diff --git a/newsfragments/5985.fixed.md b/newsfragments/5985.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..052cec3ed7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/5985.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+`getattr_opt` now correctly treats `AttributeError` subclasses as missing attributes on Python < 3.13.
diff --git a/pyo3-ffi/src/compat/py_3_13.rs b/pyo3-ffi/src/compat/py_3_13.rs
index 26b9f2698fb..0c766b0f86a 100644
--- a/pyo3-ffi/src/compat/py_3_13.rs
+++ b/pyo3-ffi/src/compat/py_3_13.rs
@@ -177,3 +177,28 @@ compat_function!(
         0
     }
 );
+
+compat_function!(
+    originally_defined_for(Py_3_13);
+
+    #[inline]
+    pub unsafe fn PyObject_GetOptionalAttr(
+        obj: *mut crate::PyObject,
+        name: *mut crate::PyObject,
+        result: *mut *mut crate::PyObject,
+    ) -> std::ffi::c_int {
+        use crate::{PyErr_Clear, PyErr_ExceptionMatches, PyExc_AttributeError, PyObject_GetAttr};
+
+        let attr = PyObject_GetAttr(obj, name);
+        if !attr.is_null() {
+            *result = attr;
+            return 1; // found
+        }
+        *result = std::ptr::null_mut();
+        if PyErr_ExceptionMatches(PyExc_AttributeError) != 0 {
+            PyErr_Clear();
+            return 0; // not found
+        }
+        -1 // other error
+    }
+);
diff --git a/src/types/any.rs b/src/types/any.rs
index 8923f429efa..9ae17d35dbc 100644
--- a/src/types/any.rs
+++ b/src/types/any.rs
@@ -1024,39 +1024,20 @@ impl<'py> PyAnyMethods<'py> for Bound<'py, PyAny> {
             any: &Bound<'py, PyAny>,
             attr_name: Borrowed<'_, 'py, PyString>,
         ) -> PyResult<Option<Bound<'py, PyAny>>> {
-            #[cfg(Py_3_13)]
-            {
-                let mut resp_ptr: *mut ffi::PyObject = std::ptr::null_mut();
-                match unsafe {
-                    ffi::PyObject_GetOptionalAttr(any.as_ptr(), attr_name.as_ptr(), &mut resp_ptr)
-                } {
-                    // Attribute found, result is a new strong reference
-                    1 => {
-                        let bound = unsafe { Bound::from_owned_ptr(any.py(), resp_ptr) };
-                        Ok(Some(bound))
-                    }
-                    // Attribute not found, result is NULL
-                    0 => Ok(None),
-
-                    // An error occurred (other than AttributeError)
-                    _ => Err(PyErr::fetch(any.py())),
-                }
-            }
-
-            #[cfg(not(Py_3_13))]
-            {
-                match any.getattr(attr_name) {
-                    Ok(bound) => Ok(Some(bound)),
-                    Err(err) => {
-                        let err_type = err
-                            .get_type(any.py())
-                            .is(PyType::new::<PyAttributeError>(any.py()));
-                        match err_type {
-                            true => Ok(None),
-                            false => Err(err),
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
+            let mut resp_ptr: *mut ffi::PyObject = std::ptr::null_mut();
+            match unsafe {
+                ffi::compat::PyObject_GetOptionalAttr(
+                    any.as_ptr(),
+                    attr_name.as_ptr(),
+                    &mut resp_ptr,
+                )
+            } {
+                // Attribute found, result is a new strong reference
+                1 => Ok(Some(unsafe { Bound::from_owned_ptr(any.py(), resp_ptr) })),
+                // Attribute not found
+                0 => Ok(None),
+                // An error occurred (other than AttributeError)
+                _ => Err(PyErr::fetch(any.py())),
             }
         }
 
@@ -1789,6 +1770,33 @@ class Test:
         });
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_getattr_opt_attribute_error_subclass() {
+        Python::attach(|py| {
+            let module = PyModule::from_code(
+                py,
+                cr#"
+class CustomAttrError(AttributeError):
+    pass
+
+class Obj:
+    @property
+    def missing(self):
+        raise CustomAttrError("not here")
+                "#,
+                c"test.py",
+                &generate_unique_module_name("test"),
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+
+            let obj = module.getattr("Obj").unwrap().call0().unwrap();
+
+            // An AttributeError subclass should be treated as "attribute not found"
+            let result = obj.getattr_opt("missing").unwrap();
+            assert!(result.is_none());
+        });
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_call_for_non_existing_method() {
         Python::attach(|py| {