diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/builtin_func.rs b/vm/src/builtins/builtin_func.rs
index 47479fd344..bb28ce6267 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/builtin_func.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/builtin_func.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use crate::{
     class::PyClassImpl,
     function::{FuncArgs, IntoPyNativeFunc, PyNativeFunc},
     types::{Callable, Constructor, GetDescriptor, Representable, Unconstructible},
-    AsObject, Context, Py, PyObjectRef, PyPayload, PyRef, PyResult, VirtualMachine,
+    AsObject, Context, Py, PyObject, PyObjectRef, PyPayload, PyRef, PyResult, VirtualMachine,
 };
 use std::fmt;
 
@@ -189,19 +189,19 @@ impl fmt::Debug for PyBuiltinMethod {
 
 impl GetDescriptor for PyBuiltinMethod {
     fn descr_get(
-        zelf: PyObjectRef,
+        zelf: &PyObject,
         obj: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         cls: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         vm: &VirtualMachine,
     ) -> PyResult {
         let (_zelf, obj) = match Self::_check(&zelf, obj, vm) {
             Some(obj) => obj,
-            None => return Ok(zelf),
+            None => return Ok(zelf.to_owned()),
         };
         let r = if vm.is_none(&obj) && !Self::_cls_is(&cls, obj.class()) {
-            zelf
+            zelf.to_owned().into()
         } else {
-            PyBoundMethod::new_ref(obj, zelf, &vm.ctx).into()
+            PyBoundMethod::new_ref(obj, zelf.to_owned().into(), &vm.ctx).into()
         };
         Ok(r)
     }
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/classmethod.rs b/vm/src/builtins/classmethod.rs
index 02f836199e..eb3dbbd9f4 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/classmethod.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/classmethod.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use crate::{
     class::PyClassImpl,
     common::lock::PyMutex,
     types::{Constructor, GetDescriptor, Initializer, Representable},
-    AsObject, Context, Py, PyObjectRef, PyPayload, PyRef, PyResult, VirtualMachine,
+    AsObject, Context, Py, PyObject, PyObjectRef, PyPayload, PyRef, PyResult, VirtualMachine,
 };
 
 /// classmethod(function) -> method
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ impl PyPayload for PyClassMethod {
 
 impl GetDescriptor for PyClassMethod {
     fn descr_get(
-        zelf: PyObjectRef,
+        zelf: &PyObject,
         obj: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         cls: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         vm: &VirtualMachine,
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/descriptor.rs b/vm/src/builtins/descriptor.rs
index a0995e1472..3839b9cc07 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/descriptor.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/descriptor.rs
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ impl Representable for MemberDescrObject {
 
 impl GetDescriptor for MemberDescrObject {
     fn descr_get(
-        zelf: PyObjectRef,
+        zelf: &PyObject,
         obj: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         _cls: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         vm: &VirtualMachine,
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ impl GetDescriptor for MemberDescrObject {
                 let zelf = Self::_as_pyref(&zelf, vm)?;
                 zelf.member.get(x, vm)
             }
-            None => Ok(zelf),
+            None => Ok(zelf.to_owned()),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/function.rs b/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
index bf8fb46d29..58bc0c19f2 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
@@ -434,16 +434,16 @@ impl PyFunction {
 
 impl GetDescriptor for PyFunction {
     fn descr_get(
-        zelf: PyObjectRef,
+        zelf: &PyObject,
         obj: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         cls: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         vm: &VirtualMachine,
     ) -> PyResult {
         let (_zelf, obj) = Self::_unwrap(&zelf, obj, vm)?;
         let obj = if vm.is_none(&obj) && !Self::_cls_is(&cls, obj.class()) {
-            zelf
+            zelf.to_owned().into()
         } else {
-            PyBoundMethod::new_ref(obj, zelf, &vm.ctx).into()
+            PyBoundMethod::new_ref(obj, zelf.to_owned().into(), &vm.ctx).into()
         };
         Ok(obj)
     }
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/getset.rs b/vm/src/builtins/getset.rs
index 2516fcd566..275c397abe 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/getset.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/getset.rs
@@ -46,14 +46,14 @@ impl PyPayload for PyGetSet {
 
