diff --git a/include/mruby/internal.h b/include/mruby/internal.h
index a05a1a521..a9e43848f 100644
--- a/include/mruby/internal.h
+++ b/include/mruby/internal.h
@@ -178,7 +178,6 @@ mrb_value mrb_vm_cv_get(mrb_state*, mrb_sym);
 void mrb_vm_cv_set(mrb_state*, mrb_sym, mrb_value);
 mrb_value mrb_vm_const_get(mrb_state*, mrb_sym);
 size_t mrb_obj_iv_tbl_memsize(mrb_value);
-mrb_value mrb_obj_iv_inspect(mrb_state*, struct RObject*);
 void mrb_obj_iv_set_force(mrb_state *mrb, struct RObject *obj, mrb_sym sym, mrb_value v);
 mrb_value mrb_mod_constants(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value mod);
 mrb_value mrb_mod_const_at(mrb_state *mrb, struct RClass *c, mrb_value ary);
diff --git a/src/kernel.c b/src/kernel.c
index b39d31109..1886013a3 100644
--- a/src/kernel.c
+++ b/src/kernel.c
@@ -42,6 +42,50 @@ mrb_obj_basic_to_s_p(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value obj)
   return mrb_func_basic_p(mrb, obj, MRB_SYM(to_s), mrb_any_to_s);
 }
 
+struct inspect_i {
+  mrb_value obj, str;
+};
+
+static int
+inspect_i(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_sym sym, mrb_value v, void *p)
+{
+  struct inspect_i *a = (struct inspect_i*)p;
+  if (mrb_nil_p(a->str)) {
+    const char *cn = mrb_obj_classname(mrb, a->obj);
+    a->str = mrb_str_new_capa(mrb, 30);
+
+    mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, a->str, "-<");
+    mrb_str_cat_cstr(mrb, a->str, cn);
+    mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, a->str, ":");
+    mrb_str_cat_str(mrb, a->str, mrb_ptr_to_str(mrb, mrb_obj_ptr(a->obj)));
+
+    if (MRB_RECURSIVE_UNARY_P(mrb, MRB_SYM(inspect), a->obj)) {
+      mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, a->str, " ...");
+      return 1;
+    }
+  }
+
+  const char *s;
+  mrb_int len;
+  mrb_value ins;
+  char *sp = RSTRING_PTR(a->str);
+
+  /* need not to show internal data */
+  if (sp[0] == '-') { /* first element */
+    sp[0] = '#';
+    mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, a->str, " ");
+  }
+  else {
+    mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, a->str, ", ");
+  }
+  s = mrb_sym_name_len(mrb, sym, &len);
+  mrb_str_cat(mrb, a->str, s, len);
+  mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, a->str, "=");
+  ins = mrb_inspect(mrb, v);
+  mrb_str_cat_str(mrb, a->str, ins);
+  return 0;
+}
+
 /* 15.3.1.3.17 */
 /*
  *  call-seq:
@@ -60,7 +104,13 @@ MRB_API mrb_value
 mrb_obj_inspect(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value obj)
 {
   if (mrb_object_p(obj) && mrb_obj_basic_to_s_p(mrb, obj)) {
-    return mrb_obj_iv_inspect(mrb, mrb_obj_ptr(obj));
+    struct inspect_i a = { obj, mrb_nil_value() };
+    mrb_iv_foreach(mrb, obj, inspect_i, &a);
+    if (!mrb_nil_p(a.str)) {
+      mrb_assert(mrb_string_p(a.str));
+      mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, a.str, ">");
+      return a.str;
+    }
   }
   return mrb_any_to_s(mrb, obj);
 }
diff --git a/src/variable.c b/src/variable.c
index 70d27c626..e40ede909 100644
--- a/src/variable.c
+++ b/src/variable.c
@@ -596,57 +596,6 @@ mrb_iv_copy(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value dest, mrb_value src)
   }
 }
 
-static int
-inspect_i(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_sym sym, mrb_value v, void *p)
-{
-  mrb_value str = *(mrb_value*)p;
-  const char *s;
-  mrb_int len;
-  mrb_value ins;
-  char *sp = RSTRING_PTR(str);
-
-  /* need not to show internal data */
-  if (sp[0] == '-') { /* first element */
-    sp[0] = '#';
-    mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, str, " ");
-  }
-  else {
-    mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, str, ", ");
-  }
-  s = mrb_sym_name_len(mrb, sym, &len);
-  mrb_str_cat(mrb, str, s, len);
-  mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, str, "=");
-  ins = mrb_inspect(mrb, v);
-  mrb_str_cat_str(mrb, str, ins);
-  return 0;
-}
-
-mrb_value
-mrb_obj_iv_inspect(mrb_state *mrb, struct RObject *obj)
-{
-  iv_tbl *t = obj->iv;
-  size_t len = iv_size(mrb, t);
-
-  if (len > 0) {
-    const char *cn = mrb_obj_classname(mrb, mrb_obj_value(obj));
-    mrb_value str = mrb_str_new_capa(mrb, 30);
-
-    mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, str, "-<");
-    mrb_str_cat_cstr(mrb, str, cn);
-    mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, str, ":");
-    mrb_str_cat_str(mrb, str, mrb_ptr_to_str(mrb, obj));
-
-    if (MRB_RECURSIVE_UNARY_P(mrb, MRB_SYM(inspect), mrb_obj_value(obj))) {
-      mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, str, " ...>");
-      return str;
-    }
-    iv_foreach(mrb, t, inspect_i, &str);
-    mrb_str_cat_lit(mrb, str, ">");
-    return str;
-  }
-  return mrb_any_to_s(mrb, mrb_obj_value(obj));
-}
-
 /*
  * Removes an instance variable from an object.
  *