diff --git a/include/nanobind/nb_cast.h b/include/nanobind/nb_cast.h
index 74ad6cef..3e0dc894 100644
--- a/include/nanobind/nb_cast.h
+++ b/include/nanobind/nb_cast.h
@@ -126,10 +126,22 @@ template <typename T>
 struct type_caster<T, enable_if_t<std::is_arithmetic_v<T> && !is_std_char_v<T>>> {
     NB_INLINE bool from_python(handle src, uint8_t flags, cleanup_list *) noexcept {
         if constexpr (std::is_floating_point_v<T>) {
-            if constexpr (sizeof(T) == 8)
-                return detail::load_f64(src.ptr(), flags, &value);
-            else
-                return detail::load_f32(src.ptr(), flags, &value);
+            if constexpr (sizeof(T) == 8) {
+                // Assume T, double, and Python float are all IEEE 754 binary64
+                return detail::load_f64(src.ptr(), flags, (double *) &value);
+            } else {
+                double d;
+                if (!detail::load_f64(src.ptr(), flags, &d))
+                    return false;
+                T result = static_cast<T>(d);
+                if ((flags & (uint8_t) cast_flags::convert)
+                        || static_cast<double>(result) == d
+                        || (result != result && d != d)) {
+                    value = result;
+                    return true;
+                }
+                return false;
+            }
         } else {
             if constexpr (std::is_signed_v<T>) {
                 if constexpr (sizeof(T) == 8)
diff --git a/include/nanobind/nb_lib.h b/include/nanobind/nb_lib.h
index 3541bce8..058273e2 100644
--- a/include/nanobind/nb_lib.h
+++ b/include/nanobind/nb_lib.h
@@ -512,7 +512,6 @@ NB_CORE bool load_i32(PyObject *o, uint8_t flags, int32_t *out) noexcept;
 NB_CORE bool load_u32(PyObject *o, uint8_t flags, uint32_t *out) noexcept;
 NB_CORE bool load_i64(PyObject *o, uint8_t flags, int64_t *out) noexcept;
 NB_CORE bool load_u64(PyObject *o, uint8_t flags, uint64_t *out) noexcept;
-NB_CORE bool load_f32(PyObject *o, uint8_t flags, float *out) noexcept;
 NB_CORE bool load_f64(PyObject *o, uint8_t flags, double *out) noexcept;
 
 // ========================================================================
diff --git a/src/common.cpp b/src/common.cpp
index 02bc02ad..f3565921 100644
--- a/src/common.cpp
+++ b/src/common.cpp
@@ -904,18 +904,16 @@ bool load_f64(PyObject *o, uint8_t flags, double *out) noexcept {
 
 #if !defined(Py_LIMITED_API)
     if (NB_LIKELY(is_float)) {
-        *out = (double) PyFloat_AS_DOUBLE(o);
+        *out = PyFloat_AS_DOUBLE(o);
         return true;
     }
-
-    is_float = false;
 #endif
 
     if (is_float || (flags & (uint8_t) cast_flags::convert)) {
         double result = PyFloat_AsDouble(o);
 
         if (result != -1.0 || !PyErr_Occurred()) {
-            *out = (double) result;
+            *out = result;
             return true;
         } else {
             PyErr_Clear();
@@ -925,31 +923,6 @@ bool load_f64(PyObject *o, uint8_t flags, double *out) noexcept {
     return false;
 }
 
-bool load_f32(PyObject *o, uint8_t flags, float *out) noexcept {
-    bool is_float = PyFloat_CheckExact(o);
-
-#if !defined(Py_LIMITED_API)
-    if (NB_LIKELY(is_float)) {
-        *out = (float) PyFloat_AS_DOUBLE(o);
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    is_float = false;
-#endif
-
-    if (is_float || (flags & (uint8_t) cast_flags::convert)) {
-        double result = PyFloat_AsDouble(o);
-
-        if (result != -1.0 || !PyErr_Occurred()) {
-            *out = (float) result;
-            return true;
-        } else {
-            PyErr_Clear();
-        }
-    }
-
-    return false;
-}
 
 #if !defined(Py_LIMITED_API) && !defined(PYPY_VERSION) && PY_VERSION_HEX < 0x030c0000
 // Direct access for compact integers. These functions are