diff --git a/include/pybind11/numpy.h b/include/pybind11/numpy.h
index 77006c887..72dd4b371 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/numpy.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/numpy.h
@@ -199,16 +199,28 @@ private:
         return api;
     }
 };
-NAMESPACE_END(detail)
 
-#define PyArray_GET_(ptr, attr) \
-    (reinterpret_cast<::pybind11::detail::PyArray_Proxy*>(ptr)->attr)
-#define PyArrayDescr_GET_(ptr, attr) \
-    (reinterpret_cast<::pybind11::detail::PyArrayDescr_Proxy*>(ptr)->attr)
-#define PyArray_FLAGS_(ptr) \
-    PyArray_GET_(ptr, flags)
-#define PyArray_CHKFLAGS_(ptr, flag) \
-    (flag == (PyArray_FLAGS_(ptr) & flag))
+inline PyArray_Proxy* array_proxy(void* ptr) {
+    return reinterpret_cast<PyArray_Proxy*>(ptr);
+}
+
+inline const PyArray_Proxy* array_proxy(const void* ptr) {
+    return reinterpret_cast<const PyArray_Proxy*>(ptr);
+}
+
+inline PyArrayDescr_Proxy* array_descriptor_proxy(PyObject* ptr) {
+   return reinterpret_cast<PyArrayDescr_Proxy*>(ptr);
+}
+
+inline const PyArrayDescr_Proxy* array_descriptor_proxy(const PyObject* ptr) {
+   return reinterpret_cast<const PyArrayDescr_Proxy*>(ptr);
+}
+
+inline bool check_flags(const void* ptr, int flag) {
+    return (flag == (array_proxy(ptr)->flags & flag));
+}
+
+NAMESPACE_END(detail)
 
 class dtype : public object {
 public:
@@ -249,17 +261,17 @@ public:
 
     /// Size of the data type in bytes.
     size_t itemsize() const {
-        return (size_t) PyArrayDescr_GET_(m_ptr, elsize);
+        return (size_t) detail::array_descriptor_proxy(m_ptr)->elsize;
     }
 
     /// Returns true for structured data types.
     bool has_fields() const {
-        return PyArrayDescr_GET_(m_ptr, names) != nullptr;
+        return detail::array_descriptor_proxy(m_ptr)->names != nullptr;
     }
 
     /// Single-character type code.
     char kind() const {
-        return PyArrayDescr_GET_(m_ptr, kind);
+        return detail::array_descriptor_proxy(m_ptr)->kind;
     }
 
 private:
@@ -341,7 +353,7 @@ public:
             pybind11_fail("NumPy: unable to create array!");
         if (ptr) {
             if (base) {
-                PyArray_GET_(tmp.ptr(), base) = base.inc_ref().ptr();
+                detail::array_proxy(tmp.ptr())->base = base.inc_ref().ptr();
             } else {
                 tmp = reinterpret_steal<object>(api.PyArray_NewCopy_(tmp.ptr(), -1 /* any order */));
             }
@@ -376,7 +388,7 @@ public:
 
     /// Array descriptor (dtype)
     pybind11::dtype dtype() const {
-        return reinterpret_borrow<pybind11::dtype>(PyArray_GET_(m_ptr, descr));
+        return reinterpret_borrow<pybind11::dtype>(detail::array_proxy(m_ptr)->descr);
     }
 
     /// Total number of elements
@@ -386,7 +398,7 @@ public:
 
     /// Byte size of a single element
     size_t itemsize() const {
-        return (size_t) PyArrayDescr_GET_(PyArray_GET_(m_ptr, descr), elsize);
+        return (size_t) detail::array_descriptor_proxy(detail::array_proxy(m_ptr)->descr)->elsize;
     }
 
     /// Total number of bytes
@@ -396,17 +408,17 @@ public:
 
     /// Number of dimensions
     size_t ndim() const {
-        return (size_t) PyArray_GET_(m_ptr, nd);
+        return (size_t) detail::array_proxy(m_ptr)->nd;
     }
 
     /// Base object
     object base() const {
-        return reinterpret_borrow<object>(PyArray_GET_(m_ptr, base));
+        return reinterpret_borrow<object>(detail::array_proxy(m_ptr)->base);
     }
 
     /// Dimensions of the array
     const size_t* shape() const {
-        return reinterpret_cast<const size_t *>(PyArray_GET_(m_ptr, dimensions));
+        return reinterpret_cast<const size_t *>(detail::array_proxy(m_ptr)->dimensions);
     }
 
     /// Dimension along a given axis
@@ -418,7 +430,7 @@ public:
 
     /// Strides of the array
     const size_t* strides() const {
-        return reinterpret_cast<const size_t *>(PyArray_GET_(m_ptr, strides));
+        return reinterpret_cast<const size_t *>(detail::array_proxy(m_ptr)->strides);
     }
 
     /// Stride along a given axis
@@ -430,23 +442,23 @@ public:
 
     /// Return the NumPy array flags
     int flags() const {
-        return PyArray_FLAGS_(m_ptr);
+        return detail::array_proxy(m_ptr)->flags;
     }
 
     /// If set, the array is writeable (otherwise the buffer is read-only)
     bool writeable() const {
-        return PyArray_CHKFLAGS_(m_ptr, detail::npy_api::NPY_ARRAY_WRITEABLE_);
+        return detail::check_flags(m_ptr, detail::npy_api::NPY_ARRAY_WRITEABLE_);
     }
 
     /// If set, the array owns the data (will be freed when the array is deleted)
     bool owndata() const {
-        return PyArray_CHKFLAGS_(m_ptr, detail::npy_api::NPY_ARRAY_OWNDATA_);
+        return detail::check_flags(m_ptr, detail::npy_api::NPY_ARRAY_OWNDATA_);
     }
 
     /// Pointer to the contained data. If index is not provided, points to the
     /// beginning of the buffer. May throw if the index would lead to out of bounds access.
     template<typename... Ix> const void* data(Ix... index) const {
-        return static_cast<const void *>(PyArray_GET_(m_ptr, data) + offset_at(index...));
+        return static_cast<const void *>(detail::array_proxy(m_ptr)->data + offset_at(index...));
     }
 
     /// Mutable pointer to the contained data. If index is not provided, points to the
@@ -454,7 +466,7 @@ public:
     /// May throw if the array is not writeable.
     template<typename... Ix> void* mutable_data(Ix... index) {
         check_writeable();
-        return static_cast<void *>(PyArray_GET_(m_ptr, data) + offset_at(index...));
+        return static_cast<void *>(detail::array_proxy(m_ptr)->data + offset_at(index...));
     }
 
     /// Byte offset from beginning of the array to a given index (full or partial).
@@ -620,7 +632,7 @@ public:
     static bool _check(handle h) {
         const auto &api = detail::npy_api::get();
         return api.PyArray_Check_(h.ptr())
-               && api.PyArray_EquivTypes_(PyArray_GET_(h.ptr(), descr), dtype::of<T>().ptr());
+               && api.PyArray_EquivTypes_(detail::array_proxy(h.ptr())->descr, dtype::of<T>().ptr());
     }
 
 protected: