diff --git a/core/variant/variant.cpp b/core/variant/variant.cpp
index 4c0212075b0..c352d800f9a 100644
--- a/core/variant/variant.cpp
+++ b/core/variant/variant.cpp
@@ -931,7 +931,7 @@ bool Variant::is_zero() const {
 			return *reinterpret_cast<const ::RID *>(_data._mem) == ::RID();
 		}
 		case OBJECT: {
-			return _get_obj().obj == nullptr;
+			return get_validated_object() == nullptr;
 		}
 		case CALLABLE: {
 			return reinterpret_cast<const Callable *>(_data._mem)->is_null();
diff --git a/core/variant/variant_op.h b/core/variant/variant_op.h
index 9e6367ab6df..17ad1268919 100644
--- a/core/variant/variant_op.h
+++ b/core/variant/variant_op.h
@@ -549,14 +549,14 @@ public:
 class OperatorEvaluatorEqualObject {
 public:
 	static void evaluate(const Variant &p_left, const Variant &p_right, Variant *r_ret, bool &r_valid) {
-		const Object *a = p_left.get_validated_object();
-		const Object *b = p_right.get_validated_object();
+		const ObjectID &a = VariantInternal::get_object_id(&p_left);
+		const ObjectID &b = VariantInternal::get_object_id(&p_right);
 		*r_ret = a == b;
 		r_valid = true;
 	}
 	static inline void validated_evaluate(const Variant *left, const Variant *right, Variant *r_ret) {
-		const Object *a = left->get_validated_object();
-		const Object *b = right->get_validated_object();
+		const ObjectID &a = VariantInternal::get_object_id(left);
+		const ObjectID &b = VariantInternal::get_object_id(right);
 		*VariantGetInternalPtr<bool>::get_ptr(r_ret) = a == b;
 	}
 	static void ptr_evaluate(const void *left, const void *right, void *r_ret) {
@@ -568,12 +568,12 @@ public:
 class OperatorEvaluatorEqualObjectNil {
 public:
 	static void evaluate(const Variant &p_left, const Variant &p_right, Variant *r_ret, bool &r_valid) {
-		const Object *a = p_left.get_validated_object();
+		const Object *a = p_left.operator Object *();
 		*r_ret = a == nullptr;
 		r_valid = true;
 	}
 	static inline void validated_evaluate(const Variant *left, const Variant *right, Variant *r_ret) {
-		const Object *a = left->get_validated_object();
+		const Object *a = left->operator Object *();
 		*VariantGetInternalPtr<bool>::get_ptr(r_ret) = a == nullptr;
 	}
 	static void ptr_evaluate(const void *left, const void *right, void *r_ret) {
@@ -585,12 +585,12 @@ public:
 class OperatorEvaluatorEqualNilObject {
 public:
 	static void evaluate(const Variant &p_left, const Variant &p_right, Variant *r_ret, bool &r_valid) {
-		const Object *b = p_right.get_validated_object();
+		const Object *b = p_right.operator Object *();
 		*r_ret = nullptr == b;
 		r_valid = true;
 	}
 	static inline void validated_evaluate(const Variant *left, const Variant *right, Variant *r_ret) {
-		const Object *b = right->get_validated_object();
+		const Object *b = right->operator Object *();
 		*VariantGetInternalPtr<bool>::get_ptr(r_ret) = nullptr == b;
 	}
 	static void ptr_evaluate(const void *left, const void *right, void *r_ret) {
@@ -620,14 +620,14 @@ public:
 class OperatorEvaluatorNotEqualObject {
 public:
 	static void evaluate(const Variant &p_left, const Variant &p_right, Variant *r_ret, bool &r_valid) {
-		Object *a = p_left.get_validated_object();
-		Object *b = p_right.get_validated_object();
+		const ObjectID &a = VariantInternal::get_object_id(&p_left);
+		const ObjectID &b = VariantInternal::get_object_id(&p_right);
 		*r_ret = a != b;
 		r_valid = true;
 	}
 	static inline void validated_evaluate(const Variant *left, const Variant *right, Variant *r_ret) {
-		Object *a = left->get_validated_object();
-		Object *b = right->get_validated_object();
+		const ObjectID &a = VariantInternal::get_object_id(left);
+		const ObjectID &b = VariantInternal::get_object_id(right);
 		*VariantGetInternalPtr<bool>::get_ptr(r_ret) = a != b;
 	}
 	static void ptr_evaluate(const void *left, const void *right, void *r_ret) {
@@ -639,12 +639,12 @@ public:
 class OperatorEvaluatorNotEqualObjectNil {
 public:
 	static void evaluate(const Variant &p_left, const Variant &p_right, Variant *r_ret, bool &r_valid) {
-		Object *a = p_left.get_validated_object();
+		Object *a = p_left.operator Object *();
 		*r_ret = a != nullptr;
 		r_valid = true;
 	}
 	static inline void validated_evaluate(const Variant *left, const Variant *right, Variant *r_ret) {
-		Object *a = left->get_validated_object();
+		Object *a = left->operator Object *();
 		*VariantGetInternalPtr<bool>::get_ptr(r_ret) = a != nullptr;
 	}
 	static void ptr_evaluate(const void *left, const void *right, void *r_ret) {
@@ -656,12 +656,12 @@ public:
 class OperatorEvaluatorNotEqualNilObject {
 public:
 	static void evaluate(const Variant &p_left, const Variant &p_right, Variant *r_ret, bool &r_valid) {
-		Object *b = p_right.get_validated_object();
+		Object *b = p_right.operator Object *();
 		*r_ret = nullptr != b;
 		r_valid = true;
 	}
 	static inline void validated_evaluate(const Variant *left, const Variant *right, Variant *r_ret) {
-		Object *b = right->get_validated_object();
+		Object *b = right->operator Object *();
 		*VariantGetInternalPtr<bool>::get_ptr(r_ret) = nullptr != b;
 	}
 	static void ptr_evaluate(const void *left, const void *right, void *r_ret) {