diff --git a/tests/snippets/isinstance.py b/tests/snippets/isinstance.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..52645e9b87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/snippets/isinstance.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+
+class Regular:
+    pass
+
+
+assert isinstance(Regular(), Regular)
+
+
+class MCNotInstanceOf(type):
+    def __instancecheck__(self, instance):
+        return False
+
+
+class NotInstanceOf(metaclass=MCNotInstanceOf):
+    pass
+
+
+class InheritedNotInstanceOf(NotInstanceOf):
+    pass
+
+
+assert not isinstance(Regular(), NotInstanceOf)
+assert not isinstance(1, NotInstanceOf)
+
+# weird cpython behaviour if exact match then isinstance return true
+assert isinstance(NotInstanceOf(), NotInstanceOf)
+assert not NotInstanceOf.__instancecheck__(NotInstanceOf())
+assert not isinstance(InheritedNotInstanceOf(), NotInstanceOf)
+
+
+class MCAlwaysInstanceOf(type):
+    def __instancecheck__(self, instance):
+        return True
+
+
+class AlwaysInstanceOf(metaclass=MCAlwaysInstanceOf):
+    pass
+
+
+assert isinstance(AlwaysInstanceOf(), AlwaysInstanceOf)
+assert isinstance(Regular(), AlwaysInstanceOf)
+assert isinstance(1, AlwaysInstanceOf)
+
+
+class MCReturnInt(type):
+    def __instancecheck__(self, instance):
+        return 3
+
+
+class ReturnInt(metaclass=MCReturnInt):
+    pass
+
+
+assert isinstance("a", ReturnInt) is True
diff --git a/tests/snippets/issubclass.py b/tests/snippets/issubclass.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..62577f2133
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/snippets/issubclass.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+
+class A:
+    pass
+
+
+class B(A):
+    pass
+
+
+assert issubclass(A, A)
+assert issubclass(B, A)
+assert not issubclass(A, B)
+
+
+class MCNotSubClass(type):
+    def __subclasscheck__(self, subclass):
+        return False
+
+
+class NotSubClass(metaclass=MCNotSubClass):
+    pass
+
+
+class InheritedNotSubClass(NotSubClass):
+    pass
+
+
+assert not issubclass(A, NotSubClass)
+assert not issubclass(NotSubClass, NotSubClass)
+assert not issubclass(InheritedNotSubClass, NotSubClass)
+assert not issubclass(NotSubClass, InheritedNotSubClass)
+
+
+class MCAlwaysSubClass(type):
+    def __subclasscheck__(self, subclass):
+        return True
+
+
+class AlwaysSubClass(metaclass=MCAlwaysSubClass):
+    pass
+
+
+class InheritedAlwaysSubClass(AlwaysSubClass):
+    pass
+
+
+assert issubclass(A, AlwaysSubClass)
+assert issubclass(AlwaysSubClass, AlwaysSubClass)
+assert issubclass(InheritedAlwaysSubClass, AlwaysSubClass)
+assert issubclass(AlwaysSubClass, InheritedAlwaysSubClass)
+
+
+class MCAVirtualSubClass(type):
+    def __subclasscheck__(self, subclass):
+        return subclass is A
+
+
+class AVirtualSubClass(metaclass=MCAVirtualSubClass):
+    pass
+
+
+assert issubclass(A, AVirtualSubClass)
+assert not isinstance(B, AVirtualSubClass)
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins.rs b/vm/src/builtins.rs
index 870b3573e4..2bae47a8d7 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins.rs
@@ -349,21 +349,25 @@ fn builtin_id(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
 // builtin_input
 
 fn builtin_isinstance(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
-    arg_check!(vm, args, required = [(obj, None), (typ, None)]);
+    arg_check!(
+        vm,
+        args,
+        required = [(obj, None), (typ, Some(vm.get_type()))]
+    );
 
