diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/function.rs b/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
index 29ea3d991..44dadf340 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ impl PyFunction {
                 .filter(|(slot, _)| slot.is_none())
             {
                 if let Some(defaults) = &get_defaults!().1 {
-                    if let Some(default) = defaults.get_item_opt(&*kwarg, vm)? {
+                    if let Some(default) = defaults.get_item_opt(&**kwarg, vm)? {
                         *slot = Some(default);
                         continue;
                     }
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/function/jitfunc.rs b/vm/src/builtins/function/jitfunc.rs
index 6a5c8a558..6d7f4ddb0 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/function/jitfunc.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/function/jitfunc.rs
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ pub(crate) fn get_jit_args<'a>(
             let arg_idx = i + func.code.arg_count;
             if !jit_args.is_set(arg_idx) {
                 let default = kw_only_defaults
-                    .get_item(&*name, vm)
+                    .get_item(&**name, vm)
                     .map_err(|_| ArgsError::NotAllArgsPassed)
                     .and_then(|obj| get_jit_value(vm, &obj))?;
                 jit_args.set(arg_idx, default)?;
diff --git a/vm/src/dictdatatype.rs b/vm/src/dictdatatype.rs
index cd043827d..7fb97de95 100644
--- a/vm/src/dictdatatype.rs
+++ b/vm/src/dictdatatype.rs
@@ -738,36 +738,6 @@ impl DictKey for Py<PyStr> {
     }
 }
 
-impl DictKey for PyStrRef {
-    type Owned = Self;
-    #[inline]
-    fn _to_owned(&self, _vm: &VirtualMachine) -> Self::Owned {
-        self.clone()
-    }
-
-    fn key_hash(&self, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<HashValue> {
-        Ok(self.hash(vm))
-    }
-
-    fn key_is(&self, other: &PyObject) -> bool {
-        self.is(other)
-    }
-
-    fn key_eq(&self, vm: &VirtualMachine, other_key: &PyObject) -> PyResult<bool> {
-        if self.is(other_key) {
-            Ok(true)
-        } else if let Some(pystr) = str_exact(other_key, vm) {
-            Ok(pystr.as_str() == self.as_str())
-        } else {
-            vm.bool_eq(self.as_object(), other_key)
-        }
-    }
-
-    fn key_as_isize(&self, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<isize> {
-        self.as_object().key_as_isize(vm)
-    }
-}
-
 impl DictKey for PyRefExact<PyStr> {
     type Owned = Self;
     #[inline]
@@ -793,39 +763,6 @@ impl DictKey for PyRefExact<PyStr> {
 
 /// Implement trait for the str type, so that we can use strings
 /// to index dictionaries.
-impl DictKey for &str {
-    type Owned = String;
-    #[inline]
-    fn _to_owned(&self, _vm: &VirtualMachine) -> Self::Owned {
-        (**self).to_owned()
-    }
-
-    fn key_hash(&self, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<HashValue> {
-        // follow a similar route as the hashing of PyStrRef
-        Ok(vm.state.hash_secret.hash_str(*self))
-    }
-
-    fn key_is(&self, _other: &PyObject) -> bool {
-        // No matter who the other pyobject is, we are never the same thing, since
-        // we are a str, not a pyobject.
-        false
-    }
-
-    fn key_eq(&self, vm: &VirtualMachine, other_key: &PyObject) -> PyResult<bool> {
-        if let Some(pystr) = str_exact(other_key, vm) {
-            Ok(pystr.as_str() == *self)
-        } else {
-            // Fall back to PyObjectRef implementation.
-            let s = vm.ctx.new_str(*self);
-            s.key_eq(vm, other_key)
-        }
-    }
-
-    fn key_as_isize(&self, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<isize> {
-        Err(vm.new_type_error("'str' object cannot be interpreted as an integer".to_owned()))
-    }
-}
-
 impl DictKey for str {
     type Owned = String;
     #[inline]
@@ -964,7 +901,7 @@ mod tests {
             assert_eq!(true, dict.contains(&vm, &*key1).unwrap());
             assert_eq!(true, dict.contains(&vm, "x").unwrap());
 
