diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 9f1c1d5e3..05985611a 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ set(PYBIND11_TEST_FILES
     test_stl.cpp
     test_stl_binders.cpp
     test_tagbased_polymorphic.cpp
+    test_type_caster_bare_interface.cpp
     test_union.cpp
     test_virtual_functions.cpp)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_type_caster_bare_interface.cpp b/tests/test_type_caster_bare_interface.cpp
index 02b6281c2..e334635a4 100644
--- a/tests/test_type_caster_bare_interface.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_type_caster_bare_interface.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+// Systematically exercises the detail::type_caster<> interface. This is going a step in the
+// direction of an integration test, to ensure multiple components of pybind11 work together
+// correctly. It is also useful to show the type_caster<> interface virtually clutter-free.
+
 #include "pybind11_tests.h"
 
 #include <memory>
@@ -9,31 +13,31 @@ struct mpty {};
 
 // clang-format off
 
-mpty        rtrn_mpty_valu() { mpty obj; return obj; }
-mpty&&      rtrn_mpty_rref() { static mpty obj; return std::move(obj); }
-mpty const& rtrn_mpty_cref() { static mpty obj; return obj; }
-mpty&       rtrn_mpty_mref() { static mpty obj; return obj; }
-mpty const* rtrn_mpty_cptr() { return new mpty; }
-mpty*       rtrn_mpty_mptr() { return new mpty; }
+mpty        rtrn_valu() { mpty obj; return obj; }
+mpty&&      rtrn_rref() { static mpty obj; return std::move(obj); }
+mpty const& rtrn_cref() { static mpty obj; return obj; }
+mpty&       rtrn_mref() { static mpty obj; return obj; }
+mpty const* rtrn_cptr() { return new mpty; }
+mpty*       rtrn_mptr() { return new mpty; }
 
-const char* pass_mpty_valu(mpty)        { return "load_valu"; }
-const char* pass_mpty_rref(mpty&&)      { return "load_rref"; }
-const char* pass_mpty_cref(mpty const&) { return "load_cref"; }
-const char* pass_mpty_mref(mpty&)       { return "load_mref"; }
-const char* pass_mpty_cptr(mpty const*) { return "load_cptr"; }
-const char* pass_mpty_mptr(mpty*)       { return "load_mptr"; }
+const char* pass_valu(mpty)        { return "load_valu"; }
+const char* pass_rref(mpty&&)      { return "load_rref"; }
+const char* pass_cref(mpty const&) { return "load_cref"; }
+const char* pass_mref(mpty&)       { return "load_mref"; }
+const char* pass_cptr(mpty const*) { return "load_cptr"; }
+const char* pass_mptr(mpty*)       { return "load_mptr"; }
 
-std::shared_ptr<mpty>       rtrn_mpty_shmp() { return std::shared_ptr<mpty      >(new mpty); }
-std::shared_ptr<mpty const> rtrn_mpty_shcp() { return std::shared_ptr<mpty const>(new mpty); }
+std::shared_ptr<mpty>       rtrn_shmp() { return std::shared_ptr<mpty      >(new mpty); }
+std::shared_ptr<mpty const> rtrn_shcp() { return std::shared_ptr<mpty const>(new mpty); }
 
-const char* pass_mpty_shmp(std::shared_ptr<mpty>)       { return "load_shmp"; }
-const char* pass_mpty_shcp(std::shared_ptr<mpty const>) { return "load_shcp"; }
+const char* pass_shmp(std::shared_ptr<mpty>)       { return "load_shmp"; }
+const char* pass_shcp(std::shared_ptr<mpty const>) { return "load_shcp"; }
 
-std::unique_ptr<mpty>       rtrn_mpty_uqmp() { return std::unique_ptr<mpty      >(new mpty); }
-std::unique_ptr<mpty const> rtrn_mpty_uqcp() { return std::unique_ptr<mpty const>(new mpty); }
+std::unique_ptr<mpty>       rtrn_uqmp() { return std::unique_ptr<mpty      >(new mpty); }
+std::unique_ptr<mpty const> rtrn_uqcp() { return std::unique_ptr<mpty const>(new mpty); }
 
-const char* pass_mpty_uqmp(std::unique_ptr<mpty>)       { return "load_uqmp"; }
-const char* pass_mpty_uqcp(std::unique_ptr<mpty const>) { return "load_uqcp"; }
+const char* pass_uqmp(std::unique_ptr<mpty>)       { return "load_uqmp"; }
+const char* pass_uqcp(std::unique_ptr<mpty const>) { return "load_uqcp"; }
 
