diff --git a/src/types/list.rs b/src/types/list.rs
index 8f8bd2eb1a4..b10ad6825f3 100644
--- a/src/types/list.rs
+++ b/src/types/list.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 use std::iter::FusedIterator;
 
-use crate::err::{self, PyResult};
+use crate::err::{self, PyErr, PyResult};
 use crate::ffi::{self, Py_ssize_t};
 use crate::ffi_ptr_ext::FfiPtrExt;
-use crate::instance::Borrowed;
 use crate::internal_tricks::get_ssize_index;
 use crate::types::{PySequence, PyTuple};
 use crate::{Bound, PyAny, PyObject, Python, ToPyObject};
@@ -288,12 +287,12 @@ impl<'py> PyListMethods<'py> for Bound<'py, PyList> {
     /// });
     /// ```
     fn get_item(&self, index: usize) -> PyResult<Bound<'py, PyAny>> {
-        unsafe {
-            // PyList_GetItem return borrowed ptr; must make owned for safety (see #890).
-            ffi::PyList_GetItem(self.as_ptr(), index as Py_ssize_t)
-                .assume_borrowed_or_err(self.py())
-                .map(Borrowed::to_owned)
+        let py = self.py();
+        let result = unsafe { ffi::compat::PyList_GetItemRef(self.as_ptr(), index as Py_ssize_t) };
+        if !result.is_null() {
+            return Ok(unsafe { result.assume_owned(py) });
         }
+        Err(PyErr::fetch(py))
     }
 
     /// Gets the list item at the specified index. Undefined behavior on bad index. Use with caution.