diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_poc.h b/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_poc.h
index 223e1b1f3..5c4f565fc 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_poc.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_poc.h
@@ -48,38 +48,18 @@ Details:
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include <cassert>
 #include <memory>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <string>
 #include <type_traits>
 #include <typeinfo>
 
-// #include <iostream>
-// inline void to_cout(const std::string &msg) { std::cout << msg << std::endl; }
-inline void to_cout(const std::string &) {}
-
 // pybindit = Python Bindings Innovation Track.
 // Currently not in pybind11 namespace to signal that this POC does not depend
 // on any existing pybind11 functionality.
 namespace pybindit {
 namespace memory {
 
-inline int shared_from_this_status(...) { return 0; }
-
-template <typename AnyBaseOfT>
-#if defined(__cpp_lib_enable_shared_from_this) && (!defined(_MSC_VER) || _MSC_VER >= 1912)
-inline int shared_from_this_status(const std::enable_shared_from_this<AnyBaseOfT> *ptr) {
-    if (ptr->weak_from_this().lock())
-        return 1;
-    return -1;
-}
-#else
-inline int shared_from_this_status(const std::enable_shared_from_this<AnyBaseOfT> *) {
-    return 999;
-}
-#endif
-
 struct guarded_delete {
     std::weak_ptr<void> released_ptr; // Trick to keep the smart_holder memory footprint small.
     void (*del_ptr)(void *);
@@ -259,9 +239,6 @@ struct smart_holder {
 
     template <typename T>
     static smart_holder from_raw_ptr_take_ownership(T *raw_ptr, bool void_cast_raw_ptr = false) {
-        to_cout("");
-        to_cout("LOOOK smart_holder from_raw_ptr_take_ownership " + std::to_string(__LINE__) + " "
-                + __FILE__);
         ensure_pointee_is_destructible<T>("from_raw_ptr_take_ownership");
         smart_holder hld;
         auto gd = make_guarded_builtin_delete<T>(true);
@@ -304,8 +281,6 @@ struct smart_holder {
 
     template <typename T>
     T *as_raw_ptr_release_ownership(const char *context = "as_raw_ptr_release_ownership") {
-        to_cout("LOOOK smart_holder as_raw_ptr_release_ownership " + std::to_string(__LINE__) + " "
-                + __FILE__);
         ensure_can_release_ownership(context);
         T *raw_ptr = as_raw_ptr_unowned<T>();
         release_ownership();
@@ -315,7 +290,6 @@ struct smart_holder {
     template <typename T, typename D>
     static smart_holder from_unique_ptr(std::unique_ptr<T, D> &&unq_ptr,
                                         bool void_cast_raw_ptr = false) {
-        to_cout("LOOOK smart_holder from_unique_ptr " + std::to_string(__LINE__) + " " + __FILE__);
         smart_holder hld;
         hld.rtti_uqp_del                 = &typeid(D);
         hld.vptr_is_using_builtin_delete = is_std_default_delete<T>(*hld.rtti_uqp_del);
@@ -335,7 +309,6 @@ struct smart_holder {
 
     template <typename T, typename D = std::default_delete<T>>
     std::unique_ptr<T, D> as_unique_ptr() {
-        to_cout("LOOOK smart_holder as_unique_ptr " + std::to_string(__LINE__) + " " + __FILE__);
         static const char *context = "as_unique_ptr";
         ensure_compatible_rtti_uqp_del<T, D>(context);
         ensure_use_count_1(context);
@@ -346,7 +319,6 @@ struct smart_holder {
 
     template <typename T>
     static smart_holder from_shared_ptr(std::shared_ptr<T> shd_ptr) {
-        to_cout("LOOOK smart_holder from_shared_ptr " + std::to_string(__LINE__) + " " + __FILE__);
         smart_holder hld;
         hld.vptr                        = std::static_pointer_cast<void>(shd_ptr);
         hld.vptr_is_external_shared_ptr = true;
@@ -356,7 +328,6 @@ struct smart_holder {
 
     template <typename T>
     std::shared_ptr<T> as_shared_ptr() const {
-        to_cout("LOOOK smart_holder as_shared_ptr " + std::to_string(__LINE__) + " " + __FILE__);
         return std::static_pointer_cast<T>(vptr);
     }
 };
diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_casters.h b/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_casters.h
index a906ae642..ba94a158c 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_casters.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/smart_holder_type_casters.h
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 #include "type_caster_base.h"
 #include "typeid.h"
 
-#include <cassert>
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <memory>
 #include <new>
@@ -378,8 +377,6 @@ struct smart_holder_type_caster_load {
     struct shared_ptr_dec_ref_deleter {
         PyObject *self;
         void operator()(void *) {
-            to_cout("LOOOK shared_ptr_dec_ref_deleter call " + std::to_string(__LINE__) + " "
-                    + __FILE__);
             gil_scoped_acquire gil;
             Py_DECREF(self);
         }
@@ -707,13 +704,10 @@ struct smart_holder_type_caster<std::shared_ptr<T>> : smart_holder_type_caster_l
 
         void *src_raw_void_ptr         = static_cast<void *>(src_raw_ptr);
         const detail::type_info *tinfo = st.second;
-        if (handle existing_inst = find_registered_python_instance(src_raw_void_ptr, tinfo)) {
+        if (handle existing_inst = find_registered_python_instance(src_raw_void_ptr, tinfo))
             // SMART_HOLDER_WIP: MISSING: Enforcement of consistency with existing smart_holder.
             // SMART_HOLDER_WIP: MISSING: keep_alive.
-            to_cout("LOOOK shtc sh return existing_inst " + std::to_string(__LINE__) + " "
-                    + __FILE__);
             return existing_inst;
-        }
 
         auto inst           = reinterpret_steal<object>(make_new_instance(tinfo->type));
         auto *inst_raw_ptr  = reinterpret_cast<instance *>(inst.ptr());
@@ -727,7 +721,6 @@ struct smart_holder_type_caster<std::shared_ptr<T>> : smart_holder_type_caster_l
         if (policy == return_value_policy::reference_internal)
             keep_alive_impl(inst, parent);
 
-        to_cout("LOOOK shtc sh return new inst " + std::to_string(__LINE__) + " " + __FILE__);
         return inst.release();
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/test_class_sh_trampoline_shared_from_this.cpp b/tests/test_class_sh_trampoline_shared_from_this.cpp
index 81024dc6f..b5686d2f2 100644
--- a/tests/test_class_sh_trampoline_shared_from_this.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_class_sh_trampoline_shared_from_this.cpp
@@ -75,13 +75,10 @@ struct SftTrampoline : Sft, py::trampoline_self_life_support {
 long use_count(const std::shared_ptr<Sft> &obj) { return obj.use_count(); }
 
 long pass_shared_ptr(const std::shared_ptr<Sft> &obj) {
-    to_cout("pass_shared_ptr BEGIN");
     auto sft = obj->shared_from_this();
-    to_cout("pass_shared_ptr got sft");
     if (!sft->history.empty()) {
         sft->history += "_PassSharedPtr";
     }
-    to_cout("pass_shared_ptr END");
     return sft.use_count();
 }
 
@@ -121,5 +118,4 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(class_sh_trampoline_shared_from_this, m) {
     m.def("make_pure_cpp_sft_raw_ptr", make_pure_cpp_sft_raw_ptr);
     m.def("make_pure_cpp_sft_unq_ptr", make_pure_cpp_sft_unq_ptr);
     m.def("make_pure_cpp_sft_shd_ptr", make_pure_cpp_sft_shd_ptr);
-    m.def("to_cout", to_cout);
 }