diff --git a/include/pybind11/numpy.h b/include/pybind11/numpy.h
index 09894cf74f..228e02c3d8 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/numpy.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/numpy.h
@@ -1428,7 +1428,11 @@ struct npy_format_descriptor<
 };
 
 template <typename T>
-struct npy_format_descriptor<T, enable_if_t<is_same_ignoring_cvref<T, PyObject *>::value>> {
+struct npy_format_descriptor<
+    T,
+    enable_if_t<is_same_ignoring_cvref<T, PyObject *>::value
+                || ((std::is_same<T, handle>::value || std::is_same<T, object>::value)
+                    && sizeof(T) == sizeof(PyObject *))>> {
     static constexpr auto name = const_name("object");
 
     static constexpr int value = npy_api::NPY_OBJECT_;
diff --git a/tests/test_numpy_array.cpp b/tests/test_numpy_array.cpp
index c2f754208b..79ade3ba1a 100644
--- a/tests/test_numpy_array.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_numpy_array.cpp
@@ -156,6 +156,55 @@ py::handle auxiliaries(T &&r, T2 &&r2) {
     return l.release();
 }
 
+template <typename PyObjectType>
+PyObjectType convert_to_pyobjecttype(py::object obj);
+
+template <>
+PyObject *convert_to_pyobjecttype<PyObject *>(py::object obj) {
+    return obj.release().ptr();
+}
+
+template <>
+py::handle convert_to_pyobjecttype<py::handle>(py::object obj) {
+    return obj.release();
+}
+
+template <>
+py::object convert_to_pyobjecttype<py::object>(py::object obj) {
+    return obj;
+}
+
+template <typename PyObjectType>
+std::string pass_array_return_sum_str_values(const py::array_t<PyObjectType> &objs) {
+    std::string sum_str_values;
+    for (const auto &obj : objs) {
+        sum_str_values += py::str(obj.attr("value"));
+    }
+    return sum_str_values;
+}
+
+template <typename PyObjectType>
+py::list pass_array_return_as_list(const py::array_t<PyObjectType> &objs) {
+    return objs;
+}
+
+template <typename PyObjectType>
+py::array_t<PyObjectType> return_array_cpp_loop(const py::list &objs) {
+    py::size_t arr_size = py::len(objs);
+    py::array_t<PyObjectType> arr_from_list(static_cast<py::ssize_t>(arr_size));
+    PyObjectType *data = arr_from_list.mutable_data();
+    for (py::size_t i = 0; i < arr_size; i++) {
+        assert(!data[i]);
+        data[i] = convert_to_pyobjecttype<PyObjectType>(objs[i].attr("value"));
+    }
+    return arr_from_list;
+}
+
+template <typename PyObjectType>
+py::array_t<PyObjectType> return_array_from_list(const py::list &objs) {
+    return objs;
+}
+
 // note: declaration at local scope would create a dangling reference!
 static int data_i = 42;
 
@@ -520,28 +569,21 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(numpy_array, sm) {
     sm.def("round_trip_float", [](double d) { return d; });
 
     sm.def("pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values",
-           [](const py::array_t<PyObject *> &objs) {
-               std::string sum_str_values;
-               for (const auto &obj : objs) {
-                   sum_str_values += py::str(obj.attr("value"));
-               }
-               return sum_str_values;
-           });
-
-    sm.def("pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_as_list",
-           [](const py::array_t<PyObject *> &objs) -> py::list { return objs; });
-
-    sm.def("return_array_pyobject_ptr_cpp_loop", [](const py::list &objs) {
-        py::size_t arr_size = py::len(objs);
-        py::array_t<PyObject *> arr_from_list(static_cast<py::ssize_t>(arr_size));
-        PyObject **data = arr_from_list.mutable_data();
-        for (py::size_t i = 0; i < arr_size; i++) {
-            assert(data[i] == nullptr);
-            data[i] = py::cast<PyObject *>(objs[i].attr("value"));
-        }
-        return arr_from_list;
-    });
-
-    sm.def("return_array_pyobject_ptr_from_list",
-           [](const py::list &objs) -> py::array_t<PyObject *> { return objs; });
+           pass_array_return_sum_str_values<PyObject *>);
+    sm.def("pass_array_handle_return_sum_str_values",
+           pass_array_return_sum_str_values<py::handle>);
+    sm.def("pass_array_object_return_sum_str_values",
+           pass_array_return_sum_str_values<py::object>);
+
+    sm.def("pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_as_list", pass_array_return_as_list<PyObject *>);
+    sm.def("pass_array_handle_return_as_list", pass_array_return_as_list<py::handle>);
+    sm.def("pass_array_object_return_as_list", pass_array_return_as_list<py::object>);
+
+    sm.def("return_array_pyobject_ptr_cpp_loop", return_array_cpp_loop<PyObject *>);
+    sm.def("return_array_handle_cpp_loop", return_array_cpp_loop<py::handle>);
+    sm.def("return_array_object_cpp_loop", return_array_cpp_loop<py::object>);
+
+    sm.def("return_array_pyobject_ptr_from_list", return_array_from_list<PyObject *>);
+    sm.def("return_array_handle_from_list", return_array_from_list<py::handle>);
+    sm.def("return_array_object_from_list", return_array_from_list<py::object>);
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_numpy_array.py b/tests/test_numpy_array.py
index 6e8bde826f..b1c6875f9e 100644
--- a/tests/test_numpy_array.py
+++ b/tests/test_numpy_array.py
@@ -629,45 +629,61 @@ def UnwrapPyValueHolder(vhs):
     return [vh.value for vh in vhs]
 
