diff --git a/src/_pytest/faulthandler.py b/src/_pytest/faulthandler.py
index 083bcb83739..be6b0b93f3b 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/faulthandler.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/faulthandler.py
@@ -51,18 +51,19 @@ def pytest_unconfigure(config: Config) -> None:
 
 
 def get_stderr_fileno() -> int:
+    stderr = sys.stderr
     try:
-        fileno = sys.stderr.fileno()
-        # The Twisted Logger will return an invalid file descriptor since it is not backed
-        # by an FD. So, let's also forward this to the same code path as with pytest-xdist.
-        if fileno == -1:
-            raise AttributeError()
-        return fileno
+        fileno = stderr.fileno()
     except (AttributeError, ValueError):
         # pytest-xdist monkeypatches sys.stderr with an object that is not an actual file.
         # https://docs.python.org/3/library/faulthandler.html#issue-with-file-descriptors
         # This is potentially dangerous, but the best we can do.
         return sys.__stderr__.fileno()
+    # The Twisted Logger will return an invalid file descriptor since it is not backed
+    # by an FD. So, let's also forward this to the same code path as with pytest-xdist.
+    if fileno == -1:
+        return sys.__stderr__.fileno()
+    return fileno
 
 
 def get_timeout_config_value(config: Config) -> float: