diff --git a/py/builtinimport.c b/py/builtinimport.c
index 6ed0a75940..2be779c6c0 100644
--- a/py/builtinimport.c
+++ b/py/builtinimport.c
@@ -400,21 +400,31 @@ mp_obj_t mp_builtin___import__(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args) {
             DEBUG_printf("Current path: %.*s\n", vstr_len(&path), vstr_str(&path));
 
             if (stat == MP_IMPORT_STAT_NO_EXIST) {
-                #if MICROPY_MODULE_WEAK_LINKS
-                // check if there is a weak link to this module
-                if (i == mod_len) {
-                    mp_map_elem_t *el = mp_map_lookup((mp_map_t*)&mp_builtin_module_weak_links_map, MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(mod_name), MP_MAP_LOOKUP);
+                // This is just the module name after the previous .
+                qstr current_module_name = qstr_from_strn(mod_str + last, i - last);
+                mp_map_elem_t *el = NULL;
+                if (outer_module_obj == MP_OBJ_NULL) {
+                    el = mp_map_lookup((mp_map_t*)&mp_builtin_module_map,
+                                       MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(current_module_name),
+                                       MP_MAP_LOOKUP);
+                    #if MICROPY_MODULE_WEAK_LINKS
+                    // check if there is a weak link to this module
                     if (el == NULL) {
-                        goto no_exist;
+                        el = mp_map_lookup((mp_map_t*)&mp_builtin_module_weak_links_map,
+                                           MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(current_module_name),
+                                           MP_MAP_LOOKUP);
                     }
-                    // found weak linked module
+                    #endif
+                } else {
+                    el = mp_map_lookup(&((mp_obj_module_t*) outer_module_obj)->globals->map,
+                                       MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(current_module_name),
+                                       MP_MAP_LOOKUP);
+                }
+
+                if (el != NULL && MP_OBJ_IS_TYPE(el->value, &mp_type_module)) {
                     module_obj = el->value;
                     mp_module_call_init(mod_name, module_obj);
                 } else {
-                    no_exist:
-                #else
-                {
-                #endif
                     // couldn't find the file, so fail
                     if (MICROPY_ERROR_REPORTING == MICROPY_ERROR_REPORTING_TERSE) {
                         mp_raise_ImportError(translate("module not found"));
diff --git a/py/gc_long_lived.c b/py/gc_long_lived.c
index 01c22a7af7..0e94390e9d 100755
--- a/py/gc_long_lived.c
+++ b/py/gc_long_lived.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ mp_obj_dict_t *make_dict_long_lived(mp_obj_dict_t *dict, uint8_t max_depth) {
     #ifndef MICROPY_ENABLE_GC
     return dict;
     #endif
-    if (dict == NULL || max_depth == 0 || dict == &MP_STATE_VM(dict_main)) {
+    if (dict == NULL || max_depth == 0 || dict == &MP_STATE_VM(dict_main) || dict->map.is_fixed) {
         return dict;
     }
     // Don't recurse unnecessarily. Return immediately if we've already seen this dict.
diff --git a/py/objmodule.c b/py/objmodule.c
index c7b080300c..7405a6919a 100644
--- a/py/objmodule.c
+++ b/py/objmodule.c
@@ -69,6 +69,13 @@ STATIC void module_attr(mp_obj_t self_in, qstr attr, mp_obj_t *dest) {
         // delete/store attribute
         mp_obj_dict_t *dict = self->globals;
         if (dict->map.is_fixed) {
+            mp_map_elem_t *elem = mp_map_lookup(&dict->map, MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(attr), MP_MAP_LOOKUP);
+            // Return success if the given value is already in the dictionary. This is the case for
+            // native packages with native submodules.
+            if (elem != NULL && elem->value == dest[1]) {
+                dest[0] = MP_OBJ_NULL; // indicate success
+                return;
+            } else
             #if MICROPY_CAN_OVERRIDE_BUILTINS
             if (dict == &mp_module_builtins_globals) {
                 if (MP_STATE_VM(mp_module_builtins_override_dict) == NULL) {