diff --git a/Lib/test/test_embed.py b/Lib/test/test_embed.py
index f622d443257f0f..930f76342f0e14 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_embed.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_embed.py
@@ -340,6 +340,12 @@ def test_finalize_structseq(self):
         out, err = self.run_embedded_interpreter("test_repeated_init_exec", code)
         self.assertEqual(out, 'Tests passed\n' * INIT_LOOPS)
 
+    def test_simple_initialization_api(self):
+        # _testembed now uses Py_InitializeFromConfig by default
+        # This case specifically checks Py_Initialize(Ex) still works
+        out, err = self.run_embedded_interpreter("test_repeated_simple_init")
+        self.assertEqual(out, 'Finalized\n' * INIT_LOOPS)
+
     def test_quickened_static_code_gets_unquickened_at_Py_FINALIZE(self):
         # https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/92031
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2022-10-16-15-00-25.gh-issue-96853.V0wiXP.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2022-10-16-15-00-25.gh-issue-96853.V0wiXP.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..d7e3cc423ac895
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2022-10-16-15-00-25.gh-issue-96853.V0wiXP.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+``Py_InitializeEx`` now correctly calls ``PyConfig_Clear`` after initializing
+the interpreter (the omission didn't cause a memory leak only because none
+of the dynamically allocated config fields are populated by the wrapper
+function)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tests/2022-10-12-14-57-06.gh-issue-96853.ANe-bw.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tests/2022-10-12-14-57-06.gh-issue-96853.ANe-bw.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..89958c57721913
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tests/2022-10-12-14-57-06.gh-issue-96853.ANe-bw.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Added explicit coverage of ``Py_Initialize`` (and hence ``Py_InitializeEx``)
+back to the embedding tests (all other embedding tests migrated to
+``Py_InitializeFromConfig`` in Python 3.11)
diff --git a/Programs/_testembed.c b/Programs/_testembed.c
index ba599591d3c4d6..adb4483ccbd3c0 100644
--- a/Programs/_testembed.c
+++ b/Programs/_testembed.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ char **main_argv;
 /*********************************************************
  * Embedded interpreter tests that need a custom exe
  *
- * Executed via 'EmbeddingTests' in Lib/test/test_capi.py
+ * Executed via Lib/test/test_embed.py
  *********************************************************/
 
 // Use to display the usage
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ static void init_from_config_clear(PyConfig *config)
 }
 
 
-static void _testembed_Py_Initialize(void)
+static void _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig(void)
 {
     PyConfig config;
     _PyConfig_InitCompatConfig(&config);
@@ -81,6 +81,12 @@ static void _testembed_Py_Initialize(void)
     init_from_config_clear(&config);
 }
 
+static void _testembed_Py_Initialize(void)
+{
+   Py_SetProgramName(PROGRAM_NAME);
+   Py_Initialize();
+}
+
 
 /*****************************************************
  * Test repeated initialisation and subinterpreters
@@ -110,7 +116,7 @@ static int test_repeated_init_and_subinterpreters(void)
 
     for (int i=1; i <= INIT_LOOPS; i++) {
         printf("--- Pass %d ---\n", i);
-        _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+        _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
         mainstate = PyThreadState_Get();
 
         PyEval_ReleaseThread(mainstate);
@@ -168,7 +174,7 @@ static int test_repeated_init_exec(void)
         fprintf(stderr, "--- Loop #%d ---\n", i);
         fflush(stderr);
 
-        _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+        _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
         int err = PyRun_SimpleString(code);
         Py_Finalize();
         if (err) {
@@ -178,6 +184,23 @@ static int test_repeated_init_exec(void)
     return 0;
 }
 
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Test the Py_Initialize(Ex) convenience/compatibility wrappers
+ ***************************************************************************/
+// This is here to help ensure there are no wrapper resource leaks (gh-96853)
+static int test_repeated_simple_init(void)
+{
+    for (int i=1; i <= INIT_LOOPS; i++) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "--- Loop #%d ---\n", i);
+        fflush(stderr);
+
+        _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+        Py_Finalize();
+        printf("Finalized\n"); // Give test_embed some output to check
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 
 /*****************************************************
  * Test forcing a particular IO encoding
@@ -199,7 +222,7 @@ static void check_stdio_details(const char *encoding, const char * errors)
     fflush(stdout);
     /* Force the given IO encoding */
     Py_SetStandardStreamEncoding(encoding, errors);
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
     PyRun_SimpleString(
         "import sys;"
         "print('stdin: {0.encoding}:{0.errors}'.format(sys.stdin));"
@@ -308,7 +331,7 @@ static int test_pre_initialization_sys_options(void)
     dynamic_xoption = NULL;
 
