diff --git a/src_c/pixelarray.c b/src_c/pixelarray.c
index 53c32a41f5..f13c604553 100644
--- a/src_c/pixelarray.c
+++ b/src_c/pixelarray.c
@@ -1666,15 +1666,9 @@ _pxarray_subscript(pgPixelArrayObject *array, PyObject *op)
         return _pxarray_subscript_internal(array, start, stop, step, 0, dim1,
                                            1);
     }
-    else if (PyIndex_Check(op) || PyLong_Check(op)) {
-        Py_ssize_t i;
-        PyObject *val = PyNumber_Index(op);
-        if (!val) {
-            return 0;
-        }
+    else if (PyIndex_Check(op)) {
         /* A simple index. */
-        i = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(val, PyExc_IndexError);
-        Py_DECREF(val);
+        Py_ssize_t i = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(op, PyExc_IndexError);
         if (i == -1 && PyErr_Occurred()) {
             return 0;
         }
@@ -1828,15 +1822,9 @@ _pxarray_ass_subscript(pgPixelArrayObject *array, PyObject *op,
         Py_DECREF(tmparray);
         return retval;
     }
-    else if (PyIndex_Check(op) || PyLong_Check(op)) {
-        Py_ssize_t i;
-        PyObject *val = PyNumber_Index(op);
-        if (!val) {
-            return -1;
-        }
+    else if (PyIndex_Check(op)) {
         /* A simple index. */
-        i = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(val, PyExc_IndexError);
-        Py_DECREF(val);
+        Py_ssize_t i = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(op, PyExc_IndexError);
         if (i == -1 && PyErr_Occurred()) {
             return -1;
         }
diff --git a/src_c/rect_impl.h b/src_c/rect_impl.h
index 3f4084ff9c..0deafbcef4 100644
--- a/src_c/rect_impl.h
+++ b/src_c/rect_impl.h
@@ -2160,14 +2160,7 @@ RectExport_subscript(RectObject *self, PyObject *op)
     PrimitiveType *data = (PrimitiveType *)&self->r;
 
     if (PyIndex_Check(op)) {
-        PyObject *index = PyNumber_Index(op);
-        Py_ssize_t i;
-
-        if (index == NULL) {
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        i = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(index, NULL);
-        Py_DECREF(index);
+        Py_ssize_t i = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(op, NULL);
         return RectExport_item(self, i);
     }
     else if (op == Py_Ellipsis) {
@@ -2213,15 +2206,7 @@ RectExport_assSubscript(RectObject *self, PyObject *op, PyObject *value)
         return -1;
     }
     if (PyIndex_Check(op)) {
-        PyObject *index;
-        Py_ssize_t i;
-
-        index = PyNumber_Index(op);
-        if (index == NULL) {
-            return -1;
-        }
-        i = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(index, NULL);
-        Py_DECREF(index);
+        Py_ssize_t i = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(op, NULL);
         return RectExport_assItem(self, i, value);
     }
     else if (op == Py_Ellipsis) {