diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 68e9833c7e6..e90482636e9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 ### Added
 - Add FFI definition `PyObject_AsFileDescriptor` [#938](https://github.com/PyO3/pyo3/pull/938)
 - Add `PyByteArray::data`, `PyByteArray::as_bytes`, and `PyByteArray::as_bytes_mut`. [#967](https://github.com/PyO3/pyo3/pull/967)
+- Add `Py::borrow`, `Py::borrow_mut`, `Py::try_borrow`, and `Py::try_borrow_mut` for accessing `#[pyclass]` values. [#976](https://github.com/PyO3/pyo3/pull/976)
 
 ### Changed
 - Simplify internals of `#[pyo3(get)]` attribute. (Remove the hidden API `GetPropertyValue`.) [#934](https://github.com/PyO3/pyo3/pull/934)
diff --git a/src/instance.rs b/src/instance.rs
index cf94a317f5a..ad2fd59b0b4 100644
--- a/src/instance.rs
+++ b/src/instance.rs
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 use crate::err::{PyErr, PyResult};
 use crate::gil;
 use crate::object::PyObject;
+use crate::pycell::{PyBorrowError, PyBorrowMutError, PyCell};
 use crate::type_object::PyBorrowFlagLayout;
 use crate::{
-    ffi, AsPyPointer, FromPyObject, IntoPy, IntoPyPointer, PyAny, PyCell, PyClass,
-    PyClassInitializer, PyRef, PyRefMut, PyTypeInfo, Python, ToPyObject,
+    ffi, AsPyPointer, FromPyObject, IntoPy, IntoPyPointer, PyAny, PyClass, PyClassInitializer,
+    PyRef, PyRefMut, PyTypeInfo, Python, ToPyObject,
 };
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::mem;
@@ -49,14 +50,13 @@ unsafe impl<T> Send for Py<T> {}
 
 unsafe impl<T> Sync for Py<T> {}
 
-impl<T> Py<T> {
-    /// Create a new instance `Py<T>`.
-    ///
-    /// You can crate [`PyCell::new`](../pycell/struct.PyCell.html#method.new) and `Py::from`,
-    /// but this method can be more efficient.
+impl<T> Py<T>
+where
+    T: PyClass,
+{
+    /// Create a new instance `Py<T>` of a `#[pyclass]` on the Python heap.
     pub fn new(py: Python, value: impl Into<PyClassInitializer<T>>) -> PyResult<Py<T>>
     where
-        T: PyClass,
         T::BaseLayout: PyBorrowFlagLayout<T::BaseType>,
     {
         let initializer = value.into();
@@ -65,6 +65,57 @@ impl<T> Py<T> {
         Ok(ob)
     }
 
+    /// Immutably borrows the value `T`. This borrow lasts untill the returned `PyRef` exists.
+    ///
+    /// Equivalent to `self.as_ref(py).borrow()` -
+    /// see [`PyCell::borrow`](../pycell/struct.PyCell.html#method.borrow)
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// Panics if the value is currently mutably borrowed. For a non-panicking variant, use
+    /// [`try_borrow`](#method.try_borrow).
+    pub fn borrow<'py>(&'py self, py: Python<'py>) -> PyRef<'py, T> {
+        self.as_ref(py).borrow()
+    }
+
+    /// Mutably borrows the value `T`. This borrow lasts untill the returned `PyRefMut` exists.
+    ///
+    /// Equivalent to `self.as_ref(py).borrow_mut()` -
+    /// see [`PyCell::borrow_mut`](../pycell/struct.PyCell.html#method.borrow_mut)
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// Panics if the value is currently mutably borrowed. For a non-panicking variant, use
+    /// [`try_borrow_mut`](#method.try_borrow_mut).
+    pub fn borrow_mut<'py>(&'py self, py: Python<'py>) -> PyRefMut<'py, T> {
+        self.as_ref(py).borrow_mut()
+    }
+
+    /// Immutably borrows the value `T`, returning an error if the value is currently
+    /// mutably borrowed. This borrow lasts untill the returned `PyRef` exists.
+    ///
+    /// This is the non-panicking variant of [`borrow`](#method.borrow).
+    ///
+    /// Equivalent to `self.as_ref(py).try_borrow()` -
+    /// see [`PyCell::try_borrow`](../pycell/struct.PyCell.html#method.try_borrow)
+    pub fn try_borrow<'py>(&'py self, py: Python<'py>) -> Result<PyRef<'py, T>, PyBorrowError> {
+        self.as_ref(py).try_borrow()
+    }
+
+    /// Mutably borrows the value `T`, returning an error if the value is currently borrowed.
+    /// This borrow lasts untill the returned `PyRefMut` exists.
+    ///
+    /// This is the non-panicking variant of [`borrow_mut`](#method.borrow_mut).
+    ///
+    /// Equivalent to `self.as_ref(py).try_borrow_mut() -
+    /// see [`PyCell::try_borrow_mut`](../pycell/struct.PyCell.html#method.try_borrow_mut)
+    pub fn try_borrow_mut<'py>(
+        &'py self,
+        py: Python<'py>,
+    ) -> Result<PyRefMut<'py, T>, PyBorrowMutError> {
+        self.as_ref(py).try_borrow_mut()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T> Py<T> {
     /// Creates a `Py<T>` instance for the given FFI pointer.
     ///
     /// This moves ownership over the pointer into the `Py<T>`.
diff --git a/src/pycell.rs b/src/pycell.rs
index e6249824693..15ef1035a72 100644
--- a/src/pycell.rs
+++ b/src/pycell.rs
@@ -166,8 +166,11 @@ pub struct PyCell<T: PyClass> {
 unsafe impl<T: PyClass> PyNativeType for PyCell<T> {}
 
 impl<T: PyClass> PyCell<T> {
-    /// Make new `PyCell` on the Python heap and returns the reference of it.
+    /// Make a new `PyCell` on the Python heap and return the reference to it.
     ///
+    /// In cases where the value in the cell does not need to be accessed immediately after
+    /// creation, consider [`Py::new`](../instance/struct.Py.html#method.new) as a more efficient
+    /// alternative.
     pub fn new(py: Python, value: impl Into<PyClassInitializer<T>>) -> PyResult<&Self>
     where
         T::BaseLayout: PyBorrowFlagLayout<T::BaseType>,
diff --git a/src/pyclass.rs b/src/pyclass.rs
index 9d7bc8def10..95351cf45e4 100644
--- a/src/pyclass.rs
+++ b/src/pyclass.rs
@@ -73,7 +73,11 @@ pub unsafe fn tp_free_fallback(obj: *mut ffi::PyObject) {
 /// The `#[pyclass]` attribute automatically implements this trait for your Rust struct,
 /// so you don't have to use this trait directly.
 pub trait PyClass:
-    PyTypeInfo<Layout = PyCell<Self>> + Sized + PyClassAlloc + PyMethods + Send
+    PyTypeInfo<Layout = PyCell<Self>, AsRefTarget = PyCell<Self>>
+    + Sized
+    + PyClassAlloc
+    + PyMethods
+    + Send
 {
     /// Specify this class has `#[pyclass(dict)]` or not.
     type Dict: PyClassDict;