diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index e73f1ecb3d4..b9879187278 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -140,9 +140,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: run rust tests
         run: cargo test --workspace --exclude rustpython_wasm --verbose --features threading ${{ env.CARGO_ARGS }}
         if: runner.os != 'macOS'
-      # temp skip ssl linking for Mac to avoid CI failure
-      - name: run rust tests (MacOS no ssl)
-        run: cargo test --workspace --exclude rustpython_wasm --exclude rustpython-jit --verbose --no-default-features --features threading,stdlib,zlib,importlib,encodings
+      - name: run rust tests
+        run: cargo test --workspace --exclude rustpython_wasm --exclude rustpython-jit --verbose --features threading  ${{ env.CARGO_ARGS }}
         if: runner.os == 'macOS'
 
       - name: check compilation without threading
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 8974c0654f1..93348466e37 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1149,9 +1149,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "libsqlite3-sys"
-version = "0.25.2"
+version = "0.28.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "29f835d03d717946d28b1d1ed632eb6f0e24a299388ee623d0c23118d3e8a7fa"
+checksum = "0c10584274047cb335c23d3e61bcef8e323adae7c5c8c760540f73610177fc3f"
 dependencies = [
  "cc",
  "pkg-config",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5546d232b9d..e17e4789f88 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ threading = ["rustpython-vm/threading", "rustpython-stdlib/threading"]
 zlib = ["stdlib", "rustpython-stdlib/zlib"]
 bz2 = ["stdlib", "rustpython-stdlib/bz2"]
 ssl = ["rustpython-stdlib/ssl"]
-ssl-vendor = ["rustpython-stdlib/ssl-vendor"]
+ssl-vendor = ["ssl", "rustpython-stdlib/ssl-vendor"]
 
 [dependencies]
 rustpython-compiler = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/stdlib/Cargo.toml b/stdlib/Cargo.toml
index 9a6be309877..3b620917ee0 100644
--- a/stdlib/Cargo.toml
+++ b/stdlib/Cargo.toml
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ openssl-probe = { version = "0.1.5", optional = true }
 foreign-types-shared = { version = "0.1.1", optional = true }
 
 [target.'cfg(not(any(target_os = "android", target_arch = "wasm32")))'.dependencies]
-libsqlite3-sys = { version = "0.25", features = ["min_sqlite_version_3_7_16", "bundled"] }
+libsqlite3-sys = { version = "0.28", features = ["bundled"] }
 
 [target.'cfg(windows)'.dependencies]
 junction = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/vm/src/anystr.rs b/vm/src/anystr.rs
index e1cd43dff96..be04cba6414 100644
--- a/vm/src/anystr.rs
+++ b/vm/src/anystr.rs
@@ -150,20 +150,14 @@ where
 pub trait AnyStr {
     type Char: Copy;
     type Container: AnyStrContainer<Self> + Extend<Self::Char>;
-    type CharIter<'a>: Iterator<Item = char> + 'a
-    where
-        Self: 'a;
-    type ElementIter<'a>: Iterator<Item = Self::Char> + 'a
-    where
-        Self: 'a;
 
     fn element_bytes_len(c: Self::Char) -> usize;
 
     fn to_container(&self) -> Self::Container;
     fn as_bytes(&self) -> &[u8];
     fn as_utf8_str(&self) -> Result<&str, std::str::Utf8Error>;
-    fn chars(&self) -> Self::CharIter<'_>;
-    fn elements(&self) -> Self::ElementIter<'_>;
+    fn chars(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = char>;
+    fn elements(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = Self::Char>;
     fn get_bytes(&self, range: std::ops::Range<usize>) -> &Self;
     // FIXME: get_chars is expensive for str
     fn get_chars(&self, range: std::ops::Range<usize>) -> &Self;
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/builtin_func.rs b/vm/src/builtins/builtin_func.rs
index b0b3492ea9f..7c02d8d469e 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/builtin_func.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/builtin_func.rs
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ impl PyNativeFunction {
         )
     }
 
-    pub fn as_func(&self) -> &'static PyNativeFn {
+    pub fn as_func(&self) -> &'static dyn PyNativeFn {
         self.value.func
     }
 }
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/list.rs b/vm/src/builtins/list.rs
index 719ea36350e..83c0ddcc64d 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/list.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/list.rs
@@ -358,13 +358,13 @@ where
 }
 
 impl MutObjectSequenceOp for PyList {
-    type Guard<'a> = PyMappedRwLockReadGuard<'a, [PyObjectRef]>;
+    type Inner = [PyObjectRef];
 