     _Py_EMBED_PREINIT_CHECK("Initializing interpreter\n");
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
     _Py_EMBED_PREINIT_CHECK("Check sys module contents\n");
     PyRun_SimpleString("import sys; "
                        "print('sys.warnoptions:', sys.warnoptions); "
@@ -352,7 +375,7 @@ static int test_bpo20891(void)
         return 1;
     }
 
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
 
     unsigned long thrd = PyThread_start_new_thread(bpo20891_thread, &lock);
     if (thrd == PYTHREAD_INVALID_THREAD_ID) {
@@ -375,7 +398,7 @@ static int test_bpo20891(void)
 
 static int test_initialize_twice(void)
 {
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
 
     /* bpo-33932: Calling Py_Initialize() twice should do nothing
      * (and not crash!). */
@@ -393,7 +416,7 @@ static int test_initialize_pymain(void)
                         L"print(f'Py_Main() after Py_Initialize: "
                         L"sys.argv={sys.argv}')"),
                        L"arg2"};
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
 
     /* bpo-34008: Calling Py_Main() after Py_Initialize() must not crash */
     Py_Main(Py_ARRAY_LENGTH(argv), argv);
@@ -416,7 +439,7 @@ dump_config(void)
 
 static int test_init_initialize_config(void)
 {
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
     dump_config();
     Py_Finalize();
     return 0;
@@ -767,7 +790,7 @@ static int test_init_compat_env(void)
     /* Test initialization from environment variables */
     Py_IgnoreEnvironmentFlag = 0;
     set_all_env_vars();
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
     dump_config();
     Py_Finalize();
     return 0;
@@ -803,7 +826,7 @@ static int test_init_env_dev_mode(void)
     /* Test initialization from environment variables */
     Py_IgnoreEnvironmentFlag = 0;
     set_all_env_vars_dev_mode();
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
     dump_config();
     Py_Finalize();
     return 0;
@@ -816,7 +839,7 @@ static int test_init_env_dev_mode_alloc(void)
     Py_IgnoreEnvironmentFlag = 0;
     set_all_env_vars_dev_mode();
     putenv("PYTHONMALLOC=malloc");
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
     dump_config();
     Py_Finalize();
     return 0;
@@ -1156,7 +1179,7 @@ static int test_open_code_hook(void)
     }
 
     Py_IgnoreEnvironmentFlag = 0;
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
     result = 0;
 
     PyObject *r = PyFile_OpenCode("$$test-filename");
@@ -1220,7 +1243,7 @@ static int _test_audit(Py_ssize_t setValue)
 
     Py_IgnoreEnvironmentFlag = 0;
     PySys_AddAuditHook(_audit_hook, &sawSet);
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
 
     if (PySys_Audit("_testembed.raise", NULL) == 0) {
         printf("No error raised");
@@ -1276,7 +1299,7 @@ static int test_audit_subinterpreter(void)
 {
     Py_IgnoreEnvironmentFlag = 0;
     PySys_AddAuditHook(_audit_subinterpreter_hook, NULL);
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
 
     Py_NewInterpreter();
     Py_NewInterpreter();
@@ -1871,13 +1894,13 @@ static int test_unicode_id_init(void)
     _Py_IDENTIFIER(test_unicode_id_init);
 
     // Initialize Python once without using the identifier
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
     Py_Finalize();
 
     // Now initialize Python multiple times and use the identifier.
     // The first _PyUnicode_FromId() call initializes the identifier index.
     for (int i=0; i<3; i++) {
-        _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+        _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
 
         PyObject *str1, *str2;
 
@@ -2021,7 +2044,7 @@ unwrap_allocator(PyMemAllocatorEx *allocator)
 static int
 test_get_incomplete_frame(void)
 {
-    _testembed_Py_Initialize();
+    _testembed_Py_InitializeFromConfig();
     PyMemAllocatorEx allocator;
     wrap_allocator(&allocator);
     // Force an allocation with an incomplete (generator) frame:
@@ -2053,6 +2076,7 @@ struct TestCase
 static struct TestCase TestCases[] = {
     // Python initialization
     {"test_repeated_init_exec", test_repeated_init_exec},
+    {"test_repeated_simple_init", test_repeated_simple_init},
     {"test_forced_io_encoding", test_forced_io_encoding},
     {"test_repeated_init_and_subinterpreters", test_repeated_init_and_subinterpreters},
     {"test_repeated_init_and_inittab", test_repeated_init_and_inittab},
diff --git a/Python/pylifecycle.c b/Python/pylifecycle.c
index 334abfb191fee1..d26ae74a0f17f5 100644
--- a/Python/pylifecycle.c
+++ b/Python/pylifecycle.c
@@ -1313,6 +1313,7 @@ Py_InitializeEx(int install_sigs)
     config.install_signal_handlers = install_sigs;
 
     status = Py_InitializeFromConfig(&config);
+    PyConfig_Clear(&config);
     if (_PyStatus_EXCEPTION(status)) {
         Py_ExitStatusException(status);
     }