diff --git a/include/pybind11/pytypes.h b/include/pybind11/pytypes.h
index 1e76d7bc1..9f4196d21 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pytypes.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pytypes.h
@@ -95,11 +95,8 @@ public:
         subclass causes a corresponding call to ``__getitem__``. Assigning a `handle`
         or `object` subclass causes a call to ``__setitem__``.
     \endrst */
-    item_accessor operator[](handle key) const;
-    /// See above (the only difference is that the key's reference is stolen)
-    item_accessor operator[](object &&key) const;
-    /// See above (the only difference is that the key is provided as a string literal)
-    item_accessor operator[](const char *key) const;
+    template <typename T>
+    item_accessor operator[](T &&key) const;
 
     /** \rst
         Return an internal functor to access the object's attributes. Casting the
@@ -2493,16 +2490,9 @@ iterator object_api<D>::end() const {
     return iterator::sentinel();
 }
 template <typename D>
-item_accessor object_api<D>::operator[](handle key) const {
-    return {derived(), reinterpret_borrow<object>(key)};
-}
-template <typename D>
-item_accessor object_api<D>::operator[](object &&key) const {
-    return {derived(), std::move(key)};
-}
-template <typename D>
-item_accessor object_api<D>::operator[](const char *key) const {
-    return {derived(), pybind11::str(key)};
+template <typename T>
+item_accessor object_api<D>::operator[](T &&key) const {
+    return {derived(), detail::object_or_cast(std::forward<T>(key)).template cast<object>()};
 }
 template <typename D>
 obj_attr_accessor object_api<D>::attr(handle key) const {
diff --git a/tests/test_pytypes.cpp b/tests/test_pytypes.cpp
index 19f65ce7e..9e83af2d0 100644
--- a/tests/test_pytypes.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_pytypes.cpp
@@ -179,6 +179,20 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(pytypes, m) {
             py::print("list item {}: {}"_s.format(index++, item));
         }
     });
+    m.def("access_list", []() {
+        py::list l1 = py::list();
+        l1.append(1);
+        l1.append(2);
+        return l1[1];
+    });
+    m.def("access_list_as_object", []() {
+        py::list l1 = py::list();
+        l1.append(1);
+        l1.append(2);
+        py::object l2 = std::move(l1);
+        return l2[1];
+    });
+
     // test_none
     m.def("get_none", [] { return py::none(); });
     m.def("print_none", [](const py::none &none) { py::print("none: {}"_s.format(none)); });
@@ -228,6 +242,28 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(pytypes, m) {
           [](const py::dict &dict, const py::object &val) { return dict.contains(val); });
     m.def("dict_contains",
           [](const py::dict &dict, const char *val) { return dict.contains(val); });
+    m.def("access_dict_with_str", []() {
+        py::dict d1 = py::dict();
+        d1["x"] = 1;
+        return d1["x"];
+    });
+    m.def("access_dict_with_int", []() {
+        py::dict d1 = py::dict();
+        d1[1] = 1;
+        return d1[1];
+    });
+    m.def("access_dict_as_object_with_str", []() {
+        py::dict d1 = py::dict();
+        d1["x"] = 1;
+        py::object d2 = std::move(d1);
+        return d2["x"];
+    });
+    m.def("access_dict_as_object_with_int", []() {
+        py::dict d1 = py::dict();
+        d1[1] = 1;
+        py::object d2 = std::move(d1);
+        return d2[1];
+    });
 
     // test_tuple
     m.def("tuple_no_args", []() { return py::tuple{}; });
@@ -235,6 +271,16 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(pytypes, m) {
     m.def("tuple_size_t", []() { return py::tuple{(py::size_t) 0}; });
     m.def("get_tuple", []() { return py::make_tuple(42, py::none(), "spam"); });
 
+    m.def("access_tuple", [](py::tuple &tpl) {
+        return tpl[1];
+    });
+    m.def("access_tuple_as_object_with_int_index", [](py::object &tpl) {
+        return tpl[1];
+    });
+    m.def("access_tuple_as_object_with_int_index_multidimension", [](py::object &tpl) {
+        return tpl[1][2];
+    });
+
     // test_simple_namespace
     m.def("get_simple_namespace", []() {
         auto ns = py::module_::import("types").attr("SimpleNamespace")(
diff --git a/tests/test_pytypes.py b/tests/test_pytypes.py
index 6f015eec8..397a8dc72 100644
--- a/tests/test_pytypes.py
+++ b/tests/test_pytypes.py
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ def test_list(capture, doc):
     assert doc(m.get_list) == "get_list() -> list"
     assert doc(m.print_list) == "print_list(arg0: list) -> None"
 
+    assert m.access_list() == 2
+    assert m.access_list_as_object() == 2
 
 def test_none(doc):
     assert doc(m.get_none) == "get_none() -> None"
@@ -177,6 +179,11 @@ def test_dict(capture, doc):
 
     assert m.dict_keyword_constructor() == {"x": 1, "y": 2, "z": 3}
 
+    assert m.access_dict_with_str() == 1
+    assert m.access_dict_with_int() == 1
+    assert m.access_dict_as_object_with_str() == 1
+    assert m.access_dict_as_object_with_int() == 1
+
 
 class CustomContains:
     d = {"key": None}
@@ -208,6 +215,9 @@ def test_tuple():
     assert m.tuple_ssize_t() == ()
     assert m.tuple_size_t() == ()
     assert m.get_tuple() == (42, None, "spam")
+    assert m.access_tuple((1,2)) == 2
+    assert m.access_tuple_as_object_with_int_index((1,2)) == 2
+    assert m.access_tuple_as_object_with_int_index_multidimension(((1,2,3),(4,5,6))) == 6
 
 
 def test_simple_namespace():