diff --git a/py/compile.c b/py/compile.c
index 53108b7062..d1a4d65c8b 100644
--- a/py/compile.c
+++ b/py/compile.c
@@ -1798,7 +1798,8 @@ STATIC void compile_async_for_stmt(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns
     uint try_finally_label = comp_next_label(comp);
 
     compile_node(comp, pns->nodes[1]); // iterator
-    compile_await_object_method(comp, MP_QSTR___aiter__);
+    EMIT_ARG(load_method, MP_QSTR___aiter__, false);
+    EMIT_ARG(call_method, 0, 0, 0);
     compile_store_id(comp, context);
 
     START_BREAK_CONTINUE_BLOCK
diff --git a/tests/basics/async_for.py b/tests/basics/async_for.py
index 6b4e136d59..5fd0540828 100644
--- a/tests/basics/async_for.py
+++ b/tests/basics/async_for.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class AsyncIteratorWrapper:
         print('init')
         self._it = iter(obj)
 
-    async def __aiter__(self):
+    def __aiter__(self):
         print('aiter')
         return self
 
diff --git a/tests/basics/async_for2.py b/tests/basics/async_for2.py
index 89584fcb10..aad23a3e5a 100644
--- a/tests/basics/async_for2.py
+++ b/tests/basics/async_for2.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# test waiting within "async for" aiter/anext functions
+# test waiting within "async for" __anext__ function
 
 import sys
 if sys.implementation.name == 'micropython':
@@ -21,9 +21,8 @@ class ARange:
         self.cur = 0
         self.high = high
 
-    async def __aiter__(self):
+    def __aiter__(self):
         print('aiter')
-        print('f returned:', await f(10))
         return self
 
     async def __anext__(self):
diff --git a/tests/basics/async_for2.py.exp b/tests/basics/async_for2.py.exp
index 886232f7ba..52bbe90c85 100644
--- a/tests/basics/async_for2.py.exp
+++ b/tests/basics/async_for2.py.exp
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 init
 aiter
-f start: 10
-coro yielded: 11
-coro yielded: 12
-f returned: 13
 anext
 f start: 20
 coro yielded: 21