diff --git a/Lib/test/test_dbm.py b/Lib/test/test_dbm.py
index ae9faabd536a6c..5db2e658f45585 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_dbm.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_dbm.py
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ def test_error(self):
     def test_anydbm_not_existing(self):
         self.assertRaises(dbm.error, dbm.open, _fname)
 
+    def test_open_nonexistent_directory(self):
+        missing_dir = os.path.join(dirname + "_does_not_exist", "test.db")
+        with self.assertRaises(OSError):
+            dbm.open(missing_dir, "c")
+
     def test_anydbm_creation(self):
         f = dbm.open(_fname, 'c')
         self.assertEqual(list(f.keys()), [])
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C_API/2026-01-20-20-17-16.gh-issue-144069.IE5fug.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C_API/2026-01-20-20-17-16.gh-issue-144069.IE5fug.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..6167c1d362b02b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C_API/2026-01-20-20-17-16.gh-issue-144069.IE5fug.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Fix a memory leak in :func:`dbm.open` when database creation fails, such as
+when the target directory does not exist.
diff --git a/Modules/_dbmmodule.c b/Modules/_dbmmodule.c
index f88861fa24423b..12ee08e01820f8 100644
--- a/Modules/_dbmmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/_dbmmodule.c
@@ -85,10 +85,11 @@ newdbmobject(_dbm_state *state, const char *file, int flags, int mode)
     }
     dp->di_size = -1;
     dp->flags = flags;
+    dp->di_dbm = NULL;
     PyObject_GC_Track(dp);
 
     /* See issue #19296 */
-    if ( (dp->di_dbm = dbm_open((char *)file, flags, mode)) == 0 ) {
+    if ( (dp->di_dbm = dbm_open((char *)file, flags, mode)) == NULL ) {
         PyErr_SetFromErrnoWithFilename(state->dbm_error, file);
         Py_DECREF(dp);
         return NULL;
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ dbm_dealloc(PyObject *self)
     PyObject_GC_UnTrack(dp);
     if (dp->di_dbm) {
         dbm_close(dp->di_dbm);
+        dp->di_dbm = NULL;
     }
     PyTypeObject *tp = Py_TYPE(dp);
     tp->tp_free(dp);