diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/pytype.rs b/vm/src/builtins/pytype.rs
index a784f14e4..3ea2561d7 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/pytype.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/pytype.rs
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ use crate::{
     pyclass::{PyClassImpl, StaticType},
     pyobject::PyLease,
     types::{Callable, GetAttr, PyTypeFlags, PyTypeSlots, SetAttr},
-    IdProtocol, PyContext, PyObject, PyObjectRef, PyObjectWeak, PyRef, PyResult, PyValue,
-    TypeProtocol, VirtualMachine,
+    IdProtocol, PyContext, PyObjectRef, PyObjectWeak, PyRef, PyResult, PyValue, TypeProtocol,
+    VirtualMachine,
 };
 use itertools::Itertools;
 use std::{
@@ -209,8 +209,11 @@ impl PyType {
 }
 
 impl PyTypeRef {
+    /// 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(&self, cls: &impl Borrow<crate::PyObject>) -> bool {
-        self._issubclass(cls)
+        self.as_object().is(cls.borrow()) || self.mro.iter().any(|c| c.is(cls.borrow()))
     }
 
     pub fn iter_mro(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &PyTypeRef> + DoubleEndedIterator {
@@ -788,36 +791,6 @@ pub(crate) fn init(ctx: &PyContext) {
     PyType::extend_class(ctx, &ctx.types.type_type);
 }
 
-impl PyLease<'_, PyType> {
-    pub fn issubclass(&self, cls: &impl Borrow<crate::PyObject>) -> bool {
-        self._issubclass(cls)
-    }
-}
-
-pub trait DerefToPyType: Borrow<PyObject> {
-    fn deref_to_type(&self) -> &PyType;
-
-    /// 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.
-    fn _issubclass(&self, cls: &impl Borrow<crate::PyObject>) -> bool {
-        self.borrow().is(cls.borrow())
-            || self.deref_to_type().mro.iter().any(|c| c.is(cls.borrow()))
-    }
-}
-
-impl DerefToPyType for PyTypeRef {
-    fn deref_to_type(&self) -> &PyType {
-        self.deref()
-    }
-}
-
-impl<'a> DerefToPyType for PyLease<'a, PyType> {
-    fn deref_to_type(&self) -> &PyType {
-        self.deref()
-    }
-}
-
 pub(crate) fn call_slot_new(
     typ: PyTypeRef,
     subtype: PyTypeRef,
diff --git a/vm/src/pyobject.rs b/vm/src/pyobject.rs
index c850d20c5..df5f3cadb 100644
--- a/vm/src/pyobject.rs
+++ b/vm/src/pyobject.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 pub use crate::_pyobjectrc::{
     PyObject, PyObjectRef, PyObjectView, PyObjectWeak, PyObjectWrap, PyRef, PyWeakRef,
 };
-use crate::common::{lock::PyRwLockReadGuard, rc::PyRc};
+use crate::common::lock::PyRwLockReadGuard;
 use crate::{
     builtins::{
         builtinfunc::{PyBuiltinFunction, PyBuiltinMethod, PyNativeFuncDef},
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ impl<'a, T: PyObjectPayload + PyValue> PyLease<'a, T> {
 
 impl<'a, T: PyObjectPayload + PyValue> Borrow<PyObject> for PyLease<'a, T> {
     fn borrow(&self) -> &PyObject {
-        self.inner.as_object()
+        self.inner.as_ref()
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/vm/src/pyobjectrc.rs b/vm/src/pyobjectrc.rs
index c45034b1d..a3f2fc25b 100644
--- a/vm/src/pyobjectrc.rs
+++ b/vm/src/pyobjectrc.rs
@@ -466,11 +466,11 @@ impl ToOwned for PyObject {
 
 pub trait PyObjectWrap
 where
-    Self: Borrow<PyObject> + AsRef<PyObject>,
+    Self: Borrow<PyObject>,
 {
     #[inline(always)]
     fn as_object(&self) -> &PyObject {
-        self.as_ref()
+        self.borrow()
     }
 
     fn into_object(self) -> PyObjectRef;
@@ -986,7 +986,17 @@ where
     T: PyObjectPayload,
 {
     fn borrow(&self) -> &PyObject {
-        self.as_object()
+        (**self).as_object()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T> AsRef<PyObject> for PyRef<T>
+where
+    T: PyObjectPayload,
+{
+    #[inline(always)]
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &PyObject {
+        self.borrow()
     }
 }
 
@@ -1001,16 +1011,6 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-impl<T> AsRef<PyObject> for PyRef<T>
-where
-    T: PyObjectPayload,
-{
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn as_ref(&self) -> &PyObject {
-        (**self).as_object()
-    }
-}
-
 impl<T> Borrow<PyObjectView<T>> for PyRef<T>
 where
     T: PyObjectPayload,