diff --git a/Include/cpython/pyerrors.h b/Include/cpython/pyerrors.h
index cdd052026c1ba2..85dbdea9c81755 100644
--- a/Include/cpython/pyerrors.h
+++ b/Include/cpython/pyerrors.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ typedef PyOSErrorObject PyWindowsErrorObject;
 /* Error handling definitions */
 
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyErr_SetKeyError(PyObject *);
-_PyErr_StackItem *_PyErr_GetTopmostException(PyThreadState *tstate);
+PyAPI_FUNC(_PyErr_StackItem *) _PyErr_GetTopmostException(PyThreadState *tstate);
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyErr_GetExcInfo(PyThreadState *, PyObject **, PyObject **, PyObject **);
 
 /* Context manipulation (PEP 3134) */
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-05-07-09-33-25.bpo-40545.32unl1.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-05-07-09-33-25.bpo-40545.32unl1.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..89eadd62f930b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-05-07-09-33-25.bpo-40545.32unl1.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Export _PyErr_GetTopmostException as a public function in the C API.
\ No newline at end of file