diff --git a/Lib/site.py b/Lib/site.py
index 9381f6f510eb46..daa56e158949db 100644
--- a/Lib/site.py
+++ b/Lib/site.py
@@ -526,8 +526,7 @@ def register_readline():
 
         def write_history():
             try:
-                # _pyrepl.__main__ is executed as the __main__ module
-                from __main__ import CAN_USE_PYREPL
+                from _pyrepl.main import CAN_USE_PYREPL
             except ImportError:
                 CAN_USE_PYREPL = False
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2024-07-02-11-34-06.gh-issue-121245.sSkDAr.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2024-07-02-11-34-06.gh-issue-121245.sSkDAr.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..6e9dec2545166f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2024-07-02-11-34-06.gh-issue-121245.sSkDAr.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Fix a bug in the handling of the command history of the new :term:`REPL` that caused
+the history file to be wiped at REPL exit.