-    fn do_get<'a>(index: usize, guard: &'a Self::Guard<'_>) -> Option<&'a PyObjectRef> {
-        guard.get(index)
+    fn do_get(index: usize, inner: &[PyObjectRef]) -> Option<&PyObjectRef> {
+        inner.get(index)
     }
 
-    fn do_lock(&self) -> Self::Guard<'_> {
+    fn do_lock(&self) -> impl std::ops::Deref<Target = [PyObjectRef]> {
         self.borrow_vec()
     }
 }
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/str.rs b/vm/src/builtins/str.rs
index 9cc3397cade..ddf2493ded4 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/str.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/str.rs
@@ -1692,8 +1692,6 @@ impl AnyStrContainer<str> for String {
 impl AnyStr for str {
     type Char = char;
     type Container = String;
-    type CharIter<'a> = std::str::Chars<'a>;
-    type ElementIter<'a> = std::str::Chars<'a>;
 
     fn element_bytes_len(c: char) -> usize {
         c.len_utf8()
@@ -1711,11 +1709,11 @@ impl AnyStr for str {
         Ok(self)
     }
 
-    fn chars(&self) -> Self::CharIter<'_> {
+    fn chars(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = char> {
         str::chars(self)
     }
 
-    fn elements(&self) -> Self::ElementIter<'_> {
+    fn elements(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = char> {
         str::chars(self)
     }
 
diff --git a/vm/src/bytesinner.rs b/vm/src/bytesinner.rs
index 750344c7810..79d4d962625 100644
--- a/vm/src/bytesinner.rs
+++ b/vm/src/bytesinner.rs
@@ -1024,8 +1024,6 @@ const ASCII_WHITESPACES: [u8; 6] = [0x20, 0x09, 0x0a, 0x0c, 0x0d, 0x0b];
 impl AnyStr for [u8] {
     type Char = u8;
     type Container = Vec<u8>;
-    type CharIter<'a> = bstr::Chars<'a>;
-    type ElementIter<'a> = std::iter::Copied<std::slice::Iter<'a, u8>>;
 
     fn element_bytes_len(_: u8) -> usize {
         1
@@ -1043,11 +1041,11 @@ impl AnyStr for [u8] {
         std::str::from_utf8(self)
     }
 
-    fn chars(&self) -> Self::CharIter<'_> {
+    fn chars(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = char> {
         bstr::ByteSlice::chars(self)
     }
 
-    fn elements(&self) -> Self::ElementIter<'_> {
+    fn elements(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = u8> {
         self.iter().copied()
     }
 
diff --git a/vm/src/function/builtin.rs b/vm/src/function/builtin.rs
index 3faaf594fe5..e38fda03b7f 100644
--- a/vm/src/function/builtin.rs
+++ b/vm/src/function/builtin.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,14 @@ use std::marker::PhantomData;
 
 /// A built-in Python function.
 // PyCFunction in CPython
-pub type PyNativeFn = py_dyn_fn!(dyn Fn(&VirtualMachine, FuncArgs) -> PyResult);
+pub trait PyNativeFn:
+    Fn(&VirtualMachine, FuncArgs) -> PyResult + PyThreadingConstraint + 'static
+{
+}
+impl<F: Fn(&VirtualMachine, FuncArgs) -> PyResult + PyThreadingConstraint + 'static> PyNativeFn
+    for F
+{
+}
 
 /// Implemented by types that are or can generate built-in functions.
 ///
@@ -34,40 +41,44 @@ pub trait IntoPyNativeFn<Kind>: Sized + PyThreadingConstraint + 'static {
     /// `IntoPyNativeFn::into_func()` generates a PyNativeFn that performs the
     /// appropriate type and arity checking, any requested conversions, and then if
     /// successful calls the function with the extracted parameters.
-    fn into_func(self) -> &'static PyNativeFn {
-        let boxed = Box::new(move |vm: &VirtualMachine, args| self.call(vm, args));
-        Box::leak(boxed)
+    fn into_func(self) -> impl PyNativeFn {
+        into_func(self)
     }
+}
 