 impl GetDescriptor for PyGetSet {
     fn descr_get(
-        zelf: PyObjectRef,
+        zelf: &PyObject,
         obj: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         _cls: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         vm: &VirtualMachine,
     ) -> PyResult {
         let (zelf, obj) = match Self::_check(&zelf, obj, vm) {
             Some(obj) => obj,
-            None => return Ok(zelf),
+            None => return Ok(zelf.to_owned()),
         };
         if let Some(ref f) = zelf.getter {
             f(vm, obj)
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/property.rs b/vm/src/builtins/property.rs
index 7322ba7d08..50ba77f8bb 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/property.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/property.rs
@@ -40,14 +40,14 @@ pub struct PropertyArgs {
 
 impl GetDescriptor for PyProperty {
     fn descr_get(
-        zelf_obj: PyObjectRef,
+        zelf: &PyObject,
         obj: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         _cls: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         vm: &VirtualMachine,
     ) -> PyResult {
-        let (zelf, obj) = Self::_unwrap(&zelf_obj, obj, vm)?;
+        let (zelf, obj) = Self::_unwrap(zelf, obj, vm)?;
         if vm.is_none(&obj) {
-            Ok(zelf_obj)
+            Ok(zelf.to_owned().into())
         } else if let Some(getter) = zelf.getter.read().as_ref() {
             getter.call((obj,), vm)
         } else {
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/staticmethod.rs b/vm/src/builtins/staticmethod.rs
index 187648e2c0..1708bc2c9c 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/staticmethod.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/staticmethod.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use crate::{
     common::lock::PyMutex,
     function::{FuncArgs, IntoPyNativeFunc},
     types::{Callable, Constructor, GetDescriptor, Initializer, Representable},
-    Context, Py, PyObjectRef, PyPayload, PyRef, PyResult, VirtualMachine,
+    Context, Py, PyObject, PyObjectRef, PyPayload, PyRef, PyResult, VirtualMachine,
 };
 
 #[pyclass(module = false, name = "staticmethod")]
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ impl PyPayload for PyStaticMethod {
 
 impl GetDescriptor for PyStaticMethod {
     fn descr_get(
-        zelf: PyObjectRef,
+        zelf: &PyObject,
         obj: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         _cls: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         vm: &VirtualMachine,
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/super.rs b/vm/src/builtins/super.rs
index be8c0ed192..b7fc692d2e 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/super.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/super.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use crate::{
     class::PyClassImpl,
     function::{IntoFuncArgs, OptionalArg},
     types::{Callable, Constructor, GetAttr, GetDescriptor, Representable},
-    AsObject, Context, Py, PyObjectRef, PyPayload, PyResult, VirtualMachine,
+    AsObject, Context, Py, PyObject, PyObjectRef, PyPayload, PyResult, VirtualMachine,
 };
 
 #[pyclass(module = false, name = "super")]
@@ -165,14 +165,14 @@ impl GetAttr for PySuper {
 
