diff --git a/changelog/10313.trivial.rst b/changelog/10313.trivial.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8203b580211
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/10313.trivial.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Made ``_pytest.doctest.DoctestItem`` export ``pytest.DoctestItem`` for
+type check and runtime purposes. Made `_pytest.doctest` use internal APIs
+to avoid circular imports.
diff --git a/src/_pytest/doctest.py b/src/_pytest/doctest.py
index ed072fcd628..771f0890d88 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/doctest.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/doctest.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 from typing import Union
 
-import pytest
 from _pytest import outcomes
 from _pytest._code.code import ExceptionInfo
 from _pytest._code.code import ReprFileLocation
@@ -32,11 +31,15 @@
 from _pytest.compat import safe_getattr
 from _pytest.config import Config
 from _pytest.config.argparsing import Parser
+from _pytest.fixtures import fixture
 from _pytest.fixtures import FixtureRequest
 from _pytest.nodes import Collector
+from _pytest.nodes import Item
 from _pytest.outcomes import OutcomeException
+from _pytest.outcomes import skip
 from _pytest.pathlib import fnmatch_ex
 from _pytest.pathlib import import_path
+from _pytest.python import Module
 from _pytest.python_api import approx
 from _pytest.warning_types import PytestWarning
 
@@ -246,7 +249,7 @@ def _get_runner(
     )
 
 
-class DoctestItem(pytest.Item):
+class DoctestItem(Item):
     def __init__(
         self,
         name: str,
@@ -411,7 +414,7 @@ def _get_continue_on_failure(config):
     return continue_on_failure
 
 
-class DoctestTextfile(pytest.Module):
+class DoctestTextfile(Module):
     obj = None
 
     def collect(self) -> Iterable[DoctestItem]:
@@ -449,7 +452,7 @@ def _check_all_skipped(test: "doctest.DocTest") -> None:
 
     all_skipped = all(x.options.get(doctest.SKIP, False) for x in test.examples)
     if all_skipped:
-        pytest.skip("all tests skipped by +SKIP option")
+        skip("all tests skipped by +SKIP option")
 
 
 def _is_mocked(obj: object) -> bool:
@@ -491,7 +494,7 @@ def _mock_aware_unwrap(
         inspect.unwrap = real_unwrap
 
 
-class DoctestModule(pytest.Module):
+class DoctestModule(Module):
     def collect(self) -> Iterable[DoctestItem]:
         import doctest
 
@@ -549,7 +552,7 @@ def _find(
                 )
             except ImportError:
                 if self.config.getvalue("doctest_ignore_import_errors"):
-                    pytest.skip("unable to import module %r" % self.path)
+                    skip("unable to import module %r" % self.path)
                 else:
                     raise
         # Uses internal doctest module parsing mechanism.
@@ -731,7 +734,7 @@ def _get_report_choice(key: str) -> int:
     }[key]
 
 
-@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+@fixture(scope="session")
 def doctest_namespace() -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """Fixture that returns a :py:class:`dict` that will be injected into the
     namespace of doctests.
diff --git a/src/pytest/__init__.py b/src/pytest/__init__.py
index c1634e296bc..f25ecde9c47 100644
--- a/src/pytest/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pytest/__init__.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from _pytest.config.argparsing import OptionGroup
 from _pytest.config.argparsing import Parser
 from _pytest.debugging import pytestPDB as __pytestPDB
+from _pytest.doctest import DoctestItem
 from _pytest.fixtures import fixture
 from _pytest.fixtures import FixtureLookupError
 from _pytest.fixtures import FixtureRequest
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@
     "Config",
     "console_main",
     "deprecated_call",
+    "DoctestItem",
     "exit",
     "ExceptionInfo",
     "ExitCode",