diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/str.rs b/vm/src/builtins/str.rs
index 911d19dda7..dad5a16e9e 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/str.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/str.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use crate::{
         AsMapping, AsSequence, Comparable, Constructor, Hashable, IterNext, IterNextIterable,
         Iterable, PyComparisonOp, Unconstructible,
     },
-    AsObject, Context, Py, PyObject, PyObjectRef, PyPayload, PyRef, PyResult,
+    AsObject, Context, Py, PyObject, PyObjectRef, PyPayload, PyRef, PyRefExact, PyResult,
     TryFromBorrowedObject, VirtualMachine,
 };
 use ascii::{AsciiStr, AsciiString};
@@ -116,6 +116,12 @@ impl AsRef<str> for PyStr {
     }
 }
 
+impl AsRef<str> for Py<PyStr> {
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &str {
+        self.as_str()
+    }
+}
+
 impl AsRef<str> for PyStrRef {
     fn as_ref(&self) -> &str {
         self.as_str()
@@ -1510,6 +1516,12 @@ impl SliceableSequenceOp for PyStr {
     }
 }
 
+impl AsRef<str> for PyRefExact<PyStr> {
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &str {
+        self.as_str()
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
diff --git a/vm/src/intern.rs b/vm/src/intern.rs
index d43115d345..ca284da037 100644
--- a/vm/src/intern.rs
+++ b/vm/src/intern.rs
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ impl StringPool {
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+#[repr(transparent)]
 pub struct CachedPyStrRef {
     inner: PyRefExact<PyStr>,
 }
diff --git a/vm/src/object/core.rs b/vm/src/object/core.rs
index 53c55957c8..19c7aa47ec 100644
--- a/vm/src/object/core.rs
+++ b/vm/src/object/core.rs
@@ -1001,6 +1001,16 @@ where
     }
 }
 
+impl<T> AsRef<Py<T>> for PyRef<T>
+where
+    T: PyObjectPayload,
+{
+    #[inline(always)]
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &Py<T> {
+        self
+    }
+}
+
 impl<T> Deref for PyRef<T>
 where
     T: PyObjectPayload,
diff --git a/vm/src/object/ext.rs b/vm/src/object/ext.rs
index 762e728694..67105953fd 100644
--- a/vm/src/object/ext.rs
+++ b/vm/src/object/ext.rs
@@ -116,6 +116,13 @@ impl<T: PyPayload> Deref for PyRefExact<T> {
     }
 }
 
+impl<T: PyObjectPayload> AsRef<Py<T>> for PyRefExact<T> {
+    #[inline(always)]
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &Py<T> {
+        self.inner.as_ref()
+    }
+}
+
 impl<T: PyPayload> ToPyObject for PyRefExact<T> {
     #[inline(always)]
     fn to_pyobject(self, _vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyObjectRef {