diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_casters.h b/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_casters.h
index c263013ea..f048aaf29 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_casters.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_casters.h
@@ -716,6 +716,15 @@ struct smart_holder_type_caster<std::unique_ptr<T, D>> : smart_holder_type_caste
 
         return inst.release();
     }
+    static handle cast(const std::unique_ptr<T, D> &src, return_value_policy policy, handle parent) {
+        if (!src)
+            return none().release();
+        if (policy == return_value_policy::automatic)
+            policy = return_value_policy::reference_internal;
+        if (policy != return_value_policy::reference_internal)
+            throw cast_error("Invalid return_value_policy for unique_ptr&");
+        return smart_holder_type_caster<T>::cast(src.get(), policy, parent);
+    }
 
     template <typename>
     using cast_op_type = std::unique_ptr<T, D>;
diff --git a/tests/test_class_sh_basic.cpp b/tests/test_class_sh_basic.cpp
index 9ec947baf..9bfbe081a 100644
--- a/tests/test_class_sh_basic.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_class_sh_basic.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,17 @@ struct atyp { // Short for "any type".
     atyp(atyp &&other) { mtxt = other.mtxt + "_MvCtor"; }
 };
 
+struct uconsumer {  // unique_ptr consumer
+    std::unique_ptr<atyp> held;
+    bool valid() const { return static_cast<bool>(held); }
+
+    void pass_valu(std::unique_ptr<atyp> obj) { held = std::move(obj); }
+    void pass_rref(std::unique_ptr<atyp> &&obj) { held = std::move(obj); }
+    std::unique_ptr<atyp> rtrn_valu() { return std::move(held); }
+    std::unique_ptr<atyp>& rtrn_lref() { return held; }
+    const std::unique_ptr<atyp> &rtrn_cref() { return held; }
+};
+
 // clang-format off
 
 atyp        rtrn_valu() { atyp obj{"rtrn_valu"}; return obj; }
@@ -57,7 +68,11 @@ std::string pass_udcp(std::unique_ptr<atyp const, sddc> obj) { return "pass_udcp
 
 // Helpers for testing.
 std::string get_mtxt(atyp const &obj) { return obj.mtxt; }
+std::ptrdiff_t get_ptr(atyp const &obj) { return reinterpret_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(&obj); }
+
 std::unique_ptr<atyp> unique_ptr_roundtrip(std::unique_ptr<atyp> obj) { return obj; }
+const std::unique_ptr<atyp>& unique_ptr_cref_roundtrip(const std::unique_ptr<atyp>& obj) { return obj; }
+
 struct SharedPtrStash {
     std::vector<std::shared_ptr<const atyp>> stash;
     void Add(std::shared_ptr<const atyp> obj) { stash.push_back(obj); }
@@ -67,6 +82,7 @@ struct SharedPtrStash {
 } // namespace pybind11_tests
 
 PYBIND11_SMART_HOLDER_TYPE_CASTERS(pybind11_tests::class_sh_basic::atyp)
+PYBIND11_SMART_HOLDER_TYPE_CASTERS(pybind11_tests::class_sh_basic::uconsumer)
 PYBIND11_SMART_HOLDER_TYPE_CASTERS(pybind11_tests::class_sh_basic::SharedPtrStash)
 
 namespace pybind11_tests {
@@ -112,10 +128,23 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(class_sh_basic, m) {
     m.def("pass_udmp", pass_udmp);
     m.def("pass_udcp", pass_udcp);
 
+    py::classh<uconsumer>(m, "uconsumer")
+        .def(py::init<>())
+        .def("valid", &uconsumer::valid)
+        .def("pass_valu", &uconsumer::pass_valu)
+        .def("pass_rref", &uconsumer::pass_rref)
+        .def("rtrn_valu", &uconsumer::rtrn_valu)
+        .def("rtrn_lref", &uconsumer::rtrn_lref)
+        .def("rtrn_cref", &uconsumer::rtrn_cref);
+
     // Helpers for testing.
     // These require selected functions above to work first, as indicated:
     m.def("get_mtxt", get_mtxt);                         // pass_cref
+    m.def("get_ptr", get_ptr);                           // pass_cref
+
     m.def("unique_ptr_roundtrip", unique_ptr_roundtrip); // pass_uqmp, rtrn_uqmp
+    m.def("unique_ptr_cref_roundtrip", unique_ptr_cref_roundtrip);
+
     py::classh<SharedPtrStash>(m, "SharedPtrStash")
         .def(py::init<>())
         .def("Add", &SharedPtrStash::Add, py::arg("obj"));
diff --git a/tests/test_class_sh_basic.py b/tests/test_class_sh_basic.py
index 9e2813a96..3727dcdb5 100644
--- a/tests/test_class_sh_basic.py
+++ b/tests/test_class_sh_basic.py
@@ -118,6 +118,48 @@ def test_unique_ptr_roundtrip(num_round_trips=1000):
         id_orig = id_rtrn
 
 
+# This currently fails, because a unique_ptr is always loaded by value
+# due to pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_casters.h:689
+# I think, we need to provide more cast operators.
+@pytest.mark.skip
+def test_unique_ptr_cref_roundtrip(num_round_trips=1000):
+    orig = m.atyp("passenger")
+    id_orig = id(orig)
+    mtxt_orig = m.get_mtxt(orig)
+
+    recycled = m.unique_ptr_cref_roundtrip(orig)
+    assert m.get_mtxt(orig) == mtxt_orig
+    assert m.get_mtxt(recycled) == mtxt_orig
+    assert id(recycled) == id_orig
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "pass_f, rtrn_f, moved_out, moved_in",
+    [
+        (m.uconsumer.pass_valu, m.uconsumer.rtrn_valu, True, True),
+        (m.uconsumer.pass_rref, m.uconsumer.rtrn_valu, True, True),
+        (m.uconsumer.pass_valu, m.uconsumer.rtrn_lref, True, False),
+        (m.uconsumer.pass_valu, m.uconsumer.rtrn_cref, True, False),
+    ],
+)
+def test_unique_ptr_consumer_roundtrip(pass_f, rtrn_f, moved_out, moved_in):
+    c = m.uconsumer()
+    assert not c.valid()
+    recycled = m.atyp("passenger")
+    mtxt_orig = m.get_mtxt(recycled)
+    assert re.match("passenger_(MvCtor){1,2}", mtxt_orig)
+
+    pass_f(c, recycled)
+    if moved_out:
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError) as excinfo:
+            m.get_mtxt(recycled)
+        assert "Python instance was disowned" in str(excinfo.value)
+
+    recycled = rtrn_f(c)
+    assert c.valid() != moved_in
+    assert m.get_mtxt(recycled) == mtxt_orig
+
+
 def test_py_type_handle_of_atyp():
     obj = m.py_type_handle_of_atyp()
     assert obj.__class__.__name__ == "pybind11_type"