-    /// Equivalent to `into_func()`, but accessible as a constant. This is only
-    /// valid if this function is zero-sized, i.e. that
-    /// `std::mem::size_of::<F>() == 0`. If it isn't, use of this constant will
-    /// raise a compile error.
-    const STATIC_FUNC: &'static PyNativeFn = {
-        if std::mem::size_of::<Self>() == 0 {
-            &|vm, args| {
-                // SAFETY: we just confirmed that Self is zero-sized, so there
-                //         aren't any bytes in it that could be uninit.
-                #[allow(clippy::uninit_assumed_init)]
-                let f = unsafe { std::mem::MaybeUninit::<Self>::uninit().assume_init() };
-                f.call(vm, args)
+const fn into_func<F: IntoPyNativeFn<Kind>, Kind>(f: F) -> impl PyNativeFn {
+    move |vm: &VirtualMachine, args| f.call(vm, args)
+}
+
+const fn zst_ref_out_of_thin_air<T: 'static>(x: T) -> &'static T {
+    // if T is zero-sized, there's no issue forgetting it - even if it does have a Drop impl, it
+    // would never get called anyway if we consider this semantically a Box::leak(Box::new(x))-type
+    // operation. if T isn't zero-sized, we don't have to worry about it because we'll fail to compile.
+    std::mem::forget(x);
+    trait Zst: Sized + 'static {
+        const THIN_AIR: &'static Self = {
+            if std::mem::size_of::<Self>() == 0 {
+                // SAFETY: we just confirmed that Self is zero-sized, so we can
+                //         pull a value of it out of thin air.
+                unsafe { std::ptr::NonNull::<Self>::dangling().as_ref() }
+            } else {
+                panic!("can't use a non-zero-sized type here")
             }
-        } else {
-            panic!("function must be zero-sized to access STATIC_FUNC")
-        }
-    };
+        };
+    }
+    impl<T: 'static> Zst for T {}
+    <T as Zst>::THIN_AIR
 }
 
 /// Get the [`STATIC_FUNC`](IntoPyNativeFn::STATIC_FUNC) of the passed function. The same
 /// requirements of zero-sizedness apply, see that documentation for details.
+///
+/// Equivalent to [`IntoPyNativeFn::into_func()`], but usable in a const context. This is only
+/// valid if the function is zero-sized, i.e. that `std::mem::size_of::<F>() == 0`. If you call
+/// this function with a non-zero-sized function, it will raise a compile error.
 #[inline(always)]
-pub const fn static_func<Kind, F: IntoPyNativeFn<Kind>>(f: F) -> &'static PyNativeFn {
-    // if f is zero-sized, there's no issue forgetting it - even if a capture of f does have a Drop
-    // impl, it would never get called anyway. If you passed it to into_func, it would just get
-    // Box::leak'd, and as a 'static reference it'll never be dropped. and if f isn't zero-sized,
-    // we'll never reach this point anyway because we'll fail to compile.
-    std::mem::forget(f);
-    F::STATIC_FUNC
+pub const fn static_func<Kind, F: IntoPyNativeFn<Kind>>(f: F) -> &'static dyn PyNativeFn {
+    zst_ref_out_of_thin_air(into_func(f))
 }
 
 // TODO: once higher-rank trait bounds are stabilized, remove the `Kind` type
@@ -207,16 +218,16 @@ into_py_native_fn_tuple!(
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use std::mem::size_of_val;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_into_native_fn_noalloc() {
-        let check_zst = |f: &'static PyNativeFn| assert_eq!(std::mem::size_of_val(f), 0);
         fn py_func(_b: bool, _vm: &crate::VirtualMachine) -> i32 {
             1
         }
-        check_zst(py_func.into_func());
+        assert_eq!(size_of_val(&py_func.into_func()), 0);
         let empty_closure = || "foo".to_owned();
-        check_zst(empty_closure.into_func());
-        check_zst(static_func(empty_closure));
+        assert_eq!(size_of_val(&empty_closure.into_func()), 0);
+        assert_eq!(size_of_val(static_func(empty_closure)), 0);
     }
 }
diff --git a/vm/src/function/method.rs b/vm/src/function/method.rs
index fa47c16f4a0..82479dbde89 100644
--- a/vm/src/function/method.rs
+++ b/vm/src/function/method.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ macro_rules! define_methods {
     ($($name:literal => $func:ident as $flags:ident),+) => {
         vec![ $( $crate::function::PyMethodDef {
             name: $name,
-            func: $crate::function::IntoPyNativeFn::into_func($func),
+            func: $crate::function::static_func($func),
             flags: $crate::function::PyMethodFlags::$flags,
             doc: None,
         }),+ ]
@@ -66,27 +66,12 @@ macro_rules! define_methods {
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct PyMethodDef {
     pub name: &'static str, // TODO: interned
-    pub func: &'static PyNativeFn,
+    pub func: &'static dyn PyNativeFn,
     pub flags: PyMethodFlags,
     pub doc: Option<&'static str>, // TODO: interned
 }
 