 
-def test_pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values_ndarray():
+PASS_ARRAY_PYOBJECT_RETURN_SUM_STR_VALUES_FUNCTIONS = [
+    m.pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values,
+    m.pass_array_handle_return_sum_str_values,
+    m.pass_array_object_return_sum_str_values,
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "pass_array", PASS_ARRAY_PYOBJECT_RETURN_SUM_STR_VALUES_FUNCTIONS
+)
+def test_pass_array_object_return_sum_str_values_ndarray(pass_array):
     # Intentionally all temporaries, do not change.
     assert (
-        m.pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values(
-            np.array(WrapWithPyValueHolder(-3, "four", 5.0), dtype=object)
-        )
+        pass_array(np.array(WrapWithPyValueHolder(-3, "four", 5.0), dtype=object))
         == "-3four5.0"
     )
 
 
-def test_pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values_list():
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "pass_array", PASS_ARRAY_PYOBJECT_RETURN_SUM_STR_VALUES_FUNCTIONS
+)
+def test_pass_array_object_return_sum_str_values_list(pass_array):
     # Intentionally all temporaries, do not change.
-    assert (
-        m.pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_sum_str_values(
-            WrapWithPyValueHolder(2, "three", -4.0)
-        )
-        == "2three-4.0"
-    )
+    assert pass_array(WrapWithPyValueHolder(2, "three", -4.0)) == "2three-4.0"
 
 
-def test_pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_as_list():
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "pass_array",
+    [
+        m.pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_as_list,
+        m.pass_array_handle_return_as_list,
+        m.pass_array_object_return_as_list,
+    ],
+)
+def test_pass_array_object_return_as_list(pass_array):
     # Intentionally all temporaries, do not change.
     assert UnwrapPyValueHolder(
-        m.pass_array_pyobject_ptr_return_as_list(
-            np.array(WrapWithPyValueHolder(-1, "two", 3.0), dtype=object)
-        )
+        pass_array(np.array(WrapWithPyValueHolder(-1, "two", 3.0), dtype=object))
     ) == [-1, "two", 3.0]
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    ("return_array_pyobject_ptr", "unwrap"),
+    ("return_array", "unwrap"),
     [
         (m.return_array_pyobject_ptr_cpp_loop, list),
+        (m.return_array_handle_cpp_loop, list),
+        (m.return_array_object_cpp_loop, list),
         (m.return_array_pyobject_ptr_from_list, UnwrapPyValueHolder),
+        (m.return_array_handle_from_list, UnwrapPyValueHolder),
+        (m.return_array_object_from_list, UnwrapPyValueHolder),
     ],
 )
-def test_return_array_pyobject_ptr_cpp_loop(return_array_pyobject_ptr, unwrap):
+def test_return_array_object_cpp_loop(return_array, unwrap):
     # Intentionally all temporaries, do not change.
-    arr_from_list = return_array_pyobject_ptr(WrapWithPyValueHolder(6, "seven", -8.0))
+    arr_from_list = return_array(WrapWithPyValueHolder(6, "seven", -8.0))
     assert isinstance(arr_from_list, np.ndarray)
     assert arr_from_list.dtype == np.dtype("O")
     assert unwrap(arr_from_list) == [6, "seven", -8.0]