diff --git a/tests/test_inheritance.rs b/tests/test_inheritance.rs
index f8e52430f4e..197145c0936 100644
--- a/tests/test_inheritance.rs
+++ b/tests/test_inheritance.rs
@@ -4,46 +4,66 @@ use pyo3::prelude::*;
 use pyo3::py_run;
 use pyo3::types::IntoPyDict;
 
+#[path = "../src/internal/macros.rs"]
+#[macro_use]
+mod macros; // for cfg_select polyfill on MSRV < 1.95
+
 mod test_utils;
 
 /// Macro to generate refcount leak tests for types.
 /// Ensures that creating and destroying instances doesn't leak references to the type.
 /// Regression test for issues #1363 and #6223.
-#[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
+#[cfg(not(all(target_arch = "wasm32", Py_GIL_DISABLED)))]
 macro_rules! assert_type_refcount_stable {
     // Simple case: type with parameterless constructor
     ($type_name:ty) => {
-        assert_type_refcount_stable!($type_name, stringify!($type_name), "Type()");
+        assert_type_refcount_stable!($type_name, stringify!($type_name), |py| Py::new(
+            py,
+            <$type_name>::new()
+        )
+        .unwrap());
     };
     // With custom constructor
     ($type_name:ty, $test_name:expr, $ctor:expr) => {{
-        Python::attach(|py| {
-            #[expect(non_snake_case)]
-            let Type = py.get_type::<$type_name>();
-            let ctor_code = $ctor;
-            py_run!(
-                py,
-                Type,
-                &format!(
-                    r#"
-                        import gc
-                        import sys
-
-                        gc.collect()
-                        count = sys.getrefcount(Type)
-
-                        for i in range(1000):
-                            obj = {}
-                            del obj
-
-                        gc.collect()
-                        after = sys.getrefcount(Type)
-                        assert after == count, f"Type ref count leaked: {{after}} vs {{count}}"
-                        "#,
-                    ctor_code
-                )
-            );
-        });
+        let ty = Python::attach(|py| py.get_type::<$type_name>().unbind());
+
+        // SAFETY: ty is known to be a valid object
+        let before = Python::attach(|_| unsafe { pyo3::ffi::Py_REFCNT(ty.as_ptr()) });
+
+        let drive_refcounts = || {
+            Python::attach(|py| {
+                for _ in 0..1000 {
+                    let _ = ($ctor)(py);
+                }
+            })
+        };
+
+        // Using a separate thread works around tricks in free-threaded Python to
+        // make type object reference counting fast. We spawn a new thread and
+        // using a temporary thread state for the loop. When that thread is destructed,
+        // free-threaded Python merges the temporary thread state refcounts
+        // back onto the main object.
+        cfg_select! {
+            Py_GIL_DISABLED => {
+                std::thread::scope(|s| {
+                    s.spawn(|| {
+                        drive_refcounts();
+                    });
+                });
+            }
+            not(Py_GIL_DISABLED) => {
+                drive_refcounts();
+            }
+        }
+
+        // SAFETY: ty is known to be a valid object
+        let after = Python::attach(|_| unsafe { pyo3::ffi::Py_REFCNT(ty.as_ptr()) });
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            before, after,
+            "Type ref count leaked: {} vs {}",
+            after, before
+        );
     }};
 }
 
@@ -459,83 +479,60 @@ mod inheriting_native_type {
             );
         });
     }
+}
 
-    // Refcount tests for native type classes
-    #[cfg(not(any(PyPy, GraalPy, Py_GIL_DISABLED)))]
-    #[test]
-    fn test_setwitname_ref_counts() {
-        assert_type_refcount_stable!(SetWithName);
-    }
-
-    #[cfg(not(any(GraalPy, Py_GIL_DISABLED)))]
-    #[test]
-    fn test_dictwithname_ref_counts() {
-        assert_type_refcount_stable!(DictWithName);
-    }
-
-    #[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
-    #[test]
-    fn test_customexception_ref_counts() {
-        assert_type_refcount_stable!(CustomException, "custom_exception", r#"Type('test')"#);
-    }
-
-    #[cfg(all(Py_3_12, not(Py_GIL_DISABLED)))]
-    #[test]
-    fn test_tzinfowithname_ref_counts() {
-        assert_type_refcount_stable!(TzInfoWithName);
-    }
+#[test]
+#[cfg(not(all(target_arch = "wasm32", Py_GIL_DISABLED)))]
+fn test_inherit_object_refcount() {
+    #[pyclass] // no extends is equivalent to inheriting from `object`
+    struct InheritObject {}
 
-    #[cfg(all(Py_3_12, not(Py_GIL_DISABLED)))]
-    #[test]
-    fn test_listwithname_ref_counts() {
-        assert_type_refcount_stable!(ListWithName);
+    #[pymethods]
+    impl InheritObject {
+        #[new]
+        fn new() -> Self {
+            Self {}
+        }
     }
 
-    #[cfg(all(Py_3_12, not(Py_GIL_DISABLED)))]
-    #[test]
-    fn test_sublistwithname_ref_counts() {
-        assert_type_refcount_stable!(SubListWithName);
-    }
+    assert_type_refcount_stable!(InheritObject);
 }
 
-#[pyclass(subclass)]
-struct SimpleClass {}
+#[test]
+#[cfg(not(all(target_arch = "wasm32", Py_GIL_DISABLED)))]
+fn test_inherit_pyclass_refcount() {
+    #[pyclass(subclass)]
+    struct Base {}
 
-#[pymethods]
-impl SimpleClass {
-    #[new]
-    fn new() -> Self {
-        Self {}
-    }
-}
+    #[pyclass(extends=Base)]
+    struct InheritPyClass {}
 
-// Generate refcount tests for all top-level types
-#[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
-#[test]
-fn test_baseclass_ref_counts() {
-    assert_type_refcount_stable!(BaseClass);
-}
+    #[pymethods]
+    impl InheritPyClass {
+        #[new]
+        fn new() -> PyClassInitializer<Self> {
+            PyClassInitializer::from(Base {}).add_subclass(Self {})
+        }
+    }
 
-#[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
-#[test]
-fn test_subclass_ref_counts() {
-    assert_type_refcount_stable!(SubClass);
+    assert_type_refcount_stable!(InheritPyClass);
 }
 
-#[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
+#[cfg(any(Py_3_12, not(Py_LIMITED_API)))]
+#[cfg(not(all(target_arch = "wasm32", Py_GIL_DISABLED)))]
+#[cfg(not(GraalPy))] // FIXME: it should be possible to use variable layout to inherit dict on graalpy
 #[test]
-fn test_base_class_with_result_ref_counts() {
-    assert_type_refcount_stable!(BaseClassWithResult, "base_class_with_result", "Type(10)");
-}
+fn test_inherit_native_type_refcount() {
+    #[pyclass(extends=pyo3::types::PyDict)]
+    struct InheritDict {}
 
-#[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
-#[test]
-fn test_subclass2_ref_counts() {
-    assert_type_refcount_stable!(SubClass2, "subclass2", "Type(10)");
-}
+    #[pymethods]
+    impl InheritDict {
+        #[new]
+        fn new() -> PyClassInitializer<Self> {
+            PyClassInitializer::from(Self {})
+        }
+    }
 
-#[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
-#[test]
-fn test_simpleclass_ref_counts() {
-    assert_type_refcount_stable!(SimpleClass);
+    assert_type_refcount_stable!(InheritDict);
 }