diff --git a/Tools/clinic/clinic.py b/Tools/clinic/clinic.py
index 39c6de35273019..6bfa6d0d568146 100755
--- a/Tools/clinic/clinic.py
+++ b/Tools/clinic/clinic.py
@@ -2290,8 +2290,9 @@ def parse(self, input: str) -> str:
 
         return printer.f.getvalue()
 
-
-    def _module_and_class(self, fields):
+    def _module_and_class(
+        self, fields: Iterable[str]
+    ) -> tuple[Module | Clinic, Class | None]:
         """
         fields should be an iterable of field names.
         returns a tuple of (module, class).
@@ -2299,19 +2300,21 @@ def _module_and_class(self, fields):
         this function is only ever used to find the parent of where
         a new class/module should go.
         """
-        in_classes = False
+        parent: Clinic | Module | Class
+        child: Module | Class | None
+        module: Clinic | Module
+        cls: Class | None = None
+        so_far: list[str] = []
+
         parent = module = self
-        cls = None
-        so_far = []
 
         for field in fields:
             so_far.append(field)
-            if not in_classes:
+            if not isinstance(parent, Class):
                 child = parent.modules.get(field)
                 if child:
                     parent = module = child
                     continue
-                in_classes = True
             if not hasattr(parent, 'classes'):
                 return module, cls
             child = parent.classes.get(field)
@@ -2379,7 +2382,7 @@ def parse(self, block: Block) -> None:
 @dc.dataclass(repr=False)
 class Module:
     name: str
-    module: Module | None = None
+    module: Module | Clinic
 
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
         self.parent = self.module
@@ -2394,7 +2397,7 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
 @dc.dataclass(repr=False)
 class Class:
     name: str
-    module: Module
+    module: Module | Clinic
     cls: Class | None
     typedef: str
     type_object: str
@@ -2522,7 +2525,7 @@ class Function:
     parameters: ParamDict = dc.field(default_factory=dict)
     _: dc.KW_ONLY
     name: str
-    module: Module
+    module: Module | Clinic
     cls: Class | None
     c_basename: str | None
     full_name: str
@@ -2538,7 +2541,7 @@ class Function:
     docstring_only: bool = False
 
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
-        self.parent: Class | Module = self.cls or self.module
+        self.parent = self.cls or self.module
         self.self_converter: self_converter | None = None
         self.__render_parameters__: list[Parameter] | None = None
 
diff --git a/Tools/clinic/mypy.ini b/Tools/clinic/mypy.ini
index 672911dc19abda..4aa65a5c14489f 100644
--- a/Tools/clinic/mypy.ini
+++ b/Tools/clinic/mypy.ini
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 [mypy]
+files = Tools/clinic/
+pretty = True
+
 # make sure clinic can still be run on Python 3.10
 python_version = 3.10
-pretty = True
-enable_error_code = ignore-without-code
-disallow_any_generics = True
+
+# be strict...
+strict = True
 strict_concatenate = True
-warn_redundant_casts = True
-warn_unused_ignores = True
-warn_unused_configs = True
+enable_error_code = ignore-without-code,redundant-expr
 warn_unreachable = True
-files = Tools/clinic/
+
+# ...except for one extra rule we can't enable just yet
+warn_return_any = False