diff --git a/stdlib/src/termios.rs b/stdlib/src/termios.rs
index a23efe74c..66f639c88 100644
--- a/stdlib/src/termios.rs
+++ b/stdlib/src/termios.rs
@@ -67,26 +67,23 @@ mod termios {
         termios::cfsetospeed(&mut termios, ospeed.try_into_value(vm)?)
             .map_err(|e| termios_error(e, vm))?;
         let cc = PyListRef::try_from_object(vm, cc)?;
-        {
-            let cc = cc.borrow_vec();
-            let cc = <&[PyObjectRef; NCCS]>::try_from(&*cc).map_err(|_| {
-                vm.new_type_error(format!(
-                    "tcsetattr: attributes[6] must be {} element list",
-                    NCCS
-                ))
-            })?;
-            for (cc, x) in termios.c_cc.iter_mut().zip(cc.iter()) {
-                *cc = if let Some(c) = x.payload::<PyBytes>().filter(|b| b.as_bytes().len() == 1) {
-                    c.as_bytes()[0] as _
-                } else if let Some(i) = x.payload::<PyInt>() {
-                    i.try_to_primitive(vm)?
-                } else {
-                    return Err(vm.new_type_error(
-                        "tcsetattr: elements of attributes must be characters or integers"
-                            .to_owned(),
-                    ));
-                };
-            }
+        let cc = cc.borrow_vec();
+        let cc = <&[PyObjectRef; NCCS]>::try_from(&*cc).map_err(|_| {
+            vm.new_type_error(format!(
+                "tcsetattr: attributes[6] must be {} element list",
+                NCCS
+            ))
+        })?;
+        for (cc, x) in termios.c_cc.iter_mut().zip(cc.iter()) {
+            *cc = if let Some(c) = x.payload::<PyBytes>().filter(|b| b.as_bytes().len() == 1) {
+                c.as_bytes()[0] as _
+            } else if let Some(i) = x.payload::<PyInt>() {
+                i.try_to_primitive(vm)?
+            } else {
+                return Err(vm.new_type_error(
+                    "tcsetattr: elements of attributes must be characters or integers".to_owned(),
+                ));
+            };
         }
 
         termios::tcsetattr(fd, when, &termios).map_err(|e| termios_error(e, vm))?;
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/list.rs b/vm/src/builtins/list.rs
index 8f020c709..7269f848a 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/list.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/list.rs
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ impl PyList {
     }
 
     #[pymethod(magic)]
-    fn add(&self, other: PyObjectRef, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<PyListRef> {
+    fn add(&self, other: PyObjectRef, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<PyRef<Self>> {
         let other = other.payload_if_subclass::<PyList>(vm).ok_or_else(|| {
             vm.new_type_error(format!(
                 "Cannot add {} and {}",
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ impl PyList {
     }
 
     #[pymethod]
-    fn copy(&self, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyListRef {
+    fn copy(&self, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyRef<Self> {
         Self::new_ref(self.borrow_vec().to_vec(), &vm.ctx)
     }
 
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/memory.rs b/vm/src/builtins/memory.rs
index 56b87f846..0013ed1f1 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/memory.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/memory.rs
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ impl PyMemoryView {
     }
 
     #[pymethod]
-    fn tolist(zelf: PyRef<Self>, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<PyListRef> {
+    fn tolist(zelf: PyRef<Self>, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<Vec<PyObjectRef>> {
         zelf.try_not_released(vm)?;
 
         let bytes = &*zelf.obj_bytes();
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ impl PyMemoryView {
             })
             .try_collect()?;
 
-        Ok(PyList::from(elements).into_ref(vm))
+        Ok(elements)
     }
 
     #[pymethod]
@@ -845,7 +845,7 @@ fn format_unpack(
     })
 }
 
-pub fn unpack_bytes_seq_to_list(
+fn unpack_bytes_seq_to_list(
     bytes: &[u8],
     format: &str,
     vm: &VirtualMachine,
diff --git a/vm/src/stdlib/sre.rs b/vm/src/stdlib/sre.rs
index f528305e0..b39421c9d 100644
--- a/vm/src/stdlib/sre.rs
+++ b/vm/src/stdlib/sre.rs
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ pub(crate) use _sre::make_module;
 mod _sre {
     use crate::{
         builtins::{
-            PyCallableIterator, PyDictRef, PyInt, PyList, PyListRef, PyStr, PyStrRef, PyTuple,
-            PyTupleRef,
+            PyCallableIterator, PyDictRef, PyInt, PyList, PyStr, PyStrRef, PyTuple, PyTupleRef,
         },
         common::{ascii, hash::PyHash},
         function::{ArgCallable, IntoPyObject, OptionalArg, PosArgs},
@@ -247,7 +246,7 @@ mod _sre {
             zelf: PyRef<Pattern>,
             string_args: StringArgs,
             vm: &VirtualMachine,
-        ) -> PyResult<PyListRef> {
+        ) -> PyResult<Vec<PyObjectRef>> {
             zelf.with_state(
                 string_args.string.clone(),
                 string_args.pos,
@@ -277,7 +276,7 @@ mod _sre {
                         state.start = state.string_position;
                         state.reset();
                     }
-                    Ok(PyList::from(matchlist).into_ref(vm))
+                    Ok(matchlist)
                 },
             )
         }
@@ -332,7 +331,7 @@ mod _sre {
             zelf: PyRef<Pattern>,
             split_args: SplitArgs,
             vm: &VirtualMachine,
-        ) -> PyResult<PyListRef> {
+        ) -> PyResult<Vec<PyObjectRef>> {
             zelf.with_state(split_args.string.clone(), 0, usize::MAX, vm, |mut state| {
                 let mut splitlist: Vec<PyObjectRef> = Vec::new();
 
@@ -367,7 +366,7 @@ mod _sre {
                 // get segment following last match (even if empty)
                 splitlist.push(slice_drive(&state.string, last, state.string.count(), vm));
 
-                Ok(PyList::from(splitlist).into_ref(vm))
+                Ok(splitlist)
             })
         }
 
diff --git a/vm/src/stdlib/sys.rs b/vm/src/stdlib/sys.rs
index 92088622c..b87dabcf3 100644
--- a/vm/src/stdlib/sys.rs
+++ b/vm/src/stdlib/sys.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ mod sys {
         hash::{PyHash, PyUHash},
     };
     use crate::{
-        builtins::{PyDictRef, PyListRef, PyNamespace, PyStr, PyStrRef, PyTupleRef, PyTypeRef},
+        builtins::{PyDictRef, PyNamespace, PyStr, PyStrRef, PyTupleRef, PyTypeRef},
         frame::FrameRef,
         function::{FuncArgs, OptionalArg, PosArgs},
         stdlib::builtins,
@@ -99,15 +99,13 @@ mod sys {
     // alphabetical order with segments of pyattr and others
 
     #[pyattr]
-    fn argv(vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyListRef {
-        vm.ctx.new_list(
-            vm.state
-                .settings
-                .argv
-                .iter()
-                .map(|arg| vm.ctx.new_str(arg.clone()).into())
-                .collect(),
-        )
+    fn argv(vm: &VirtualMachine) -> Vec<PyObjectRef> {
+        vm.state
+            .settings
+            .argv
+            .iter()
+            .map(|arg| vm.ctx.new_str(arg.clone()).into())
+            .collect()
     }
 
     #[pyattr]