 impl PyMethodDef {
-    #[inline]
-    pub fn new<Kind>(
-        name: &'static str,
-        func: impl IntoPyNativeFn<Kind>,
-        flags: PyMethodFlags,
-        doc: Option<&'static str>,
-    ) -> Self {
-        Self {
-            name,
-            func: func.into_func(),
-            flags,
-            doc,
-        }
-    }
-
     #[inline]
     pub const fn new_const<Kind>(
         name: &'static str,
diff --git a/vm/src/sequence.rs b/vm/src/sequence.rs
index 614e72d52ee..7f47874dda9 100644
--- a/vm/src/sequence.rs
+++ b/vm/src/sequence.rs
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ use crate::{
     vm::VirtualMachine, AsObject, PyObject, PyObjectRef, PyResult,
 };
 use optional::Optioned;
-use std::ops::Range;
+use std::ops::{Deref, Range};
 
 pub trait MutObjectSequenceOp {
-    type Guard<'a>: 'a;
+    type Inner: ?Sized;
 
-    fn do_get<'a>(index: usize, guard: &'a Self::Guard<'_>) -> Option<&'a PyObjectRef>;
-    fn do_lock(&self) -> Self::Guard<'_>;
+    fn do_get(index: usize, inner: &Self::Inner) -> Option<&PyObjectRef>;
+    fn do_lock(&self) -> impl Deref<Target = Self::Inner>;
 
     fn mut_count(&self, vm: &VirtualMachine, needle: &PyObject) -> PyResult<usize> {
         let mut count = 0;
diff --git a/vm/src/stdlib/collections.rs b/vm/src/stdlib/collections.rs
index 00eaaca0209..5a9a172d53b 100644
--- a/vm/src/stdlib/collections.rs
+++ b/vm/src/stdlib/collections.rs
@@ -416,13 +416,13 @@ mod _collections {
     }
 
     impl MutObjectSequenceOp for PyDeque {
-        type Guard<'a> = PyRwLockReadGuard<'a, VecDeque<PyObjectRef>>;
+        type Inner = VecDeque<PyObjectRef>;
 
-        fn do_get<'a>(index: usize, guard: &'a Self::Guard<'_>) -> Option<&'a PyObjectRef> {
-            guard.get(index)
+        fn do_get(index: usize, inner: &Self::Inner) -> Option<&PyObjectRef> {
+            inner.get(index)
         }
 
-        fn do_lock(&self) -> Self::Guard<'_> {
+        fn do_lock(&self) -> impl std::ops::Deref<Target = Self::Inner> {
             self.borrow_deque()
         }
     }
diff --git a/vm/src/vm/context.rs b/vm/src/vm/context.rs
index 4181a65896c..e328da97eb5 100644
--- a/vm/src/vm/context.rs
+++ b/vm/src/vm/context.rs
@@ -291,12 +291,12 @@ impl Context {
         let string_pool = StringPool::default();
         let names = unsafe { ConstName::new(&string_pool, &types.str_type.to_owned()) };
 
-        let slot_new_wrapper = PyMethodDef {
-            name: names.__new__.as_str(),
-            func: PyType::__new__.into_func(),
-            flags: PyMethodFlags::METHOD,
-            doc: None,
-        };
+        let slot_new_wrapper = PyMethodDef::new_const(
+            names.__new__.as_str(),
+            PyType::__new__,
+            PyMethodFlags::METHOD,
+            None,
+        );
 
         let empty_str = unsafe { string_pool.intern("", types.str_type.to_owned()) };
         let empty_bytes = create_object(PyBytes::from(Vec::new()), types.bytes_type);
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ impl Context {
     {
         let def = PyMethodDef {
             name,
-            func: f.into_func(),
+            func: Box::leak(Box::new(f.into_func())),
             flags,
             doc,
         };