diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-03-11-11-58-42.gh-issue-145801.iCXa3v.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-03-11-11-58-42.gh-issue-145801.iCXa3v.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..c5f3982cc5416c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-03-11-11-58-42.gh-issue-145801.iCXa3v.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+When Python build is optimized with GCC using PGO, use
+``-fprofile-update=atomic`` option to use atomic operations when updating
+profile information. This option reduces the risk of gcov Data Files (.gcda)
+corruption which can cause random GCC crashes. Patch by Victor Stinner.
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 49b6795703ac68..9ddb712b5344d4 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -8990,7 +8990,44 @@ case "$CC_BASENAME" in
         fi
         ;;
       *)
-        PGO_PROF_GEN_FLAG="-fprofile-generate"
+        { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether C compiler accepts -fprofile-update=atomic" >&5
+printf %s "checking whether C compiler accepts -fprofile-update=atomic... " >&6; }
+if test ${ax_cv_check_cflags___fprofile_update_atomic+y}
+then :
+  printf %s "(cached) " >&6
+else $as_nop
+
+  ax_check_save_flags=$CFLAGS
+  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS  -fprofile-update=atomic"
+  cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+int
+main (void)
+{
+
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_c_try_compile "$LINENO"
+then :
+  ax_cv_check_cflags___fprofile_update_atomic=yes
+else $as_nop
+  ax_cv_check_cflags___fprofile_update_atomic=no
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.beam conftest.$ac_ext
+  CFLAGS=$ax_check_save_flags
+fi
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ax_cv_check_cflags___fprofile_update_atomic" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$ax_cv_check_cflags___fprofile_update_atomic" >&6; }
+if test "x$ax_cv_check_cflags___fprofile_update_atomic" = xyes
+then :
+  PGO_PROF_GEN_FLAG="-fprofile-generate -fprofile-update=atomic"
+else $as_nop
+  PGO_PROF_GEN_FLAG="-fprofile-generate"
+fi
+
         PGO_PROF_USE_FLAG="-fprofile-use -fprofile-correction"
         LLVM_PROF_MERGER="true"
         LLVM_PROF_FILE=""
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 94776540d1b373..d9acfce793e533 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2137,7 +2137,10 @@ case "$CC_BASENAME" in
         fi
         ;;
       *)
-        PGO_PROF_GEN_FLAG="-fprofile-generate"
+        AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG(
+            [-fprofile-update=atomic],
+            [PGO_PROF_GEN_FLAG="-fprofile-generate -fprofile-update=atomic"],
+            [PGO_PROF_GEN_FLAG="-fprofile-generate"])
         PGO_PROF_USE_FLAG="-fprofile-use -fprofile-correction"
         LLVM_PROF_MERGER="true"
         LLVM_PROF_FILE=""