-            let val = dict.get(&vm, &"x").unwrap().unwrap();
+            let val = dict.get(&vm, "x").unwrap().unwrap();
             vm.bool_eq(&val, &value2)
                 .expect("retrieved value must be equal to inserted value.");
         })
diff --git a/vm/src/frame.rs b/vm/src/frame.rs
index a35a5e587..54bef39ae 100644
--- a/vm/src/frame.rs
+++ b/vm/src/frame.rs
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ impl ExecutingFrame<'_> {
             }
             bytecode::Instruction::DeleteGlobal(idx) => {
                 let name = &self.code.names[*idx as usize];
-                match self.globals.del_item(&*name, vm) {
+                match self.globals.del_item(&**name, vm) {
                     Ok(()) => {}
                     Err(e) if e.fast_isinstance(&vm.ctx.exceptions.key_error) => {
                         return Err(
diff --git a/vm/src/intern.rs b/vm/src/intern.rs
index 8d583fa97..c7109c19a 100644
--- a/vm/src/intern.rs
+++ b/vm/src/intern.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::{
     builtins::{PyStr, PyTypeRef},
     common::lock::PyRwLock,
-    PyRef, PyRefExact,
+    Py, PyRef, PyRefExact,
 };
 use std::ops::Deref;
 
@@ -88,12 +88,14 @@ mod sealed {
 }
 
 /// A sealed marker trait for `DictKey` types that always become an exact instance of `str`
-pub trait Internable: sealed::SealedInternable + crate::dictdatatype::DictKey {
+pub trait Internable: sealed::SealedInternable + AsRef<Self::Key> {
+    type Key: crate::dictdatatype::DictKey + ?Sized;
     fn as_str(&self) -> &str;
     fn into_pyref(self, str_type: PyTypeRef) -> PyRefExact<PyStr>;
 }
 
 impl Internable for String {
+    type Key = str;
     fn as_str(&self) -> &str {
         String::as_str(self)
     }
@@ -104,6 +106,7 @@ impl Internable for String {
 }
 
 impl Internable for &str {
+    type Key = str;
     fn as_str(&self) -> &str {
         self
     }
@@ -113,6 +116,7 @@ impl Internable for &str {
 }
 
 impl Internable for PyRefExact<PyStr> {
+    type Key = Py<PyStr>;
     fn as_str(&self) -> &str {
         self.deref().as_str()
     }
diff --git a/vm/src/scope.rs b/vm/src/scope.rs
index 9594a900d..4cc6e8ccf 100644
--- a/vm/src/scope.rs
+++ b/vm/src/scope.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
-use crate::{
-    builtins::{pystr::IntoPyStrRef, PyDictRef, PyStrRef},
-    convert::ToPyObject,
-    function::ArgMapping,
-    VirtualMachine,
-};
+use crate::{builtins::PyDictRef, function::ArgMapping, VirtualMachine};
 use std::fmt;
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -140,14 +135,14 @@ impl Scope {
     // }
 }
 
-mod sealed {
-    pub trait Sealed {}
-    impl Sealed for &str {}
-    impl Sealed for super::PyStrRef {}
-}
-pub trait PyName:
-    sealed::Sealed + crate::dictdatatype::DictKey + Clone + ToPyObject + IntoPyStrRef
-{
-}
-impl PyName for &str {}
-impl PyName for PyStrRef {}
+// mod sealed {
+//     pub trait Sealed {}
+//     impl Sealed for &str {}
+//     impl Sealed for super::PyStrRef {}
+// }
+// pub trait PyName:
+//     sealed::Sealed + crate::dictdatatype::DictKey + Clone + ToPyObject + IntoPyStrRef
+// {
+// }
+// impl PyName for str {}
+// impl PyName for Py<PyStr> {}
diff --git a/vm/src/stdlib/thread.rs b/vm/src/stdlib/thread.rs
index 999dccdc0..8e8fbb612 100644
--- a/vm/src/stdlib/thread.rs
+++ b/vm/src/stdlib/thread.rs
@@ -371,9 +371,9 @@ pub(crate) mod _thread {
             } else {
                 let dict = zelf.ldict(vm);
                 if let Some(value) = value {
-                    dict.set_item(&attr, value, vm)?;
+                    dict.set_item(&*attr, value, vm)?;
                 } else {
-                    dict.del_item(&attr, vm)?;
+                    dict.del_item(&*attr, vm)?;
                 }
                 Ok(())
             }