diff --git a/mypyc/irbuild/ll_builder.py b/mypyc/irbuild/ll_builder.py
index c5f9503b8c66..18d44895c299 100644
--- a/mypyc/irbuild/ll_builder.py
+++ b/mypyc/irbuild/ll_builder.py
@@ -184,7 +184,12 @@
     str_ssize_t_size_op,
     unicode_compare,
 )
-from mypyc.primitives.tuple_ops import list_tuple_op, new_tuple_op, new_tuple_with_length_op
+from mypyc.primitives.tuple_ops import (
+    list_tuple_op,
+    load_empty_tuple_constant_op,
+    new_tuple_op,
+    new_tuple_with_length_op,
+)
 from mypyc.rt_subtype import is_runtime_subtype
 from mypyc.sametype import is_same_type
 from mypyc.subtype import is_subtype
@@ -2322,8 +2327,11 @@ def builtin_len(self, val: Value, line: int, use_pyssize_t: bool = False) -> Val
             return self.call_c(generic_len_op, [val], line)
 
     def new_tuple(self, items: list[Value], line: int) -> Value:
-        size: Value = Integer(len(items), c_pyssize_t_rprimitive)
-        return self.call_c(new_tuple_op, [size] + items, line)
+        if items:
+            size: Value = Integer(len(items), c_pyssize_t_rprimitive)
+            return self.call_c(new_tuple_op, [size] + items, line)
+        else:
+            return self.call_c(load_empty_tuple_constant_op, [], line)
 
     def new_tuple_with_length(self, length: Value, line: int) -> Value:
         """This function returns an uninitialized tuple.
diff --git a/mypyc/lib-rt/CPy.h b/mypyc/lib-rt/CPy.h
index 1881aa97f308..343f1028fd01 100644
--- a/mypyc/lib-rt/CPy.h
+++ b/mypyc/lib-rt/CPy.h
@@ -64,6 +64,14 @@ typedef struct tuple_T4CIOO {
 } tuple_T4CIOO;
 #endif
 
+// System-wide empty tuple constant
+extern PyObject * __mypyc_empty_tuple__;
+
+static inline PyObject *_CPyTuple_LoadEmptyTupleConstant() {
+    // do tests still pass if I comment this out? empty tuple singleton is not tracked by gc
+    // Py_INCREF(__mypyc_empty_tuple__);
+    return __mypyc_empty_tuple__;
+}
 
 // Native object operations
 
diff --git a/mypyc/lib-rt/init.c b/mypyc/lib-rt/init.c
index 01b133233489..74137e13a980 100644
--- a/mypyc/lib-rt/init.c
+++ b/mypyc/lib-rt/init.c
@@ -4,10 +4,23 @@
 struct ExcDummyStruct _CPy_ExcDummyStruct = { PyObject_HEAD_INIT(NULL) };
 PyObject *_CPy_ExcDummy = (PyObject *)&_CPy_ExcDummyStruct;
 
+// System-wide empty tuple constant
+PyObject * __mypyc_empty_tuple__ = NULL;
+
 // Because its dynamic linker is more restricted than linux/OS X,
 // Windows doesn't allow initializing globals with values from
 // other dynamic libraries. This means we need to initialize
 // things at load time.
 void CPy_Init(void) {
     _CPy_ExcDummyStruct.ob_base.ob_type = &PyBaseObject_Type;
+
+    // Initialize system-wide empty tuple constant
+    if (__mypyc_empty_tuple__ == NULL) {
+        __mypyc_empty_tuple__ = PyTuple_New(0);
+        if (!__mypyc_empty_tuple__) {
+            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, "Failed to initialize __mypyc_empty_tuple__");
+            return;
+        }
+        Py_INCREF(__mypyc_empty_tuple__);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/mypyc/primitives/tuple_ops.py b/mypyc/primitives/tuple_ops.py
index d95161acf853..c58f7f853832 100644
--- a/mypyc/primitives/tuple_ops.py
+++ b/mypyc/primitives/tuple_ops.py
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@
     error_kind=ERR_MAGIC,
 )
 
+load_empty_tuple_constant_op = custom_op(
+    arg_types=[],
+    return_type=tuple_rprimitive,
+    c_function_name="_CPyTuple_LoadEmptyTupleConstant",
+    error_kind=ERR_NEVER,
+)
+
 # PyTuple_SET_ITEM does no error checking,
 # and should only be used to fill in brand new tuples.
 new_tuple_set_item_op = custom_op(
diff --git a/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-basic.test b/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-basic.test
index 4a7d315ec836..184d67380dde 100644
--- a/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-basic.test
+++ b/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-basic.test
@@ -1766,7 +1766,7 @@ L0:
     r10 = PyDict_New()
     r11 = CPyDict_UpdateInDisplay(r10, r6)
     r12 = r11 >= 0 :: signed
-    r13 = PyTuple_Pack(0)
+    r13 = _CPyTuple_LoadEmptyTupleConstant()
     r14 = PyObject_Call(r9, r13, r10)
     r15 = unbox(tuple[int, int, int], r14)
     return r15
diff --git a/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-classes.test b/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-classes.test
index 8a2cc42fbb0f..ce5f0efd1a3f 100644
--- a/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-classes.test
+++ b/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-classes.test
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ L2:
     r27 = CPyType_FromTemplate(r26, r24, r25)
     r28 = C_trait_vtable_setup()
     r29 = '__mypyc_attrs__'
-    r30 = PyTuple_Pack(0)
+    r30 = _CPyTuple_LoadEmptyTupleConstant()
     r31 = PyObject_SetAttr(r27, r29, r30)
     r32 = r31 >= 0 :: signed
     __main__.C = r27 :: type
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ L2:
     r39 = __main__.S_template :: type
     r40 = CPyType_FromTemplate(r39, r37, r38)
     r41 = '__mypyc_attrs__'
-    r42 = PyTuple_Pack(0)
+    r42 = _CPyTuple_LoadEmptyTupleConstant()
     r43 = PyObject_SetAttr(r40, r41, r42)
     r44 = r43 >= 0 :: signed
     __main__.S = r40 :: type