diff --git a/python/cuml/fil/fil.pyx b/python/cuml/fil/fil.pyx
index 37d96f8b8a..56e290ca60 100644
--- a/python/cuml/fil/fil.pyx
+++ b/python/cuml/fil/fil.pyx
@@ -116,13 +116,13 @@ cdef class TreeliteModel():
         TreeliteQueryNumFeature(self.handle, &out)
         return out
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def free_treelite_model(model_handle):
+    @classmethod
+    def free_treelite_model(cls, model_handle):
         cdef uintptr_t model_ptr = <uintptr_t>model_handle
         TreeliteFreeModel(<ModelHandle> model_ptr)
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def from_filename(filename, model_type="xgboost"):
+    @classmethod
+    def from_filename(cls, filename, model_type="xgboost"):
         """
         Returns a TreeliteModel object loaded from `filename`
 
@@ -173,8 +173,9 @@ cdef class TreeliteModel():
         filename_bytes = filename.encode("UTF-8")
         TreeliteSerializeModel(filename_bytes, self.handle)
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def from_treelite_model_handle(treelite_handle,
+    @classmethod
+    def from_treelite_model_handle(cls,
+                                   treelite_handle,
                                    take_handle_ownership=False):
         cdef ModelHandle handle = <ModelHandle> <size_t> treelite_handle
         model = TreeliteModel(owns_handle=take_handle_ownership)
@@ -843,8 +844,9 @@ class ForestInference(Base,
         )
         return cuml_fm
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def load(filename,
+    @classmethod
+    def load(cls,
+             filename,
              output_class=False,
              threshold=0.50,
              algo='auto',