diff --git a/Lib/test/test_json/test_speedups.py b/Lib/test/test_json/test_speedups.py
index 682014cfd5b344..8376a55e9a7152 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_json/test_speedups.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_json/test_speedups.py
@@ -80,3 +80,60 @@ def test(name):
     def test_unsortable_keys(self):
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             self.json.encoder.JSONEncoder(sort_keys=True).encode({'a': 1, 1: 'a'})
+
+    def test_indent_argument_to_encoder(self):
+        # gh-143196: indent must be str, int, or None
+        # int is converted to spaces
+        enc = self.json.encoder.c_make_encoder(
+            None, lambda obj: obj, lambda obj: obj,
+            4, ':', ', ', False, False, False,
+        )
+        result = enc({'a': 1}, 0)
+        self.assertIn('    ', result[0])  # 4 spaces
+
+        # Negative int should raise ValueError
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(
+            ValueError,
+            r'make_encoder\(\) argument 4 must be a non-negative int',
+        ):
+            self.json.encoder.c_make_encoder(None, None, None, -1, ': ', ', ',
+                                             False, False, False)
+
+        # Other types should raise TypeError
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(
+            TypeError,
+            r'make_encoder\(\) argument 4 must be str, int, or None, not list',
+        ):
+            self.json.encoder.c_make_encoder(None, None, None, [' '],
+                                             ': ', ', ', False, False, False)
+
+    def test_nonzero_indent_level_with_indent(self):
+        # gh-143196: _current_indent_level must be 0 when indent is set
+        # This prevents heap-buffer-overflow from uninitialized cache access
+        # and also prevents re-entrant __mul__ attacks since PySequence_Repeat
+        # is only called when indent_level != 0
+        enc = self.json.encoder.c_make_encoder(
+            None, lambda obj: obj, lambda obj: obj,
+            '  ', ':', ', ', False, False, False,
+        )
+        # indent_level=0 should work
+        enc([None], 0)
+        # indent_level!=0 should raise ValueError
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(
+            ValueError,
+            r'_current_indent_level must be 0 when indent is set',
+        ):
+            enc([None], 1)
+
+        # Verify that str subclasses with custom __mul__ are safe because
+        # __mul__ is never called when indent_level=0
+        class CustomIndent(str):
+            def __mul__(self, count):
+                raise RuntimeError("__mul__ should not be called")
+
+        enc2 = self.json.encoder.c_make_encoder(
+            None, lambda obj: obj, lambda obj: obj,
+            CustomIndent('  '), ':', ', ', False, False, False,
+        )
+        # This should work - __mul__ is not called when indent_level=0
+        enc2({'a': 1}, 0)
diff --git a/Modules/_json.c b/Modules/_json.c
index 14714d4b346546..1efc08fcced66f 100644
--- a/Modules/_json.c
+++ b/Modules/_json.c
@@ -1319,14 +1319,47 @@ encoder_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    /* Convert indent to str if it's not None or already a string */
+    if (indent != Py_None && !PyUnicode_Check(indent)) {
+        Py_ssize_t indent_level;
+        if (!PyIndex_Check(indent)) {
+            PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
+                         "make_encoder() argument 4 must be str, int, or None, "
+                         "not %.200s", Py_TYPE(indent)->tp_name);
+            return NULL;
+        }
+        indent_level = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(indent, PyExc_ValueError);
+        if (indent_level == -1 && PyErr_Occurred()) {
+            return NULL;
+        }
+        if (indent_level < 0) {
+            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+                            "make_encoder() argument 4 must be a non-negative int");
+            return NULL;
+        }
+        /* Create a string of spaces: ' ' * indent_level */
+        indent = PyUnicode_New(indent_level, ' ');
+        if (indent == NULL) {
+            return NULL;
+        }
+        if (indent_level > 0) {
+            memset(PyUnicode_1BYTE_DATA(indent), ' ', indent_level);
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        Py_INCREF(indent);
+    }
+
     s = (PyEncoderObject *)type->tp_alloc(type, 0);
-    if (s == NULL)
+    if (s == NULL) {
+        Py_DECREF(indent);
         return NULL;
+    }
 
     s->markers = Py_NewRef(markers);
     s->defaultfn = Py_NewRef(defaultfn);
     s->encoder = Py_NewRef(encoder);
-    s->indent = Py_NewRef(indent);
+    s->indent = indent;  /* Already incref'd or newly created */
     s->key_separator = Py_NewRef(key_separator);
     s->item_separator = Py_NewRef(item_separator);
     s->sort_keys = sort_keys;
@@ -1453,6 +1486,12 @@ encoder_call(PyObject *op, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
 
     PyObject *indent_cache = NULL;
     if (self->indent != Py_None) {
+        if (indent_level != 0) {
+            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+                            "_current_indent_level must be 0 when indent is set");
+            PyUnicodeWriter_Discard(writer);
+            return NULL;
+        }
         indent_cache = create_indent_cache(self, indent_level);
         if (indent_cache == NULL) {
             PyUnicodeWriter_Discard(writer);