARED) $(PYTHON_FOR_BUILD) -c 'import platform; print(platform.python_version())'`"'/g' < $(RESSRCDIR)/Info.plist > $(DESTDIR)$(PYTHONFRAMEWORKINSTALLDIR)/Info.plist
 	$(INSTALL_SHARED) $(LDLIBRARY) $(DESTDIR)$(PYTHONFRAMEWORKPREFIX)/$(LDLIBRARY)
+	$(INSTALL) -d -m $(DIRMODE) $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)
+	$(LN) -fs "../$(LDLIBRARY)" "$(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/lib/libpython$(LDVERSION).dylib"
+	$(LN) -fs "../$(LDLIBRARY)" "$(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/lib/libpython$(VERSION).dylib"
 	$(INSTALL) -d -m $(DIRMODE) $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)
 	for file in $(srcdir)/$(RESSRCDIR)/bin/* ; do \
 		$(INSTALL) -m $(EXEMODE) $$file $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR); \
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2025-11-15-23-58-23.gh-issue-139103.9cVYJ0.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2025-11-15-23-58-23.gh-issue-139103.9cVYJ0.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..c038dc742ccec9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2025-11-15-23-58-23.gh-issue-139103.9cVYJ0.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Improve multithreaded scaling of dataclasses on the free-threaded build.
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tests/2025-10-27-15-53-47.gh-issue-140381.N5o3pa.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tests/2025-10-27-15-53-47.gh-issue-140381.N5o3pa.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..568a2b65d7d204
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tests/2025-10-27-15-53-47.gh-issue-140381.N5o3pa.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix flaky test_profiling tests on i686 and s390x architectures by increasing slow_fibonacci call frequency from every 5th iteration to every 2nd iteration.
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tools-Demos/2025-11-18-13-55-47.gh-issue-141692.tud9if.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tools-Demos/2025-11-18-13-55-47.gh-issue-141692.tud9if.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..d85c54db3646f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tools-Demos/2025-11-18-13-55-47.gh-issue-141692.tud9if.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Each slice of an iOS XCframework now contains a ``lib`` folder that contains
+a symlink to the libpython dylib. This allows binary modules to be compiled
+for iOS using dynamic libreary linking, rather than Framework linking.
diff --git a/Objects/typeobject.c b/Objects/typeobject.c
index 61bcc21ce13d47..c99c6b3f6377b6 100644
--- a/Objects/typeobject.c
+++ b/Objects/typeobject.c
@@ -6546,6 +6546,18 @@ type_setattro(PyObject *self, PyObject *name, PyObject *value)
     assert(!_PyType_HasFeature(metatype, Py_TPFLAGS_INLINE_VALUES));
     assert(!_PyType_HasFeature(metatype, Py_TPFLAGS_MANAGED_DICT));
 
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+    // gh-139103: Enable deferred refcounting for functions assigned
+    // to type objects.  This is important for `dataclass.__init__`,
+    // which is generated dynamically.
+    if (value != NULL &&
+        PyFunction_Check(value) &&
+        !_PyObject_HasDeferredRefcount(value))
+    {
+        PyUnstable_Object_EnableDeferredRefcount(value);
+    }
+#endif
+
     PyObject *old_value = NULL;
     PyObject *descr = _PyType_LookupRef(metatype, name);
     if (descr != NULL) {
diff --git a/Tools/ftscalingbench/ftscalingbench.py b/Tools/ftscalingbench/ftscalingbench.py
index 1a59e25189d5dd..097a065f368f30 100644
--- a/Tools/ftscalingbench/ftscalingbench.py
+++ b/Tools/ftscalingbench/ftscalingbench.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import sys
 import threading
 import time
+from dataclasses import dataclass
 from operator import methodcaller
 
 # The iterations in individual benchmarks are scaled by this factor.
@@ -202,6 +203,17 @@ def method_caller():
     for i in range(1000 * WORK_SCALE):
         mc(obj)
 
+@dataclass
+class MyDataClass:
+    x: int
+    y: int
+    z: int
+
+@register_benchmark
+def instantiate_dataclass():
+    for _ in range(1000 * WORK_SCALE):
+        obj = MyDataClass(x=1, y=2, z=3)
+
 def bench_one_thread(func):
     t0 = time.perf_counter_ns()
     func()