diff --git a/py/compile.c b/py/compile.c
index 3d443c6d88..6aba2b896e 100644
--- a/py/compile.c
+++ b/py/compile.c
@@ -366,14 +366,14 @@ STATIC void c_assign_atom_expr(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns, as
         if (MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns1) == PN_trailer_bracket) {
             if (assign_kind == ASSIGN_AUG_STORE) {
                 EMIT(rot_three);
-                EMIT(store_subscr);
+                EMIT_ARG(subscr, MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_STORE);
             } else {
                 compile_node(comp, pns1->nodes[0]);
                 if (assign_kind == ASSIGN_AUG_LOAD) {
                     EMIT(dup_top_two);
-                    EMIT(load_subscr);
+                    EMIT_ARG(subscr, MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_LOAD);
                 } else {
-                    EMIT(store_subscr);
+                    EMIT_ARG(subscr, MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_STORE);
                 }
             }
             return;
@@ -884,7 +884,7 @@ STATIC void c_del_stmt(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_t pn) {
             }
             if (MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns1) == PN_trailer_bracket) {
                 compile_node(comp, pns1->nodes[0]);
-                EMIT(delete_subscr);
+                EMIT_ARG(subscr, MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_DELETE);
             } else if (MP_PARSE_NODE_STRUCT_KIND(pns1) == PN_trailer_period) {
                 assert(MP_PARSE_NODE_IS_ID(pns1->nodes[0]));
                 EMIT_ARG(delete_attr, MP_PARSE_NODE_LEAF_ARG(pns1->nodes[0]));
@@ -2536,7 +2536,7 @@ STATIC void compile_trailer_paren(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns)
 STATIC void compile_trailer_bracket(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
     // object who's index we want is on top of stack
     compile_node(comp, pns->nodes[0]); // the index
-    EMIT(load_subscr);
+    EMIT_ARG(subscr, MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_LOAD);
 }
 
 STATIC void compile_trailer_period(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns) {
diff --git a/py/emit.h b/py/emit.h
index 3574d00e3e..6467f84e8f 100644
--- a/py/emit.h
+++ b/py/emit.h
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ typedef enum {
 #define MP_EMIT_IDOP_GLOBAL_NAME (0)
 #define MP_EMIT_IDOP_GLOBAL_GLOBAL (1)
 
+// Kind for emit->subscr()
+#define MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_LOAD (0)
+#define MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_STORE (1)
+#define MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_DELETE (2)
+
 // Kind for emit->build()
 #define MP_EMIT_BUILD_TUPLE (0)
 #define MP_EMIT_BUILD_LIST (1)
@@ -103,11 +108,9 @@ typedef struct _emit_method_table_t {
     void (*load_attr)(emit_t *emit, qstr qst);
     void (*load_method)(emit_t *emit, qstr qst, bool is_super);
     void (*load_build_class)(emit_t *emit);
-    void (*load_subscr)(emit_t *emit);
+    void (*subscr)(emit_t *emit, int kind);
     void (*store_attr)(emit_t *emit, qstr qst);
-    void (*store_subscr)(emit_t *emit);
     void (*delete_attr)(emit_t *emit, qstr qst);
-    void (*delete_subscr)(emit_t *emit);
     void (*dup_top)(emit_t *emit);
     void (*dup_top_two)(emit_t *emit);
     void (*pop_top)(emit_t *emit);
@@ -211,11 +214,9 @@ void mp_emit_bc_load_null(emit_t *emit);
 void mp_emit_bc_load_attr(emit_t *emit, qstr qst);
 void mp_emit_bc_load_method(emit_t *emit, qstr qst, bool is_super);
 void mp_emit_bc_load_build_class(emit_t *emit);
-void mp_emit_bc_load_subscr(emit_t *emit);
+void mp_emit_bc_subscr(emit_t *emit, int kind);
 void mp_emit_bc_store_attr(emit_t *emit, qstr qst);
-void mp_emit_bc_store_subscr(emit_t *emit);
 void mp_emit_bc_delete_attr(emit_t *emit, qstr qst);
-void mp_emit_bc_delete_subscr(emit_t *emit);
 void mp_emit_bc_dup_top(emit_t *emit);
 void mp_emit_bc_dup_top_two(emit_t *emit);
 void mp_emit_bc_pop_top(emit_t *emit);
diff --git a/py/emitbc.c b/py/emitbc.c
index ed043de3a2..b342c21a41 100644
--- a/py/emitbc.c
+++ b/py/emitbc.c
@@ -597,9 +597,18 @@ void mp_emit_bc_load_build_class(emit_t *emit) {
     emit_write_bytecode_byte(emit, MP_BC_LOAD_BUILD_CLASS);
 }
 
