diff --git a/include/boost/python/object/class.hpp b/include/boost/python/object/class.hpp
index 808e3669..4817e15d 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/object/class.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/object/class.hpp
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ struct BOOST_PYTHON_DECL class_base : noncopyable
                                         // any bases.
         );
 
-    // Retrieve a pointer to the underlying object
-    PyObject* object() const { return m_object.get(); }
+    // Retrieve the underlying object
+    ref object() const { return m_object; }
  private:
     ref m_object;
 };
diff --git a/include/boost/python/object/class_converters.hpp b/include/boost/python/object/class_converters.hpp
index c14103b6..d4ba4b6d 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/object/class_converters.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/object/class_converters.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 # include <boost/python/converter/class.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/object/class_wrapper.hpp>
 # include <boost/mpl/for_each.hpp>
+# include <boost/python/reference.hpp>
 
 namespace boost { namespace python { namespace objects { 
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ struct class_converters
 {
  public: // member functions
     // Constructor takes the python class object associated with T
-    class_converters(PyObject* python_class);
+    class_converters(ref const& python_class);
 
  private: // data members
     converter::class_unwrapper<Derived> m_unwrapper;
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ struct register_base_of
 };
 
 template <class Derived, class Bases>
-class_converters<Derived,Bases>::class_converters(PyObject* type_object)
+class_converters<Derived,Bases>::class_converters(ref const& type_object)
     : m_wrapper(type_object)
 {
     // register all up/downcasts here
diff --git a/include/boost/python/object/class_wrapper.hpp b/include/boost/python/object/class_wrapper.hpp
index 0e49ce84..cbfb2ae6 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/object/class_wrapper.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/object/class_wrapper.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ template <class T>
 struct class_wrapper
     : converter::wrapper<T const&>
 {
-    class_wrapper(PyObject* type_)
+    class_wrapper(ref const& type_)
         : m_class_object(type_)
     {
 # ifndef NDEBUG