diff --git a/include/pybind11/internal/class.h b/include/pybind11/internal/class.h
index 5cf5ea52..edd72924 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/internal/class.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/internal/class.h
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ public:
 
                 auto info = &type_info::of<T>();
                 int slot = ((std::is_same_v<dynamic_attr, Args> || ...) ? -1 : 0);
-                void* data = py_newobject(retv, steal<type>(cls).index(), slot, sizeof(instance));
+                void* data =
+                    py_newobject(py_retval(), steal<type>(cls).index(), slot, sizeof(instance));
                 new (data) instance{instance::Flag::Own, operator new (info->size), info};
                 return true;
             },
diff --git a/include/pybind11/internal/error.h b/include/pybind11/internal/error.h
index 763d29f0..fbacb453 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/internal/error.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/internal/error.h
@@ -34,13 +34,9 @@ inline auto raise_call(Args&&... args) {
 
     using type = decltype(result);
     if constexpr(std::is_same_v<type, bool>) {
-        if(result != false) {
-            return result;
-        }
+        if(result != false) { return result; }
     } else if constexpr(std::is_same_v<type, int>) {
-        if(result != -1) {
-            return result;
-        }
+        if(result != -1) { return result; }
     } else {
         static_assert(dependent_false<type>, "invalid return type");
     }
@@ -84,10 +80,10 @@ class attribute_error : public std::runtime_error {
 
 inline object::operator bool () const { return raise_call<py_bool>(m_ptr); }
 
-#define PKBIND_BINARY_OPERATOR(name, lop, rop)                                                                         \
-    inline object operator name (handle lhs, handle rhs) {                                                             \
-        raise_call<py_binaryop>(lhs.ptr(), rhs.ptr(), lop, rop);                                                       \
-        return object(retv, object::realloc_t{});                                                                      \
+#define PKBIND_BINARY_OPERATOR(name, lop, rop)                                                     \
+    inline object operator name (handle lhs, handle rhs) {                                         \
+        raise_call<py_binaryop>(lhs.ptr(), rhs.ptr(), lop, rop);                                   \
+        return object::from_ret();                                                                 \
     }
 
 PKBIND_BINARY_OPERATOR(==, __eq__, __eq__)
diff --git a/include/pybind11/internal/kernel.h b/include/pybind11/internal/kernel.h
index f9b1d92c..03dde561 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/internal/kernel.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/internal/kernel.h
@@ -18,21 +18,6 @@ namespace pkbind {
 
 class handle;
 
-struct retv_t {
-    py_Ref value;
-
-    void operator= (py_Ref ref) & { py_assign(value, ref); }
-
-    operator py_Ref () & {
-        assert(value && "return value is not initialized");
-        return value;
-    }
-
-    void operator= (handle value) &;
-
-    operator handle () &;
-};
-
 /// hold the object long time.
 struct object_pool {
     inline static int cache = -1;
@@ -143,8 +128,6 @@ private:
     void (*init)(T&) = nullptr;
 };
 
-inline retv_t retv;
-
 inline std::unordered_map<std::type_index, py_Type>* m_type_map = nullptr;
 
 }  // namespace pkbind
diff --git a/include/pybind11/internal/object.h b/include/pybind11/internal/object.h
index dd1b6502..1d52f03a 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/internal/object.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/internal/object.h
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ public:
 
     object(handle h, ref_t) : handle(h) {}
 
-    static object from_ret() { return object(retv, realloc_t{}); }
+    static object from_ret() { return object(py_retval(), realloc_t{}); }
 
     operator object_pool::object_ref () const { return {m_ptr, m_index}; }
 
@@ -281,13 +281,6 @@ T borrow(handle h) {
     return T(h, object::realloc_t{});
 }
 
-inline void retv_t::operator= (handle h) & { py_assign(value, h.ptr()); }
-
-inline retv_t::operator handle () & {
-    assert(value && "return value is not initialized");
-    return value;
-}
-
 static_assert(std::is_trivially_copyable_v<name>);
 static_assert(std::is_trivially_copyable_v<handle>);
 
diff --git a/include/pybind11/internal/types.h b/include/pybind11/internal/types.h
index 38e2de7e..d37a5ebc 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/internal/types.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/internal/types.h
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public:
     iterator& operator++ () {
         int result = raise_call<py_next>(m_ptr);
         if(result == 1) {
-            m_value = object(retv, realloc_t{});
+            m_value = object::from_ret();
         } else if(result == 0) {
             m_value = object();
         }
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ private:
 template <typename Dervied>
 iterator interface<Dervied>::begin() const {
     raise_call<py_iter>(ptr());
-    return iterator(retv);
+    return iterator(py_retval());
 }
 
 template <typename Dervied>
diff --git a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
index 40ca61b9..fe5565de 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
@@ -16,9 +16,6 @@ inline bool initialized = false;
 inline void initialize(int object_pool_size = 1024) {
     if(!initialized) { py_initialize(); }
 
-    // initialize ret.
-    retv.value = py_retval();
-
     // initialize object pool.
     object_pool::initialize(object_pool_size);