diff --git a/crates/api/src/func.rs b/crates/api/src/func.rs
index 24ff6f9c43..d70195946e 100644
--- a/crates/api/src/func.rs
+++ b/crates/api/src/func.rs
@@ -1030,8 +1030,12 @@ macro_rules! impl_into_func {
                     R: WasmRet,
                 {
                     let ret = {
-                        let instance = InstanceHandle::from_vmctx(vmctx);
-                        let (func, store) = instance.host_state().downcast_ref::<(F, Store)>().expect("state");
+                        let state = (*vmctx).host_state();
+                        // Double-check ourselves in debug mode, but we control
+                        // the `Any` here so an unsafe downcast should also
+                        // work.
+                        debug_assert!(state.is::<(F, Store)>());
+                        let (func, store) = &*(state as *const _ as *const (F, Store));
                         panic::catch_unwind(AssertUnwindSafe(|| {
                             func(
                                 Caller { store, caller_vmctx },
diff --git a/crates/runtime/src/instance.rs b/crates/runtime/src/instance.rs
index 1c5e6540f4..caa56b4eff 100644
--- a/crates/runtime/src/instance.rs
+++ b/crates/runtime/src/instance.rs
@@ -376,6 +376,7 @@ impl Instance {
     }
 
     /// Return a reference to the custom state attached to this instance.
+    #[inline]
     pub fn host_state(&self) -> &dyn Any {
         &*self.host_state
     }
@@ -416,6 +417,7 @@ impl Instance {
     }
 
     /// Return the offset from the vmctx pointer to its containing Instance.
+    #[inline]
     pub(crate) fn vmctx_offset() -> isize {
         offset_of!(Self, vmctx) as isize
     }
diff --git a/crates/runtime/src/vmcontext.rs b/crates/runtime/src/vmcontext.rs
index 23e6384bfc..c986c21718 100644
--- a/crates/runtime/src/vmcontext.rs
+++ b/crates/runtime/src/vmcontext.rs
@@ -632,6 +632,7 @@ impl VMContext {
     /// This is unsafe because it doesn't work on just any `VMContext`, it must
     /// be a `VMContext` allocated as part of an `Instance`.
     #[allow(clippy::cast_ptr_alignment)]
+    #[inline]
     pub(crate) unsafe fn instance(&self) -> &Instance {
         &*((self as *const Self as *mut u8).offset(-Instance::vmctx_offset()) as *const Instance)
     }
@@ -641,6 +642,7 @@ impl VMContext {
     /// # Safety
     /// This is unsafe because it doesn't work on just any `VMContext`, it must
     /// be a `VMContext` allocated as part of an `Instance`.
+    #[inline]
     pub unsafe fn host_state(&self) -> &dyn Any {
         self.instance().host_state()
     }