diff --git a/include/pybind11/embed.h b/include/pybind11/embed.h
index 0eb656b0..98bf7690 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/embed.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/embed.h
@@ -99,8 +99,7 @@ inline void initialize_interpreter(bool init_signal_handlers = true) {
     Py_InitializeEx(init_signal_handlers ? 1 : 0);
 
     // Make .py files in the working directory available by default
-    auto sys_path = reinterpret_borrow<list>(module::import("sys").attr("path"));
-    sys_path.append(".");
+    module::import("sys").attr("path").cast<list>().append(".");
 }
 
 /** \rst
diff --git a/include/pybind11/pytypes.h b/include/pybind11/pytypes.h
index 095d40f1..b652b8e9 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pytypes.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pytypes.h
@@ -731,7 +731,12 @@ NAMESPACE_END(detail)
 #define PYBIND11_OBJECT_CVT(Name, Parent, CheckFun, ConvertFun) \
     PYBIND11_OBJECT_COMMON(Name, Parent, CheckFun) \
     /* This is deliberately not 'explicit' to allow implicit conversion from object: */ \
-    Name(const object &o) : Parent(ConvertFun(o.ptr()), stolen_t{}) { if (!m_ptr) throw error_already_set(); }
+    Name(const object &o) \
+    : Parent(check_(o) ? o.inc_ref().ptr() : ConvertFun(o.ptr()), stolen_t{}) \
+    { if (!m_ptr) throw error_already_set(); } \
+    Name(object &&o) \
+    : Parent(check_(o) ? o.release().ptr() : ConvertFun(o.ptr()), stolen_t{}) \
+    { if (!m_ptr) throw error_already_set(); }
 
 #define PYBIND11_OBJECT(Name, Parent, CheckFun) \
     PYBIND11_OBJECT_COMMON(Name, Parent, CheckFun) \
diff --git a/tests/test_pytypes.py b/tests/test_pytypes.py
index 1c75c47d..b8dad841 100644
--- a/tests/test_pytypes.py
+++ b/tests/test_pytypes.py
@@ -174,9 +174,20 @@ def test_constructors():
     }
     inputs = {k.__name__: v for k, v in data.items()}
     expected = {k.__name__: k(v) for k, v in data.items()}
+
     assert m.converting_constructors(inputs) == expected
     assert m.cast_functions(inputs) == expected
 
+    # Converting constructors and cast functions should just reference rather
+    # than copy when no conversion is needed:
+    noconv1 = m.converting_constructors(expected)
+    for k in noconv1:
+        assert noconv1[k] is expected[k]
+
+    noconv2 = m.cast_functions(expected)
+    for k in noconv2:
+        assert noconv2[k] is expected[k]
+
 
 def test_implicit_casting():
     """Tests implicit casting when assigning or appending to dicts and lists."""