diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/int.rs b/vm/src/builtins/int.rs
index 5798ba6b1..e1997fb47 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/int.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/int.rs
@@ -80,24 +80,12 @@ macro_rules! impl_into_pyobject_int {
 
 impl_into_pyobject_int!(isize i8 i16 i32 i64 usize u8 u16 u32 u64 BigInt);
 
-pub(crate) fn try_to_primitive<'a, I>(i: &'a BigInt, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<I>
-where
-    I: PrimInt + TryFrom<&'a BigInt>,
-{
-    I::try_from(i).map_err(|_| {
-        vm.new_overflow_error(format!(
-            "Python int too large to convert to Rust {}",
-            std::any::type_name::<I>()
-        ))
-    })
-}
-
 macro_rules! impl_try_from_object_int {
     ($(($t:ty, $to_prim:ident),)*) => {$(
         impl TryFromBorrowedObject for $t {
             fn try_from_borrowed_object(vm: &VirtualMachine, obj: &PyObjectRef) -> PyResult<Self> {
                 try_value_from_borrowed_object(vm, obj, |int: &PyInt| {
-                    try_to_primitive(int.as_bigint(), vm)
+                    int.try_to_primitive(vm)
                 })
             }
         }
@@ -306,7 +294,12 @@ impl PyInt {
     where
         I: PrimInt + TryFrom<&'a BigInt>,
     {
-        try_to_primitive(self.as_bigint(), vm)
+        I::try_from(self.as_bigint()).map_err(|_| {
+            vm.new_overflow_error(format!(
+                "Python int too large to convert to Rust {}",
+                std::any::type_name::<I>()
+            ))
+        })
     }
 
     #[inline]
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/iter.rs b/vm/src/builtins/iter.rs
index 6e9d64e49..14598a3a9 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/iter.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/iter.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * iterator types
  */
 
-use super::{int, PyInt, PyTypeRef};
+use super::{PyInt, PyTypeRef};
 use crate::{
     function::ArgCallable,
     protocol::PyIterReturn,
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ impl<T> PositionIterInternal<T> {
     {
         if let IterStatus::Active(obj) = &self.status {
             if let Some(i) = state.payload::<PyInt>() {
-                let i = int::try_to_primitive(i.as_bigint(), vm).unwrap_or(0);
+                let i = i.try_to_primitive(vm).unwrap_or(0);
                 self.position = f(obj, i);
                 Ok(())
             } else {
diff --git a/vm/src/cformat.rs b/vm/src/cformat.rs
index 1b0728025..f3d5272bc 100644
--- a/vm/src/cformat.rs
+++ b/vm/src/cformat.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 use crate::common::float_ops;
 use crate::{
-    builtins::{int, try_f64_to_bigint, tuple, IntoPyFloat, PyBytes, PyFloat, PyInt, PyStr},
+    builtins::{try_f64_to_bigint, tuple, IntoPyFloat, PyBytes, PyFloat, PyInt, PyStr},
     protocol::PyBuffer,
     ItemProtocol, PyObjectRef, PyResult, TryFromBorrowedObject, TryFromObject, TypeProtocol,
     VirtualMachine,
@@ -561,13 +561,12 @@ fn try_update_quantity_from_tuple<'a, I: Iterator<Item = &'a PyObjectRef>>(
     match q {
         Some(CFormatQuantity::FromValuesTuple) => match elements.next() {
             Some(width_obj) => {
-                if !width_obj.isinstance(&vm.ctx.types.int_type) {
-                    Err(vm.new_type_error("* wants int".to_owned()))
-                } else {
-                    let i = int::get_value(width_obj);
-                    let i = int::try_to_primitive::<isize>(i, vm)? as usize;
+                if let Some(i) = width_obj.payload::<PyInt>() {
+                    let i = i.try_to_primitive::<isize>(vm)? as usize;
                     *q = Some(CFormatQuantity::Amount(i));
                     Ok(())
+                } else {
+                    Err(vm.new_type_error("* wants int".to_owned()))
                 }
             }
             None => Err(vm.new_type_error("not enough arguments for format string".to_owned())),
diff --git a/vm/src/iterator.rs b/vm/src/iterator.rs
index 3509ae410..0fb0fa938 100644
--- a/vm/src/iterator.rs
+++ b/vm/src/iterator.rs
@@ -3,11 +3,10 @@
  */
 
 use crate::{
-    builtins::{int, PyBaseExceptionRef, PyInt},
+    builtins::{PyBaseExceptionRef, PyInt},
     protocol::{PyIter, PyIterReturn},
     IdProtocol, PyObjectRef, PyResult, TypeProtocol, VirtualMachine,
 };
-use num_traits::Signed;
 
 pub fn try_map<F, R>(vm: &VirtualMachine, iter: &PyIter, cap: usize, mut f: F) -> PyResult<Vec<R>>
 where
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ pub fn length_hint(vm: &VirtualMachine, iter: PyObjectRef) -> PyResult<Option<us
             }
         }
     };
-    let result = result
+    let hint = result
         .payload_if_subclass::<PyInt>(vm)
         .ok_or_else(|| {
             vm.new_type_error(format!(
@@ -74,12 +73,12 @@ pub fn length_hint(vm: &VirtualMachine, iter: PyObjectRef) -> PyResult<Option<us
                 result.class().name()
             ))
         })?
-        .as_bigint();
-    if result.is_negative() {
-        return Err(vm.new_value_error("__length_hint__() should return >= 0".to_owned()));
+        .try_to_primitive::<isize>(vm)?;
+    if hint.is_negative() {
+        Err(vm.new_value_error("__length_hint__() should return >= 0".to_owned()))
+    } else {
+        Ok(Some(hint as usize))
     }
-    let hint = int::try_to_primitive(result, vm)?;
-    Ok(Some(hint))
 }
 
 // pub fn seq_iter_method(obj: PyObjectRef) -> PySequenceIterator {
diff --git a/vm/src/stdlib/builtins.rs b/vm/src/stdlib/builtins.rs
index 5a0c88021..6315d77dd 100644
--- a/vm/src/stdlib/builtins.rs
+++ b/vm/src/stdlib/builtins.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ mod builtins {
     use crate::builtins::{
         enumerate::PyReverseSequenceIterator,
         function::{PyCellRef, PyFunctionRef},
-        int::{self, PyIntRef},
+        int::PyIntRef,
         iter::PyCallableIterator,
         list::{PyList, SortOptions},
         IntoPyBool, PyByteArray, PyBytes, PyBytesRef, PyCode, PyDictRef, PyStr, PyStrRef,
@@ -153,9 +153,7 @@ mod builtins {
                         .map_err(|e| vm.new_unicode_decode_error(e.to_string()))?,
                 };
 
-                let flags = args
-                    .flags
-                    .map_or(Ok(0), |v| int::try_to_primitive(v.as_bigint(), vm))?;
+                let flags = args.flags.map_or(Ok(0), |v| v.try_to_primitive(vm))?;
 
                 if (flags & ast::PY_COMPILE_FLAG_AST_ONLY).is_zero() {
                     #[cfg(not(feature = "rustpython-compiler"))]