diff --git a/arraycontext/impl/numpy/__init__.py b/arraycontext/impl/numpy/__init__.py
index 89c4e885b34546d81c15f6d7de426241de27ebce..28910150feb4d0124cd633a00731cb2ff39abf37 100644
--- a/arraycontext/impl/numpy/__init__.py
+++ b/arraycontext/impl/numpy/__init__.py
@@ -30,16 +30,24 @@ OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
 THE SOFTWARE.
 """
 
-from typing import Dict, Sequence, Union
+from typing import Any, Dict, Sequence, Union
 
 import numpy as np
 
 import loopy as lp
 from pytools.tag import Tag
 
+from arraycontext.container.traversal import rec_map_array_container, with_array_context
 from arraycontext.context import ArrayContext
-from arraycontext.container.traversal import (
-    rec_map_array_container, with_array_context)
+
+
+class NumpyNonObjectArrayMetaclass(type):
+    def __instancecheck__(cls, instance: Any) -> bool:
+        return isinstance(instance, np.ndarray) and instance.dtype != object
+
+
+class NumpyNonObjectArray(metaclass=NumpyNonObjectArrayMetaclass):
+    pass
 
 
 class NumpyArrayContext(ArrayContext):
@@ -53,7 +61,7 @@ class NumpyArrayContext(ArrayContext):
         self._loopy_transform_cache: \
                 Dict[lp.TranslationUnit, lp.TranslationUnit] = {}
 
-        self.array_types = (np.ndarray,)
+    array_types = (NumpyNonObjectArray,)
 
     def _get_fake_numpy_namespace(self):
         from .fake_numpy import NumpyFakeNumpyNamespace