diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/object.rs b/vm/src/builtins/object.rs
index f783ee017c..970fd6d674 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/object.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/object.rs
@@ -495,9 +495,14 @@ pub fn object_get_dict(obj: PyObjectRef, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<PyDict
     obj.dict()
         .ok_or_else(|| vm.new_attribute_error("This object has no __dict__".to_owned()))
 }
-pub fn object_set_dict(obj: PyObjectRef, dict: PyDictRef, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<()> {
+
+pub fn object_set_dict(
+    obj: PyObjectRef,
+    dict: PySetterValue<PyDictRef>,
+    vm: &VirtualMachine,
+) -> PyResult<()> {
     obj.set_dict(dict)
-        .map_err(|_| vm.new_attribute_error("This object has no __dict__".to_owned()))
+        .map_err(|_| vm.new_attribute_error("This object has no __dict__ to delete".to_owned()))
 }
 
 pub fn init(ctx: &Context) {
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/type.rs b/vm/src/builtins/type.rs
index 15df5ff3c5..a419263edc 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/type.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/type.rs
@@ -1288,7 +1288,7 @@ fn subtype_set_dict(obj: PyObjectRef, value: PyObjectRef, vm: &VirtualMachine) -
             descr_set(&descr, obj, PySetterValue::Assign(value), vm)
         }
         None => {
-            object::object_set_dict(obj, value.try_into_value(vm)?, vm)?;
+            object::object_set_dict(obj, PySetterValue::Assign(value.try_into_value(vm)?), vm)?;
             Ok(())
         }
     }
diff --git a/vm/src/function/getset.rs b/vm/src/function/getset.rs
index 827158e834..4d66b6dd26 100644
--- a/vm/src/function/getset.rs
+++ b/vm/src/function/getset.rs
@@ -36,8 +36,10 @@ where
 {
     #[inline]
     fn from_setter_value(vm: &VirtualMachine, obj: PySetterValue) -> PyResult<Self> {
-        let obj = obj.ok_or_else(|| vm.new_type_error("can't delete attribute".to_owned()))?;
-        T::try_from_object(vm, obj)
+        match obj {
+            PySetterValue::Assign(obj) => T::try_from_object(vm, obj),
+            PySetterValue::Delete => T::try_from_object(vm, vm.ctx.none()),
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/vm/src/object/core.rs b/vm/src/object/core.rs
index b326935464..e60cab8704 100644
--- a/vm/src/object/core.rs
+++ b/vm/src/object/core.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ use crate::{
         lock::{PyMutex, PyMutexGuard, PyRwLock},
         refcount::RefCount,
     },
+    function::PySetterValue,
     vm::VirtualMachine,
 };
 use itertools::Itertools;
@@ -707,13 +708,27 @@ impl PyObject {
 
     /// Set the dict field. Returns `Err(dict)` if this object does not have a dict field
     /// in the first place.
-    pub fn set_dict(&self, dict: PyDictRef) -> Result<(), PyDictRef> {
-        match self.instance_dict() {
-            Some(d) => {
+    pub fn set_dict(&self, dict: PySetterValue<PyDictRef>) -> Result<(), PySetterValue<PyDictRef>> {
+        match (self.instance_dict(), dict) {
+            (Some(d), PySetterValue::Assign(dict)) => {
                 d.set(dict);
                 Ok(())
             }
-            None => Err(dict),
+            (None, PySetterValue::Assign(dict)) => {
+                unsafe {
+                    let ptr = self as *const _ as *mut PyObject;
+                    (*ptr).0.dict = Some(InstanceDict::new(dict));
+                }
+                Ok(())
+            }
+            (Some(_), PySetterValue::Delete) => {
+                unsafe {
+                    let ptr = self as *const _ as *mut PyObject;
+                    (*ptr).0.dict = None;
+                }
+                Ok(())
+            }
+            (None, PySetterValue::Delete) => Err(PySetterValue::Delete),
         }
     }