-    let isinstance = objtype::isinstance(obj, typ);
-    Ok(vm.context().new_bool(isinstance))
+    let isinstance = objtype::real_isinstance(vm, obj, typ)?;
+    Ok(vm.new_bool(isinstance))
 }
 
 fn builtin_issubclass(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
-    if args.args.len() != 2 {
-        panic!("issubclass expects exactly two parameters");
-    }
-
-    let cls1 = &args.args[0];
-    let cls2 = &args.args[1];
+    arg_check!(
+        vm,
+        args,
+        required = [(subclass, Some(vm.get_type())), (cls, Some(vm.get_type()))]
+    );
 
-    Ok(vm.context().new_bool(objtype::issubclass(cls1, cls2)))
+    let issubclass = objtype::real_issubclass(vm, subclass, cls)?;
+    Ok(vm.context().new_bool(issubclass))
 }
 
 fn builtin_iter(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
@@ -818,7 +822,7 @@ pub fn builtin_build_class_(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, mut args: PyFuncArgs) -> Py
     let mut metaclass = args.get_kwarg("metaclass", vm.get_type());
 
     for base in bases.clone() {
-        if objtype::issubclass(&base.typ(), &metaclass) {
+        if objtype::real_issubclass(vm, &base.typ(), &metaclass)? {
             metaclass = base.typ();
         } else if !objtype::issubclass(&metaclass, &base.typ()) {
             return Err(vm.new_type_error("metaclass conflict: the metaclass of a derived class must be a (non-strict) subclass of the metaclasses of all its bases".to_string()));
diff --git a/vm/src/macros.rs b/vm/src/macros.rs
index a05972961a..2c48286d34 100644
--- a/vm/src/macros.rs
+++ b/vm/src/macros.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ macro_rules! type_check {
         // None indicates that we have no type requirement (i.e. we accept any type)
         if let Some(expected_type) = $arg_type {
             let arg = &$args.args[$arg_count];
-            if !$crate::obj::objtype::isinstance(arg, &expected_type) {
+
+            if !$crate::obj::objtype::real_isinstance($vm, arg, &expected_type)? {
                 let arg_typ = arg.typ();
                 let expected_type_name = $vm.to_pystr(&expected_type)?;
                 let actual_type = $vm.to_pystr(&arg_typ)?;
diff --git a/vm/src/obj/objsuper.rs b/vm/src/obj/objsuper.rs
index 79c516d4c0..b3d2184300 100644
--- a/vm/src/obj/objsuper.rs
+++ b/vm/src/obj/objsuper.rs
@@ -72,7 +72,9 @@ fn super_init(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
     };
 
     // Check obj type:
-    if !(objtype::isinstance(&py_obj, &py_type) || objtype::issubclass(&py_obj, &py_type)) {
+    if !(objtype::real_isinstance(vm, &py_obj, &py_type)?
+        || objtype::real_issubclass(vm, &py_obj, &py_type)?)
+    {
         return Err(vm.new_type_error(
             "super(type, obj): obj must be an instance or subtype of type".to_string(),
         ));
diff --git a/vm/src/obj/objtype.rs b/vm/src/obj/objtype.rs
index 6935996752..e1d1ceaf5e 100644
--- a/vm/src/obj/objtype.rs
+++ b/vm/src/obj/objtype.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use super::objbool;
 use super::objdict;
 use super::objstr;
 use super::objtype; // Required for arg_check! to use isinstance
@@ -8,6 +9,7 @@ use crate::pyobject::{
 use crate::vm::VirtualMachine;
 use std::cell::RefCell;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::rc::Rc;
 
 /*
  * The magical type type
@@ -56,6 +58,16 @@ pub fn init(context: &PyContext) {
         "__getattribute__",
         context.new_rustfunc(type_getattribute),
     );
+    context.set_attr(
+        &type_type,
+        "__instancecheck__",
+        context.new_rustfunc(type_instance_check),
+    );
+    context.set_attr(
+        &type_type,
+        "__subclasscheck__",
+        context.new_rustfunc(type_subclass_check),
+    );
     context.set_attr(&type_type, "__doc__", context.new_str(type_doc.to_string()));
 }
 
@@ -89,16 +101,70 @@ pub fn base_classes(obj: &PyObjectRef) -> Vec<PyObjectRef> {
     _mro(obj.typ()).unwrap()
 }
 
