diff --git a/src/type_object.rs b/src/type_object.rs
index f37bb5fc4bb..15b525fd60c 100644
--- a/src/type_object.rs
+++ b/src/type_object.rs
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ where
             let gil = Python::acquire_gil();
             let py = gil.python();
 
-            initialize_type::<Self>(py).unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+            initialize_type::<Self>(py, None).unwrap_or_else(|_| {
                 panic!("An error occurred while initializing class {}", Self::NAME)
             });
         }
@@ -290,21 +290,15 @@ pub trait PyTypeCreate: PyObjectAlloc + PyTypeObject + Sized {
 impl<T> PyTypeCreate for T where T: PyObjectAlloc + PyTypeObject + Sized {}
 
 /// Register new type in python object system.
-///
-/// Currently, module_name is always None, so it defaults to pyo3_extension
 #[cfg(not(Py_LIMITED_API))]
-pub fn initialize_type<T>(py: Python) -> PyResult<*mut ffi::PyTypeObject>
+pub fn initialize_type<T>(py: Python, module_name: Option<&str>) -> PyResult<*mut ffi::PyTypeObject>
 where
     T: PyObjectAlloc + PyTypeInfo + PyMethodsProtocol,
 {
-    let type_name = CString::new(T::NAME).expect("class name must not contain NUL byte");
-
     let type_object: &mut ffi::PyTypeObject = unsafe { T::type_object() };
     let base_type_object: &mut ffi::PyTypeObject =
         unsafe { <T::BaseType as PyTypeInfo>::type_object() };
 
-    type_object.tp_name = type_name.into_raw();
-
     // PyPy will segfault if passed only a nul terminator as `tp_doc`.
     // ptr::null() is OK though.
     if T::DESCRIPTION == "\0" {
@@ -315,6 +309,13 @@ where
 
     type_object.tp_base = base_type_object;
 
+    let name = match module_name {
+        Some(module_name) => format!("{}.{}", module_name, T::NAME),
+        None => T::NAME.to_string(),
+    };
+    let name = CString::new(name).expect("Module name/type name must not contain NUL byte");
+    type_object.tp_name = name.into_raw();
+
     // dealloc
     type_object.tp_dealloc = Some(tp_dealloc_callback::<T>);
 
diff --git a/tests/test_class_basics.rs b/tests/test_class_basics.rs
index 3b91e429e7e..7a4959c813b 100644
--- a/tests/test_class_basics.rs
+++ b/tests/test_class_basics.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use pyo3::prelude::*;
+use pyo3::type_object::initialize_type;
 
 #[macro_use]
 mod common;
@@ -71,4 +72,9 @@ fn empty_class_in_module() {
     // We currently have no way of determining a canonical module, so builtins is better
     // than using whatever calls init first.
     assert_eq!(module, "builtins");
+
+    // The module name can also be set manually by calling `initialize_type`.
+    initialize_type::<EmptyClassInModule>(py, Some("test_module.nested")).unwrap();
+    let module: String = ty.getattr("__module__").unwrap().extract().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(module, "test_module.nested");
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_various.rs b/tests/test_various.rs
index 5af5792a055..08bb35e676f 100644
--- a/tests/test_various.rs
+++ b/tests/test_various.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use pyo3::prelude::*;
+use pyo3::type_object::initialize_type;
 use pyo3::types::IntoPyDict;
-use pyo3::types::PyTuple;
+use pyo3::types::{PyDict, PyTuple};
 use pyo3::wrap_pyfunction;
 use std::isize;
 
@@ -117,3 +118,55 @@ fn pytuple_pyclass_iter() {
     py_assert!(py, tup, "type(tup[0]).__name__ == type(tup[0]).__name__");
     py_assert!(py, tup, "tup[0] != tup[1]");
 }
+
+#[pyclass(dict)]
+struct PickleSupport {}
+
+#[pymethods]
+impl PickleSupport {
+    #[new]
+    fn new(obj: &PyRawObject) {
+        obj.init({ PickleSupport {} });
+    }
+
+    pub fn __reduce__(slf: PyRef<Self>) -> PyResult<(PyObject, Py<PyTuple>, PyObject)> {
+        let gil = Python::acquire_gil();
+        let py = gil.python();
+        let cls = slf.to_object(py).getattr(py, "__class__")?;
+        let dict = slf.to_object(py).getattr(py, "__dict__")?;
+        Ok((cls, PyTuple::empty(py), dict))
+    }
+}
+
+fn add_module(py: Python, module: &PyModule) -> PyResult<()> {
+    py.import("sys")?
+        .dict()
+        .get_item("modules")
+        .unwrap()
+        .downcast_mut::<PyDict>()?
+        .set_item(module.name()?, module)
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_pickle() {
+    let gil = Python::acquire_gil();
+    let py = gil.python();
+    let module = PyModule::new(py, "test_module").unwrap();
+    module.add_class::<PickleSupport>().unwrap();
+    add_module(py, module).unwrap();
+    initialize_type::<PickleSupport>(py, Some("test_module")).unwrap();
+    let inst = PyRef::new(py, PickleSupport {}).unwrap();
+    py_run!(
+        py,
+        inst,
+        r#"
+        inst.a = 1
+        assert inst.__dict__ == {'a': 1}
+
+        import pickle
+        inst2 = pickle.loads(pickle.dumps(inst))
+
+        assert inst2.__dict__ == {'a': 1}
+    "#
+    );
+}