 // clang-format on
 
@@ -90,10 +94,10 @@ struct type_caster<mpty> {
 
     // clang-format off
 
-    operator mpty()        { return rtrn_mpty_valu(); }
-    operator mpty&&() &&   { return rtrn_mpty_rref(); }
-    operator mpty const&() { return rtrn_mpty_cref(); }
-    operator mpty&()       { return rtrn_mpty_mref(); }
+    operator mpty()        { return rtrn_valu(); }
+    operator mpty&&() &&   { return rtrn_rref(); }
+    operator mpty const&() { return rtrn_cref(); }
+    operator mpty&()       { return rtrn_mref(); }
     operator mpty const*() { static mpty obj; return &obj; }
     operator mpty*()       { static mpty obj; return &obj; }
 
@@ -115,7 +119,7 @@ struct type_caster<std::shared_ptr<mpty>> {
     template <typename>
     using cast_op_type = std::shared_ptr<mpty>;
 
-    operator std::shared_ptr<mpty>() { return rtrn_mpty_shmp(); }
+    operator std::shared_ptr<mpty>() { return rtrn_shmp(); }
 
     bool load(handle /*src*/, bool /*convert*/) { return true; }
 };
@@ -133,7 +137,7 @@ struct type_caster<std::shared_ptr<mpty const>> {
     template <typename>
     using cast_op_type = std::shared_ptr<mpty const>;
 
-    operator std::shared_ptr<mpty const>() { return rtrn_mpty_shcp(); }
+    operator std::shared_ptr<mpty const>() { return rtrn_shcp(); }
 
     bool load(handle /*src*/, bool /*convert*/) { return true; }
 };
@@ -150,7 +154,7 @@ struct type_caster<std::unique_ptr<mpty>> {
     template <typename>
     using cast_op_type = std::unique_ptr<mpty>;
 
-    operator std::unique_ptr<mpty>() { return rtrn_mpty_uqmp(); }
+    operator std::unique_ptr<mpty>() { return rtrn_uqmp(); }
 
     bool load(handle /*src*/, bool /*convert*/) { return true; }
 };
@@ -168,7 +172,7 @@ struct type_caster<std::unique_ptr<mpty const>> {
     template <typename>
     using cast_op_type = std::unique_ptr<mpty const>;
 
-    operator std::unique_ptr<mpty const>() { return rtrn_mpty_uqcp(); }
+    operator std::unique_ptr<mpty const>() { return rtrn_uqcp(); }
 
     bool load(handle /*src*/, bool /*convert*/) { return true; }
 };
@@ -180,31 +184,31 @@ namespace pybind11_tests {
 namespace type_caster_bare_interface {
 
 TEST_SUBMODULE(type_caster_bare_interface, m) {
-    m.def("rtrn_mpty_valu", rtrn_mpty_valu);
-    m.def("rtrn_mpty_rref", rtrn_mpty_rref);
-    m.def("rtrn_mpty_cref", rtrn_mpty_cref);
-    m.def("rtrn_mpty_mref", rtrn_mpty_mref);
-    m.def("rtrn_mpty_cptr", rtrn_mpty_cptr);
-    m.def("rtrn_mpty_mptr", rtrn_mpty_mptr);
+    m.def("rtrn_valu", rtrn_valu);
+    m.def("rtrn_rref", rtrn_rref);
+    m.def("rtrn_cref", rtrn_cref);
+    m.def("rtrn_mref", rtrn_mref);
+    m.def("rtrn_cptr", rtrn_cptr);
+    m.def("rtrn_mptr", rtrn_mptr);
 
-    m.def("pass_mpty_valu", pass_mpty_valu);
-    m.def("pass_mpty_rref", pass_mpty_rref);
-    m.def("pass_mpty_cref", pass_mpty_cref);
-    m.def("pass_mpty_mref", pass_mpty_mref);
-    m.def("pass_mpty_cptr", pass_mpty_cptr);
-    m.def("pass_mpty_mptr", pass_mpty_mptr);
+    m.def("pass_valu", pass_valu);
+    m.def("pass_rref", pass_rref);
+    m.def("pass_cref", pass_cref);
+    m.def("pass_mref", pass_mref);
+    m.def("pass_cptr", pass_cptr);
+    m.def("pass_mptr", pass_mptr);
 
-    m.def("rtrn_mpty_shmp", rtrn_mpty_shmp);
-    m.def("rtrn_mpty_shcp", rtrn_mpty_shcp);
+    m.def("rtrn_shmp", rtrn_shmp);
+    m.def("rtrn_shcp", rtrn_shcp);
 
-    m.def("pass_mpty_shmp", pass_mpty_shmp);
-    m.def("pass_mpty_shcp", pass_mpty_shcp);
+    m.def("pass_shmp", pass_shmp);
+    m.def("pass_shcp", pass_shcp);
 
-    m.def("rtrn_mpty_uqmp", rtrn_mpty_uqmp);
-    m.def("rtrn_mpty_uqcp", rtrn_mpty_uqcp);
+    m.def("rtrn_uqmp", rtrn_uqmp);
+    m.def("rtrn_uqcp", rtrn_uqcp);
 
-    m.def("pass_mpty_uqmp", pass_mpty_uqmp);
-    m.def("pass_mpty_uqcp", pass_mpty_uqcp);
+    m.def("pass_uqmp", pass_uqmp);
+    m.def("pass_uqcp", pass_uqcp);
 }
 
 } // namespace type_caster_bare_interface
diff --git a/tests/test_type_caster_bare_interface.py b/tests/test_type_caster_bare_interface.py
index 5a19e1abc..a427244db 100644
--- a/tests/test_type_caster_bare_interface.py
+++ b/tests/test_type_caster_bare_interface.py
@@ -4,38 +4,38 @@ from pybind11_tests import type_caster_bare_interface as m
 
 
 def test_cast():
-    assert m.rtrn_mpty_valu() == "cast_rref"
-    assert m.rtrn_mpty_rref() == "cast_rref"
-    assert m.rtrn_mpty_cref() == "cast_cref"
-    assert m.rtrn_mpty_mref() == "cast_mref"
-    assert m.rtrn_mpty_cptr() == "cast_cptr"
-    assert m.rtrn_mpty_mptr() == "cast_mptr"
+    assert m.rtrn_valu() == "cast_rref"
+    assert m.rtrn_rref() == "cast_rref"
+    assert m.rtrn_cref() == "cast_cref"
+    assert m.rtrn_mref() == "cast_mref"
+    assert m.rtrn_cptr() == "cast_cptr"
+    assert m.rtrn_mptr() == "cast_mptr"
 
 
 def test_load():
-    assert m.pass_mpty_valu(None) == "load_valu"
-    assert m.pass_mpty_rref(None) == "load_rref"
-    assert m.pass_mpty_cref(None) == "load_cref"
-    assert m.pass_mpty_mref(None) == "load_mref"
-    assert m.pass_mpty_cptr(None) == "load_cptr"
-    assert m.pass_mpty_mptr(None) == "load_mptr"
+    assert m.pass_valu(None) == "load_valu"
+    assert m.pass_rref(None) == "load_rref"
+    assert m.pass_cref(None) == "load_cref"
+    assert m.pass_mref(None) == "load_mref"
+    assert m.pass_cptr(None) == "load_cptr"
+    assert m.pass_mptr(None) == "load_mptr"
 
 
 def test_cast_shared_ptr():
-    assert m.rtrn_mpty_shmp() == "cast_shmp"
-    assert m.rtrn_mpty_shcp() == "cast_shcp"
+    assert m.rtrn_shmp() == "cast_shmp"
+    assert m.rtrn_shcp() == "cast_shcp"
 
 
 def test_load_shared_ptr():
-    assert m.pass_mpty_shmp(None) == "load_shmp"
-    assert m.pass_mpty_shcp(None) == "load_shcp"
+    assert m.pass_shmp(None) == "load_shmp"
+    assert m.pass_shcp(None) == "load_shcp"
 
 
 def test_cast_unique_ptr():
-    assert m.rtrn_mpty_uqmp() == "cast_uqmp"
-    assert m.rtrn_mpty_uqcp() == "cast_uqcp"
+    assert m.rtrn_uqmp() == "cast_uqmp"
+    assert m.rtrn_uqcp() == "cast_uqcp"
 
 
 def test_load_unique_ptr():
-    assert m.pass_mpty_uqmp(None) == "load_uqmp"
-    assert m.pass_mpty_uqcp(None) == "load_uqcp"
+    assert m.pass_uqmp(None) == "load_uqmp"
+    assert m.pass_uqcp(None) == "load_uqcp"