diff --git a/Lib/test/test_dict_mappingproxy.py b/Lib/test/test_dict_mappingproxy.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..c2abf03f19e0d2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/test/test_dict_mappingproxy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+"""Tests for dict() / update / unpacking of types.MappingProxyType.
+
+gh-157217: merging from a mappingproxy wrapping a dict should take the
+locked dict-to-dict path instead of iterating the proxy unlocked.
+"""
+
+import collections
+import types
+import unittest
+
+
+class MappingProxyDictMergeTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_update_from_mappingproxy_dict(self):
+        d = {}
+        d.update(types.MappingProxyType({1: 1, 2: 2, 3: 3}))
+        self.assertEqual(d, {1: 1, 2: 2, 3: 3})
+
+    def test_dict_constructor_from_mappingproxy(self):
+        view = types.MappingProxyType({'a': 1, 'b': 2})
+        self.assertEqual(dict(view), {'a': 1, 'b': 2})
+        self.assertEqual({**view}, {'a': 1, 'b': 2})
+        dest = {'z': 0}
+        dest.update(view)
+        self.assertEqual(dest, {'z': 0, 'a': 1, 'b': 2})
+
+    def test_dict_constructor_from_mappingproxy_userdict(self):
+        self.assertEqual(
+            dict(types.MappingProxyType(collections.UserDict(x=1))),
+            {'x': 1},
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_free_threading/test_type.py b/Lib/test/test_free_threading/test_type.py
index a55c4815a038376..7bcd7425f46536d 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_free_threading/test_type.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_free_threading/test_type.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from threading import Barrier, Thread
 from unittest import TestCase
 import sys
-from test.support import import_helper, threading_helper
+from test.support import import_helper, threading_helper, Py_GIL_DISABLED
 
 _testinternalcapi = import_helper.import_module("_testinternalcapi")
 
@@ -401,6 +401,46 @@ class B(A):
         with threading_helper.start_threads(threads):
             pass
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(Py_GIL_DISABLED,
+                         "race only occurs on the free-threaded build")
+    def test_dir_racing_class_dict_insert(self):
+        # gh-157217: dir() iterated a mappingproxy of the class dict without
+        # holding that dict's critical section. A concurrent insert into the
+        # class dict (for example a lazy __annotations_cache__) then raised
+        # RuntimeError: dictionary changed size during iteration.
+        errors = []
+
+        class C:
+            x: int
+
+        for i in range(200):
+            setattr(C, f'attr_{i}', i)
+
+        def reader():
+            barrier.wait()
+            for _ in range(400):
+                try:
+                    dir(C)
+                    dict(vars(C))
+                    {**vars(C)}
+                except RuntimeError as exc:
+                    errors.append(exc)
+
+        def writer():
+            barrier.wait()
+            # First access stores __annotations_cache__ on the class.
+            C.__annotations__
+            for i in range(200):
+                setattr(C, f'extra_{i}', i)
+
+        n_readers = 4
+        barrier = threading.Barrier(n_readers + 1)
+        threads = [Thread(target=reader) for _ in range(n_readers)]
+        threads.append(Thread(target=writer))
+        with threading_helper.start_threads(threads):
+            pass
+        self.assertEqual(errors, [])
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2026-09-10-16-20-00.gh-issue-157217.dirlock.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2026-09-10-16-20-00.gh-issue-157217.dirlock.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..0a6be4dad5f6887
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2026-09-10-16-20-00.gh-issue-157217.dirlock.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Fix :func:`dir` raising :exc:`RuntimeError` on the free-threaded build
+when another thread concurrently inserts into a class ``__dict__``.
+``dict.update()`` and related merges now take the locked dict-to-dict path
+when the source is a :class:`types.MappingProxyType` wrapping a dict.
diff --git a/Objects/dictobject.c b/Objects/dictobject.c
index 357e714de9a6c0e..ef389e05082fcfe 100644
--- a/Objects/dictobject.c
+++ b/Objects/dictobject.c
@@ -4305,11 +4305,25 @@ dict_merge(PyObject *a, PyObject *b, int override, PyObject **dupkey)
 
     PyDictObject *mp = _PyAnyDict_CAST(a);
 
+    /* Mapping proxies (including type.__dict__) wrap a real dict. Unwrap
+     * so we take the locked dict-to-dict path instead of iterating the
+     * proxy without holding the underlying dict's critical section.
+     * Layout must match mappingproxyobject in descrobject.c. See gh-157217.
+     */
+    typedef struct {
+        PyObject_HEAD
+        PyObject *mapping;
+    } mappingproxyobject;
+    PyObject *source = b;
+    if (Py_IS_TYPE(b, &PyDictProxy_Type)) {
+        source = ((mappingproxyobject *)b)->mapping;
+    }
+
     int res = 0;
-    if (PyAnyDict_Check(b) && (Py_TYPE(b)->tp_iter == dict_iter)) {
-        PyDictObject *other = (PyDictObject*)b;
+    if (PyAnyDict_Check(source) && (Py_TYPE(source)->tp_iter == dict_iter)) {
+        PyDictObject *other = (PyDictObject*)source;
         int res;
-        Py_BEGIN_CRITICAL_SECTION2(a, b);
+        Py_BEGIN_CRITICAL_SECTION2(a, source);
         assert(can_modify_dict(mp));
         res = dict_dict_merge((PyDictObject *)a, other, override, dupkey);
         ASSERT_CONSISTENT(a);