diff --git a/Tools/clinic/clinic.py b/Tools/clinic/clinic.py
index 8c959ed4d0..e8e2710a18 100755
--- a/Tools/clinic/clinic.py
+++ b/Tools/clinic/clinic.py
@@ -3018,19 +3018,19 @@ def modify(self) -> str:
         """
         return ""

-    def post_parsing(self) -> str:
+    def post_parsing(self) -> str | None:
         """
         The C statements required to do some operations after the end of parsing but before cleaning up.
         Return a string containing this code indented at column 0.
-        If no operation is necessary, return an empty string.
+        If no operation is necessary, return an empty string or None.
         """
         return ""

-    def cleanup(self) -> str:
+    def cleanup(self) -> str | None:
         """
         The C statements required to clean up after this variable.
         Returns a string containing this code indented at column 0.
-        If no cleanup is necessary, returns an empty string.
+        If no cleanup is necessary, returns an empty string or None.
         """
         return ""

@@ -3660,10 +3660,11 @@ def converter_init(
         if NoneType in accept and self.c_default == "Py_None":
             self.c_default = "NULL"

-    def post_parsing(self):
+    def post_parsing(self) -> str | None:
         if self.encoding:
             name = self.name
             return f"PyMem_FREE({name});\n"
+        return None

     def parse_arg(self, argname: str, displayname: str) -> str:
         if self.format_unit == 's':
@@ -3841,11 +3842,12 @@ def converter_init(
                 fail("Py_UNICODE_converter: illegal 'accept' argument " + repr(accept))
         self.c_default = "NULL"

-    def cleanup(self):
+    def cleanup(self) -> str | None:
         if not self.length:
             return """\
 PyMem_Free((void *){name});
 """.format(name=self.name)
+        return None

     def parse_arg(self, argname: str, argnum: str) -> str:
         if not self.length: