diff --git a/include/pybind11/cast.h b/include/pybind11/cast.h
index 18c96d293..ab9447d2d 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/cast.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/cast.h
@@ -848,11 +848,19 @@ public:
     using base::value;
 
     bool load(handle src, bool convert) {
+#ifdef JUNK
         if (typeinfo->default_holder) {
-            return type_caster_generic::load(src, convert);
+            printf("\nLOOOK shd load(src, convert) A\n"); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+            bool retval = type_caster_generic::load(src, convert);
+            printf("\nLOOOK shd load(src, convert) B %ld\n", (long) value); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+            return retval;
         }
-        return base::template load_impl<copyable_holder_caster<type, std::shared_ptr<type>>>(
+#endif
+        printf("\nLOOOK shd load(src, convert) X\n"); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+        bool retval = base::template load_impl<copyable_holder_caster<type, std::shared_ptr<type>>>(
             src, convert);
+        printf("\nLOOOK shd load(src, convert) Y %ld\n", (long) value); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+        return retval;
     }
 
     explicit operator type *() {
@@ -880,7 +888,9 @@ public:
 
     explicit operator std::shared_ptr<type> &() {
         if (typeinfo->default_holder) {
+printf("\nLOOOK operator std::shared_ptr<type> & A %ld %s:%d\n", (long) value, __FILE__, __LINE__); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
             shared_ptr_holder = sh_load_helper.loaded_as_shared_ptr(value);
+printf("\nLOOOK operator std::shared_ptr<type> & B %ld %s:%d\n", (long) shared_ptr_holder.get(), __FILE__, __LINE__); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
         }
         return shared_ptr_holder;
     }
@@ -920,9 +930,12 @@ protected:
     }
 
     void load_value(value_and_holder &&v_h) {
+printf("\nLOOOK shd load_value(v_h) ENTRY\n"); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
         if (typeinfo->default_holder) {
+printf("\nLOOOK shd load_value(v_h) A\n"); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
             sh_load_helper.loaded_v_h = v_h;
             type_caster_generic::load_value(std::move(v_h));
+printf("\nLOOOK shd load_value(v_h) B\n"); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
             return;
         }
         load_value_shared_ptr(v_h);
@@ -938,7 +951,24 @@ protected:
               detail::enable_if_t<std::is_constructible<T, const T &, type *>::value, int> = 0>
     bool try_implicit_casts(handle src, bool convert) {
         if (typeinfo->default_holder) {
-            return type_caster_generic::try_implicit_casts(src, convert);
+#ifdef JUNK
+            printf("\nLOOOK shd try_implicit_casts(src, convert) E\n"); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+            bool retval = type_caster_generic::try_implicit_casts(src, convert);
+            printf("\nLOOOK shd try_implicit_casts(src, convert) F\n"); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+            return retval;
+#endif
+            printf("\nLOOOK shd try_implicit_casts(src, convert) Q\n"); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+            for (auto &cast : typeinfo->implicit_casts) {
+                printf("\nLOOOK shd try_implicit_casts(src, convert) R\n"); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+                copyable_holder_caster sub_caster(*cast.first);
+                if (sub_caster.load(src, convert)) {
+                    printf("\nLOOOK shd try_implicit_casts(src, convert) S\n"); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+                    value = cast.second(sub_caster.value);
+                    sh_load_helper.loaded_v_h = sub_caster.sh_load_helper.loaded_v_h;
+                    return true;
+                }
+            }
+            return false;
         }
         for (auto &cast : typeinfo->implicit_casts) {
             copyable_holder_caster sub_caster(*cast.first);
diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/type_caster_base.h b/include/pybind11/detail/type_caster_base.h
index 779bb15a4..f6cbbbce2 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/type_caster_base.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/type_caster_base.h
@@ -835,9 +835,11 @@ struct load_helper : value_and_holder_helper {
 
     std::shared_ptr<T> loaded_as_shared_ptr(void *void_raw_ptr,
                                             handle responsible_parent = nullptr) const {
+printf("\nLOOOK %s:%d\n", __FILE__, __LINE__); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
         if (!have_holder()) {
             return nullptr;
         }
+printf("\nLOOOK %s:%d\n", __FILE__, __LINE__); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
         throw_if_uninitialized_or_disowned_holder(typeid(T));
         holder_type &hld = holder();
         hld.ensure_is_not_disowned("loaded_as_shared_ptr");
@@ -1110,6 +1112,7 @@ public:
             type_caster_generic sub_caster(*cast.first);
             if (sub_caster.load(src, convert)) {
                 value = cast.second(sub_caster.value);
+                printf("\nLOOOK implicit from %ld to %ld\n", (long) sub_caster.value, (long) value); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
                 return true;
             }
         }
diff --git a/tests/test_class_sh_mi_thunks.cpp b/tests/test_class_sh_mi_thunks.cpp
index c4f430e86..a34ef308a 100644
--- a/tests/test_class_sh_mi_thunks.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_class_sh_mi_thunks.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(class_sh_mi_thunks, m) {
         []() {
             auto *drvd = new Derived;
             auto *base0 = dynamic_cast<Base0 *>(drvd);
+printf("\nLOOOK get raw drvd %ld\n", (long) drvd); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+printf("\nLOOOK get raw base %ld\n", (long) base0); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
             return base0;
         },
         py::return_value_policy::take_ownership);
@@ -65,6 +67,8 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(class_sh_mi_thunks, m) {
     m.def("get_drvd_as_base0_shared_ptr", []() {
         auto drvd = std::make_shared<Derived>();
         auto base0 = std::dynamic_pointer_cast<Base0>(drvd);
+printf("\nLOOOK get shd drvd %ld\n", (long) drvd.get()); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
+printf("\nLOOOK get shd base %ld\n", (long) base0.get()); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
         return base0;
     });
 
@@ -75,7 +79,9 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(class_sh_mi_thunks, m) {
     });
 
     m.def("vec_size_base0_raw_ptr", [](const Base0 *obj) {
+printf("\nLOOOK raw const Base0 *obj %ld\n", (long) obj); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
         const auto *obj_der = dynamic_cast<const Derived *>(obj);
+printf("\nLOOOK raw const auto *obj_der %ld\n", (long) obj_der); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
         if (obj_der == nullptr) {
             return std::size_t(0);
         }
@@ -83,7 +89,9 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(class_sh_mi_thunks, m) {
     });
 
     m.def("vec_size_base0_shared_ptr", [](const std::shared_ptr<Base0> &obj) -> std::size_t {
+printf("\nLOOOK shd const Base0 *obj %ld\n", (long) obj.get()); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
         const auto obj_der = std::dynamic_pointer_cast<Derived>(obj);
+printf("\nLOOOK shd const auto *obj_der %ld\n", (long) obj_der.get()); fflush(stdout);  // NOLINT
         if (!obj_der) {
             return std::size_t(0);
         }
diff --git a/tests/test_class_sh_mi_thunks.py b/tests/test_class_sh_mi_thunks.py
index c1c8a3043..9f1957700 100644
--- a/tests/test_class_sh_mi_thunks.py
+++ b/tests/test_class_sh_mi_thunks.py
@@ -30,8 +30,11 @@ def test_ptrdiff_drvd_base0():
     ],
 )
 def test_get_vec_size_raw_shared(get_fn, vec_size_fn):
+    print(f"\nLOOOK A", flush=True)
     obj = get_fn()
+    print(f"\nLOOOK B", flush=True)
     assert vec_size_fn(obj) == 5
+    print(f"\nLOOOK C", flush=True)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(