diff --git a/include/pybind11/cast.h b/include/pybind11/cast.h
index d06508f90..db9b4fe16 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/cast.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/cast.h
@@ -885,7 +885,16 @@ public:
 
     static handle
     cast(const std::shared_ptr<type> &src, return_value_policy policy, handle parent) {
-        return smart_holder_type_caster_support::shared_ptr_to_python(src, policy, parent);
+        const auto *ptr = src.get();
+        auto st = type_caster_base<type>::src_and_type(ptr);
+        if (st.second == nullptr) {
+            return handle(); // no type info: error will be set already
+        }
+        if (st.second->default_holder) {
+            return smart_holder_type_caster_support::smart_holder_from_shared_ptr(
+                src, policy, parent, st);
+        }
+        return type_caster_base<type>::cast_holder(ptr, &src);
     }
 
 protected:
diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_caster_support.h b/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_caster_support.h
index 987eeed1a..f442eed6c 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_caster_support.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_caster_support.h
@@ -177,21 +177,6 @@ handle smart_holder_from_shared_ptr(const std::shared_ptr<T const> &src,
                                         st);
 }
 
-template <typename T>
-handle shared_ptr_to_python(const std::shared_ptr<T> &shd_ptr,
-                            return_value_policy policy,
-                            handle parent) {
-    const auto *ptr = shd_ptr.get();
-    auto st = type_caster_base<T>::src_and_type(ptr);
-    if (st.second == nullptr) {
-        return handle(); // no type info: error will be set already
-    }
-    if (st.second->default_holder) {
-        return smart_holder_from_shared_ptr(shd_ptr, policy, parent, st);
-    }
-    return type_caster_base<T>::cast_holder(ptr, &shd_ptr);
-}
-
 struct shared_ptr_parent_life_support {
     PyObject *parent;
     explicit shared_ptr_parent_life_support(PyObject *parent) : parent{parent} {