 impl GetDescriptor for PySuper {
     fn descr_get(
-        zelf_obj: PyObjectRef,
+        zelf: &PyObject,
         obj: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         _cls: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         vm: &VirtualMachine,
     ) -> PyResult {
-        let (zelf, obj) = Self::_unwrap(&zelf_obj, obj, vm)?;
+        let (zelf, obj) = Self::_unwrap(zelf, obj, vm)?;
         if vm.is_none(&obj) || zelf.obj.is_some() {
-            return Ok(zelf_obj);
+            return Ok(zelf.to_owned().into());
         }
         let zelf_class = zelf.as_object().class();
         if zelf_class.is(vm.ctx.types.super_type) {
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/type.rs b/vm/src/builtins/type.rs
index 59e09a2d39..181ae9fe85 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/type.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/type.rs
@@ -1001,7 +1001,7 @@ impl GetAttr for PyType {
                 let descr_get = attr_class.mro_find_map(|cls| cls.slots.descr_get.load());
                 if let Some(descr_get) = descr_get {
                     let mcl = mcl.to_owned().into();
-                    return descr_get(attr.clone(), Some(zelf.to_owned().into()), Some(mcl), vm);
+                    return descr_get(attr, Some(zelf.to_owned().into()), Some(mcl), vm);
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@ impl GetAttr for PyType {
         if let Some(attr) = zelf_attr {
             let descr_get = attr.class().mro_find_map(|cls| cls.slots.descr_get.load());
             if let Some(descr_get) = descr_get {
-                descr_get(attr, None, Some(zelf.to_owned().into()), vm)
+                descr_get(&attr, None, Some(zelf.to_owned().into()), vm)
             } else {
                 Ok(attr)
             }
diff --git a/vm/src/protocol/object.rs b/vm/src/protocol/object.rs
index a0e7221fbb..76f5686800 100644
--- a/vm/src/protocol/object.rs
+++ b/vm/src/protocol/object.rs
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ impl PyObject {
                         .is_some()
                     {
                         let cls = obj_cls.to_owned().into();
-                        return descr_get(descr, Some(self.to_owned()), Some(cls), vm).map(Some);
+                        return descr_get(&descr, Some(self.to_owned()), Some(cls), vm).map(Some);
                     }
                 }
                 Some((descr, descr_get))
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ impl PyObject {
             match descr_get {
                 Some(descr_get) => {
                     let cls = obj_cls.to_owned().into();
-                    descr_get(attr, Some(self.to_owned()), Some(cls), vm).map(Some)
+                    descr_get(&attr, Some(self.to_owned()), Some(cls), vm).map(Some)
                 }
                 None => Ok(Some(attr)),
             }
diff --git a/vm/src/types/slot.rs b/vm/src/types/slot.rs
index 8cbc758e78..2daa5b84b1 100644
--- a/vm/src/types/slot.rs
+++ b/vm/src/types/slot.rs
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ pub(crate) type RichCompareFunc = fn(
 pub(crate) type IterFunc = fn(PyObjectRef, &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult;
 pub(crate) type IterNextFunc = fn(&PyObject, &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<PyIterReturn>;
 pub(crate) type DescrGetFunc =
-    fn(PyObjectRef, Option<PyObjectRef>, Option<PyObjectRef>, &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult;
+    fn(&PyObject, Option<PyObjectRef>, Option<PyObjectRef>, &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult;
 pub(crate) type DescrSetFunc =
     fn(&PyObject, PyObjectRef, PySetterValue, &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<()>;
 pub(crate) type NewFunc = fn(PyTypeRef, FuncArgs, &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult;
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ fn iternext_wrapper(zelf: &PyObject, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<PyIterRetu
 }
 
 fn descr_get_wrapper(
-    zelf: PyObjectRef,
+    zelf: &PyObject,
     obj: Option<PyObjectRef>,
     cls: Option<PyObjectRef>,
     vm: &VirtualMachine,
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ pub trait Callable: PyPayload {
 pub trait GetDescriptor: PyPayload {
     #[pyslot]
     fn descr_get(
-        zelf: PyObjectRef,
+        zelf: &PyObject,
         obj: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         cls: Option<PyObjectRef>,
         vm: &VirtualMachine,
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ pub trait GetDescriptor: PyPayload {
         cls: OptionalArg<PyObjectRef>,
         vm: &VirtualMachine,
     ) -> PyResult {
-        Self::descr_get(zelf, Some(obj), cls.into_option(), vm)
+        Self::descr_get(&zelf, Some(obj), cls.into_option(), vm)
     }
 
     #[inline]
diff --git a/vm/src/vm/method.rs b/vm/src/vm/method.rs
index 9f55e28f86..681abe3882 100644
--- a/vm/src/vm/method.rs
+++ b/vm/src/vm/method.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ impl PyMethod {
                             .is_some()
                         {
                             let cls = cls.to_owned().into();
-                            return descr_get(descr, Some(obj), Some(cls), vm).map(Self::Attribute);
+                            return descr_get(&descr, Some(obj), Some(cls), vm)
+                                .map(Self::Attribute);
                         }
                     }
                     descr_get
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ impl PyMethod {
                 }),
                 Some(descr_get) => {
                     let cls = cls.to_owned().into();
-                    descr_get(attr, Some(obj), Some(cls), vm).map(Self::Attribute)
+                    descr_get(&attr, Some(obj), Some(cls), vm).map(Self::Attribute)
                 }
                 None => Ok(Self::Attribute(attr)),
             }
diff --git a/vm/src/vm/vm_object.rs b/vm/src/vm/vm_object.rs
index 056ded9bfd..a63efdd599 100644
--- a/vm/src/vm/vm_object.rs
+++ b/vm/src/vm/vm_object.rs
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ impl VirtualMachine {
         let descr_get = descr
             .class()
             .mro_find_map(|cls| cls.slots.descr_get.load())?;
-        Some(descr_get(descr.to_owned(), obj, cls, self))
+        Some(descr_get(descr, obj, cls, self))
     }
 
     pub fn call_get_descriptor(&self, descr: &PyObject, obj: PyObjectRef) -> Option<PyResult> {