-void mp_emit_bc_load_subscr(emit_t *emit) {
-    emit_bc_pre(emit, -1);
-    emit_write_bytecode_byte(emit, MP_BC_LOAD_SUBSCR);
+void mp_emit_bc_subscr(emit_t *emit, int kind) {
+    if (kind == MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_LOAD) {
+        emit_bc_pre(emit, -1);
+        emit_write_bytecode_byte(emit, MP_BC_LOAD_SUBSCR);
+    } else {
+        if (kind == MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_DELETE) {
+            mp_emit_bc_load_null(emit);
+            mp_emit_bc_rot_three(emit);
+        }
+        emit_bc_pre(emit, -3);
+        emit_write_bytecode_byte(emit, MP_BC_STORE_SUBSCR);
+    }
 }
 
 void mp_emit_bc_store_local(emit_t *emit, qstr qst, mp_uint_t local_num, int kind) {
@@ -629,11 +638,6 @@ void mp_emit_bc_store_attr(emit_t *emit, qstr qst) {
     }
 }
 
-void mp_emit_bc_store_subscr(emit_t *emit) {
-    emit_bc_pre(emit, -3);
-    emit_write_bytecode_byte(emit, MP_BC_STORE_SUBSCR);
-}
-
 void mp_emit_bc_delete_local(emit_t *emit, qstr qst, mp_uint_t local_num, int kind) {
     MP_STATIC_ASSERT(MP_BC_DELETE_FAST + MP_EMIT_IDOP_LOCAL_FAST == MP_BC_DELETE_FAST);
     MP_STATIC_ASSERT(MP_BC_DELETE_FAST + MP_EMIT_IDOP_LOCAL_DEREF == MP_BC_DELETE_DEREF);
@@ -654,12 +658,6 @@ void mp_emit_bc_delete_attr(emit_t *emit, qstr qst) {
     mp_emit_bc_store_attr(emit, qst);
 }
 
-void mp_emit_bc_delete_subscr(emit_t *emit) {
-    mp_emit_bc_load_null(emit);
-    mp_emit_bc_rot_three(emit);
-    mp_emit_bc_store_subscr(emit);
-}
-
 void mp_emit_bc_dup_top(emit_t *emit) {
     emit_bc_pre(emit, 1);
     emit_write_bytecode_byte(emit, MP_BC_DUP_TOP);
@@ -964,11 +962,9 @@ const emit_method_table_t emit_bc_method_table = {
     mp_emit_bc_load_attr,
     mp_emit_bc_load_method,
     mp_emit_bc_load_build_class,
-    mp_emit_bc_load_subscr,
+    mp_emit_bc_subscr,
     mp_emit_bc_store_attr,
-    mp_emit_bc_store_subscr,
     mp_emit_bc_delete_attr,
-    mp_emit_bc_delete_subscr,
     mp_emit_bc_dup_top,
     mp_emit_bc_dup_top_two,
     mp_emit_bc_pop_top,
diff --git a/py/emitnative.c b/py/emitnative.c
index 203cacff43..725ee21edb 100644
--- a/py/emitnative.c
+++ b/py/emitnative.c
@@ -1447,6 +1447,16 @@ STATIC void emit_native_delete_subscr(emit_t *emit) {
     emit_call_with_imm_arg(emit, MP_F_OBJ_SUBSCR, (mp_uint_t)MP_OBJ_NULL, REG_ARG_3);
 }
 
+STATIC void emit_native_subscr(emit_t *emit, int kind) {
+    if (kind == MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_LOAD) {
+        emit_native_load_subscr(emit);
+    } else if (kind == MP_EMIT_SUBSCR_STORE) {
+        emit_native_store_subscr(emit);
+    } else {
+        emit_native_delete_subscr(emit);
+    }
+}
+
 STATIC void emit_native_dup_top(emit_t *emit) {
     DEBUG_printf("dup_top\n");
     vtype_kind_t vtype;
@@ -2219,11 +2229,9 @@ const emit_method_table_t EXPORT_FUN(method_table) = {
     emit_native_load_attr,
     emit_native_load_method,
     emit_native_load_build_class,
-    emit_native_load_subscr,
+    emit_native_subscr,
     emit_native_store_attr,
-    emit_native_store_subscr,
     emit_native_delete_attr,
-    emit_native_delete_subscr,
     emit_native_dup_top,
     emit_native_dup_top_two,
     emit_native_pop_top,