diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/internals.h b/include/pybind11/detail/internals.h
index 5578c65160..6a89b73f1a 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/internals.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/internals.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ struct internals {
     std::unordered_set<std::pair<const PyObject *, const char *>, override_hash> inactive_override_cache;
     type_map<std::vector<bool (*)(PyObject *, void *&)>> direct_conversions;
     std::unordered_map<const PyObject *, std::vector<PyObject *>> patients;
-    std::forward_list<void (*) (std::exception_ptr)> registered_exception_translators;
+    std::forward_list<void (*)(const std::exception_ptr &)> registered_exception_translators;
     std::unordered_map<std::string, void *> shared_data; // Custom data to be shared across extensions
     std::vector<PyObject *> loader_patient_stack; // Used by `loader_life_support`
     std::forward_list<std::string> static_strings; // Stores the std::strings backing detail::c_str()
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ inline internals **&get_internals_pp() {
     return internals_pp;
 }
 
-inline void translate_exception(std::exception_ptr p) {
+inline void translate_exception(const std::exception_ptr &p) {
     try {
         if (p) std::rethrow_exception(p);
     } catch (error_already_set &e)           { e.restore();                                    return;
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ inline void translate_exception(std::exception_ptr p) {
 }
 
 #if !defined(__GLIBCXX__)
-inline void translate_local_exception(std::exception_ptr p) {
+inline void translate_local_exception(const std::exception_ptr &p) {
     try {
         if (p) std::rethrow_exception(p);
     } catch (error_already_set &e)       { e.restore();   return;
diff --git a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
index 616fa70255..8f1ede3faf 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
@@ -2000,10 +2000,13 @@ template <typename InputType, typename OutputType> void implicitly_convertible()
         pybind11_fail("implicitly_convertible: Unable to find type " + type_id<OutputType>());
 }
 
-template <typename ExceptionTranslator>
-void register_exception_translator(ExceptionTranslator&& translator) {
-    detail::get_internals().registered_exception_translators.push_front(
-        std::forward<ExceptionTranslator>(translator));
+inline void register_exception_translator(void (*translator)(const std::exception_ptr &)) {
+    detail::get_internals().registered_exception_translators.push_front(translator);
+}
+
+inline void register_exception_translator(void (*)(std::exception_ptr)) {
+    pybind11_fail("Please update your exception translator.");
+    // or change internals even more
 }
 
 /**
@@ -2054,7 +2057,7 @@ exception<CppException> &register_exception(handle scope,
     auto &ex = detail::get_exception_object<CppException>();
     if (!ex) ex = exception<CppException>(scope, name, base);
 
-    register_exception_translator([](std::exception_ptr p) {
+    register_exception_translator([](const std::exception_ptr &p) {
         if (!p) return;
         try {
             std::rethrow_exception(p);
diff --git a/tests/pybind11_cross_module_tests.cpp b/tests/pybind11_cross_module_tests.cpp
index 27a349d231..ca6305223d 100644
--- a/tests/pybind11_cross_module_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/pybind11_cross_module_tests.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(pybind11_cross_module_tests, m) {
     m.def("throw_pybind_value_error", []() { throw py::value_error("pybind11 value error"); });
     m.def("throw_pybind_type_error", []() { throw py::type_error("pybind11 type error"); });
     m.def("throw_stop_iteration", []() { throw py::stop_iteration(); });
-    py::register_exception_translator([](std::exception_ptr p) {
+    py::register_exception_translator([](const std::exception_ptr &p) {
       try {
           if (p) std::rethrow_exception(p);
       } catch (const shared_exception &e) {
diff --git a/tests/test_exceptions.cpp b/tests/test_exceptions.cpp
index d34f1a94e1..a01f4e041d 100644
--- a/tests/test_exceptions.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_exceptions.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(exceptions, m) {
 
     // make a new custom exception and use it as a translation target
     static py::exception<MyException> ex(m, "MyException");
-    py::register_exception_translator([](std::exception_ptr p) {
+    py::register_exception_translator([](const std::exception_ptr &p) {
         try {
             if (p) std::rethrow_exception(p);
         } catch (const MyException &e) {
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(exceptions, m) {
     // register new translator for MyException2
     // no need to store anything here because this type will
     // never by visible from Python
-    py::register_exception_translator([](std::exception_ptr p) {
+    py::register_exception_translator([](const std::exception_ptr &p) {
         try {
             if (p) std::rethrow_exception(p);
         } catch (const MyException2 &e) {
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(exceptions, m) {
     // register new translator for MyException4
     // which will catch it and delegate to the previously registered
     // translator for MyException by throwing a new exception
-    py::register_exception_translator([](std::exception_ptr p) {
+    py::register_exception_translator([](const std::exception_ptr &p) {
         try {
             if (p) std::rethrow_exception(p);
         } catch (const MyException4 &e) {