+/// Determines if `obj` actually an instance of `cls`, this doesn't call __instancecheck__, so only
+/// use this if `cls` is known to have not overridden the base __instancecheck__ magic method.
 pub fn isinstance(obj: &PyObjectRef, cls: &PyObjectRef) -> bool {
     let mro = _mro(obj.typ()).unwrap();
     mro.into_iter().any(|c| c.is(&cls))
 }
 
-pub fn issubclass(typ: &PyObjectRef, cls: &PyObjectRef) -> bool {
-    let mro = _mro(typ.clone()).unwrap();
+/// Determines if `obj` is an instance of `cls`, either directly, indirectly or virtually via the
+/// __instancecheck__ magic method.
+pub fn real_isinstance(
+    vm: &mut VirtualMachine,
+    obj: &PyObjectRef,
+    cls: &PyObjectRef,
+) -> PyResult<bool> {
+    // cpython first does an exact check on the type, although documentation doesn't state that
+    // https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/a24107b04c1277e3c1105f98aff5bfa3a98b33a0/Objects/abstract.c#L2408
+    if Rc::ptr_eq(&obj.typ(), cls) {
+        Ok(true)
+    } else {
+        let ret = vm.call_method(cls, "__instancecheck__", vec![obj.clone()])?;
+        objbool::boolval(vm, ret)
+    }
+}
+
+fn type_instance_check(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
+    arg_check!(
+        vm,
+        args,
+        required = [(typ, Some(vm.ctx.type_type())), (obj, None)]
+    );
+    Ok(vm.new_bool(isinstance(obj, typ)))
+}
+
+/// Determines if `subclass` is actually a subclass of `cls`, this doesn't call __subclasscheck__,
+/// so only use this if `cls` is known to have not overridden the base __subclasscheck__ magic
+/// method.
+pub fn issubclass(subclass: &PyObjectRef, cls: &PyObjectRef) -> bool {
+    let mro = _mro(subclass.clone()).unwrap();
     mro.into_iter().any(|c| c.is(&cls))
 }
 
+/// Determines if `subclass` is a subclass of `cls`, either directly, indirectly or virtually via
+/// the __subclasscheck__ magic method.
+pub fn real_issubclass(
+    vm: &mut VirtualMachine,
+    subclass: &PyObjectRef,
+    cls: &PyObjectRef,
+) -> PyResult<bool> {
+    let ret = vm.call_method(cls, "__subclasscheck__", vec![subclass.clone()])?;
+    objbool::boolval(vm, ret)
+}
+
+fn type_subclass_check(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
+    arg_check!(
+        vm,
+        args,
+        required = [
+            (cls, Some(vm.ctx.type_type())),
+            (subclass, Some(vm.ctx.type_type()))
+        ]
+    );
+    Ok(vm.new_bool(issubclass(subclass, cls)))
+}
+
 pub fn get_type_name(typ: &PyObjectRef) -> String {
     if let PyObjectPayload::Class { name, .. } = &typ.payload {
         name.clone()
diff --git a/vm/src/pyobject.rs b/vm/src/pyobject.rs
index 6be9bf4573..44c65d625a 100644
--- a/vm/src/pyobject.rs
+++ b/vm/src/pyobject.rs
@@ -967,7 +967,7 @@ impl PyFuncArgs {
     ) -> Result<Option<PyObjectRef>, PyObjectRef> {
         match self.get_optional_kwarg(key) {
             Some(kwarg) => {
-                if objtype::isinstance(&kwarg, &ty) {
+                if objtype::real_isinstance(vm, &kwarg, &ty)? {
                     Ok(Some(kwarg))
                 } else {
                     let expected_ty_name = vm.to_pystr(&ty)?;
@@ -1148,7 +1148,7 @@ impl Signature {
 
         for (pos, arg) in args.args.iter().enumerate() {
             if let Some(expected_type) = self.arg_type(pos) {
-                if !objtype::isinstance(arg, expected_type) {
+                if !objtype::real_isinstance(vm, arg, expected_type)? {
                     let arg_typ = arg.typ();
                     let expected_type_name = vm.to_pystr(&expected_type)?;
                     let actual_type = vm.to_pystr(&arg_typ)?;