diff --git a/crates/codegen/src/compile.rs b/crates/codegen/src/compile.rs
index 70ff6d391..28d47cb04 100644
--- a/crates/codegen/src/compile.rs
+++ b/crates/codegen/src/compile.rs
@@ -6670,6 +6670,23 @@ impl Compiler {
         let mut have_dict = false;
         let mut elements: u32 = 0;
 
+        // Flush pending regular pairs as a BUILD_MAP, merging into the
+        // accumulator dict via DICT_UPDATE when one already exists.
+        macro_rules! flush_pending {
+            () => {
+                #[allow(unused_assignments)]
+                if elements > 0 {
+                    emit!(self, Instruction::BuildMap { size: elements });
+                    if have_dict {
+                        emit!(self, Instruction::DictUpdate { index: 1 });
+                    } else {
+                        have_dict = true;
+                    }
+                    elements = 0;
+                }
+            };
+        }
+
         for item in items {
             if let Some(key) = &item.key {
                 // Regular key: value pair
@@ -6678,17 +6695,7 @@ impl Compiler {
                 elements += 1;
             } else {
                 // ** unpacking entry
-                if elements > 0 {
-                    // Flush pending regular pairs
-                    if !have_dict {
-                        emit!(self, Instruction::BuildMap { size: elements });
-                        have_dict = true;
-                    } else {
-                        emit!(self, Instruction::BuildMap { size: elements });
-                        emit!(self, Instruction::DictUpdate { index: 1 });
-                    }
-                    elements = 0;
-                }
+                flush_pending!();
                 if !have_dict {
                     emit!(self, Instruction::BuildMap { size: 0 });
                     have_dict = true;
@@ -6698,13 +6705,9 @@ impl Compiler {
             }
         }
 
-        if elements > 0 || !have_dict {
-            if !have_dict {
-                emit!(self, Instruction::BuildMap { size: elements });
-            } else {
-                emit!(self, Instruction::BuildMap { size: elements });
-                emit!(self, Instruction::DictUpdate { index: 1 });
-            }
+        flush_pending!();
+        if !have_dict {
+            emit!(self, Instruction::BuildMap { size: 0 });
         }
 
         Ok(())
diff --git a/crates/vm/src/builtins/function.rs b/crates/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
index 193655a98..9a6a6d49e 100644
--- a/crates/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
+++ b/crates/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,37 @@ use itertools::Itertools;
 #[cfg(feature = "jit")]
 use rustpython_jit::CompiledCode;
 
+fn format_missing_args(
+    qualname: impl core::fmt::Display,
+    kind: &str,
+    missing: &mut Vec<impl core::fmt::Display>,
+) -> String {
+    let count = missing.len();
+    let last = if missing.len() > 1 {
+        missing.pop()
+    } else {
+        None
+    };
+    let (and, right): (&str, String) = if let Some(last) = last {
+        (
+            if missing.len() == 1 {
+                "' and '"
+            } else {
+                "', and '"
+            },
+            format!("{last}"),
+        )
+    } else {
+        ("", String::new())
+    };
+    format!(
+        "{qualname}() missing {count} required {kind} argument{}: '{}{}{right}'",
+        if count == 1 { "" } else { "s" },
+        missing.iter().join("', '"),
+        and,
+    )
+}
+
 #[pyclass(module = false, name = "function", traverse = "manual")]
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct PyFunction {
@@ -343,36 +374,12 @@ impl PyFunction {
                     }
                 })
                 .collect();
-            let missing_args_len = missing.len();
 
             if !missing.is_empty() {
-                let last = if missing.len() > 1 {
-                    missing.pop()
-                } else {
-                    None
-                };
-
-                let (and, right) = if let Some(last) = last {
-                    (
-                        if missing.len() == 1 {
-                            "' and '"
-                        } else {
-                            "', and '"
-                        },
-                        last.as_str(),
-                    )
-                } else {
-                    ("", "")
-                };
-
-                return Err(vm.new_type_error(format!(
-                    "{}() missing {} required positional argument{}: '{}{}{}'",
+                return Err(vm.new_type_error(format_missing_args(
                     self.__qualname__(),
-                    missing_args_len,
-                    if missing_args_len == 1 { "" } else { "s" },
-                    missing.iter().join("', '"),
-                    and,
-                    right,
+                    "positional",
+                    &mut missing,
                 )));
             }
 
@@ -413,34 +420,10 @@ impl PyFunction {
             }
 
             if !missing.is_empty() {
-                let missing_len = missing.len();
-                let last = if missing.len() > 1 {
-                    missing.pop()
-                } else {
-                    None
-                };
-
-                let (and, right) = if let Some(last) = last {
-                    (
-                        if missing.len() == 1 {
-                            "' and '"
-                        } else {
-                            "', and '"
-                        },
-                        last.as_str(),
-                    )
-                } else {
-                    ("", "")
-                };
-
-                return Err(vm.new_type_error(format!(
-                    "{}() missing {} required keyword-only argument{}: '{}{}{}'",
+                return Err(vm.new_type_error(format_missing_args(
                     self.__qualname__(),
-                    missing_len,
-                    if missing_len == 1 { "" } else { "s" },
-                    missing.iter().join("', '"),
-                    and,
-                    right,
+                    "keyword-only",
+                    &mut missing,
                 )));
             }
         }
diff --git a/crates/vm/src/frame.rs b/crates/vm/src/frame.rs
index fd4863344..23137a3f2 100644
--- a/crates/vm/src/frame.rs
+++ b/crates/vm/src/frame.rs
@@ -2803,8 +2803,12 @@ impl ExecutingFrame<'_> {
     fn execute_unpack_ex(&mut self, vm: &VirtualMachine, before: u8, after: u8) -> FrameResult {
         let (before, after) = (before as usize, after as usize);
         let value = self.pop_value();
+        let not_iterable = value.class().slots.iter.load().is_none()
+            && value
+                .get_class_attr(vm.ctx.intern_str("__getitem__"))
+                .is_none();
         let elements: Vec<_> = value.try_to_value(vm).map_err(|e| {
-            if e.class().is(vm.ctx.exceptions.type_error) {
+            if not_iterable && e.class().is(vm.ctx.exceptions.type_error) {
                 vm.new_type_error(format!(
                     "cannot unpack non-iterable {} object",
                     value.class().name()
@@ -3013,8 +3017,12 @@ impl ExecutingFrame<'_> {
 
     fn unpack_sequence(&mut self, size: u32, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> FrameResult {
         let value = self.pop_value();
+        let not_iterable = value.class().slots.iter.load().is_none()
+            && value
+                .get_class_attr(vm.ctx.intern_str("__getitem__"))
+                .is_none();
         let elements: Vec<_> = value.try_to_value(vm).map_err(|e| {
-            if e.class().is(vm.ctx.exceptions.type_error) {
+            if not_iterable && e.class().is(vm.ctx.exceptions.type_error) {
                 vm.new_type_error(format!(
                     "cannot unpack non-iterable {} object",
                     value.class().name()