diff --git a/sphinx/environment/collectors/toctree.py b/sphinx/environment/collectors/toctree.py
index 6ea148c631e..9c4a25c93b6 100644
--- a/sphinx/environment/collectors/toctree.py
+++ b/sphinx/environment/collectors/toctree.py
@@ -68,8 +68,6 @@ def build_toc(
         ) -> nodes.bullet_list | None:
             # list of table of contents entries
             entries: list[Element] = []
-            # cache of parents -> list item
-            memo_parents: dict[tuple[str, ...], nodes.list_item] = {}
             for sectionnode in node:
                 # find all toctree nodes in this section and add them
                 # to the toc (just copying the toctree node which is then
@@ -103,6 +101,8 @@ def build_toc(
                         entries.append(onlynode)
                 # check within the section for other node types
                 elif isinstance(sectionnode, nodes.Element):
+                    # cache of parents -> list item
+                    memo_parents: dict[nodes.Element, nodes.Element] = {}
                     toctreenode: nodes.Node
                     for toctreenode in sectionnode.findall():
                         if isinstance(toctreenode, nodes.section):
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ def build_toc(
                             note_toctree(app.env, docname, toctreenode)
                         # add object signatures within a section to the ToC
                         elif isinstance(toctreenode, addnodes.desc):
+                            # The desc has one or more nested desc_signature,
+                            # and then a desc_content, which again may have desc nodes.
+                            # Thus, desc is the one we can bubble up to through parents.
+                            entry: nodes.list_item | None = None
                             for sig_node in toctreenode:
                                 if not isinstance(sig_node, addnodes.desc_signature):
                                     continue
@@ -136,22 +140,28 @@ def build_toc(
                                 para = addnodes.compact_paragraph('', '', reference,
                                                                   skip_section_number=True)
                                 entry = nodes.list_item('', para)
-                                *parents, _ = sig_node['_toc_parts']
-                                parents = tuple(parents)
 
-                                # Cache parents tuple
-                                memo_parents[sig_node['_toc_parts']] = entry
-
-                                # Nest children within parents
-                                if parents and parents in memo_parents:
-                                    root_entry = memo_parents[parents]
+                                # Find parent node
+                                parent = sig_node.parent
+                                while parent not in memo_parents and parent != sectionnode:
+                                    parent = parent.parent
+                                # Note, it may both be the limit and in memo_parents,
+                                # prefer memo_parents, so we get the nesting.
+                                if parent in memo_parents:
+                                    root_entry = memo_parents[parent]
                                     if isinstance(root_entry[-1], nodes.bullet_list):
                                         root_entry[-1].append(entry)
                                     else:
                                         root_entry.append(nodes.bullet_list('', entry))
-                                    continue
-
-                                entries.append(entry)
+                                else:
+                                    assert parent == sectionnode
+                                    entries.append(entry)
+
+                            # Save the latest desc_signature as the one we put sub entries in.
+                            # If there are multiple signatures, then the latest is used.
+                            if entry is not None:
+                                # are there any desc nodes without desc_signature nodes?
+                                memo_parents[toctreenode] = entry
 
             if entries:
                 return nodes.bullet_list('', *entries)