diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Callables.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Callables.qll
index aac3dfcdc5c..6eefaf7a762 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Callables.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Callables.qll
@@ -156,6 +156,8 @@ class PythonFunctionObjectInternal extends CallableObjectInternal, TPythonFuncti
         function = this and offset = 0
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 
@@ -277,6 +279,8 @@ class BuiltinFunctionObjectInternal extends CallableObjectInternal, TBuiltinFunc
         function = this and offset = 0
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 /** Class representing methods of built-in classes (otherwise known as method-descriptors) such as `list.append`.
@@ -367,6 +371,8 @@ class BuiltinMethodObjectInternal extends CallableObjectInternal, TBuiltinMethod
         function = this and offset = 0
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 /** Class representing bound-methods.
@@ -453,6 +459,8 @@ class BoundMethodObjectInternal extends CallableObjectInternal, TBoundMethod {
         function = this.getFunction() and offset = 1
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { any() }
+
 }
 
 
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Classes.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Classes.qll
index d852e1ce86f..a1b278d37a2 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Classes.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Classes.qll
@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@ abstract class ClassObjectInternal extends ObjectInternal {
     }
 
     override predicate subscriptUnknown() { none() }
+
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 /** Class representing Python source classes */
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Constants.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Constants.qll
index eeddfbe559c..39eceb6fee7 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Constants.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Constants.qll
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ abstract class ConstantObjectInternal extends ObjectInternal {
 
     override string getName() { none() }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 private abstract class BooleanObjectInternal extends ConstantObjectInternal {
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Descriptors.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Descriptors.qll
index 3dd31ce7e23..9ed37ab2e05 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Descriptors.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Descriptors.qll
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ class PropertyInternal extends ObjectInternal, TProperty {
         )
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
 }
 
 /** A class representing classmethods in Python */
@@ -176,6 +177,8 @@ class ClassMethodObjectInternal extends ObjectInternal, TClassMethod {
         result = this.getFunction().getName()
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 class StaticMethodObjectInternal extends ObjectInternal, TStaticMethod {
@@ -247,4 +250,6 @@ class StaticMethodObjectInternal extends ObjectInternal, TStaticMethod {
         result = this.getFunction().getName()
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Instances.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Instances.qll
index b2dc7eb07d0..7109bffc7c5 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Instances.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Instances.qll
@@ -160,6 +160,8 @@ class SpecificInstanceInternal extends TSpecificInstance, InstanceObject {
         )
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 /** A class representing context-free instances represented by `self` in the source code
@@ -262,6 +264,8 @@ class SelfInstanceInternal extends TSelfInstance, InstanceObject {
         this.getClass().attribute("__init__", init, _)
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 /** A class representing a value that has a known class, but no other information */
@@ -366,6 +370,8 @@ class UnknownInstanceInternal extends TUnknownInstance, ObjectInternal {
 
     override string getName() { none() }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { any() }
+
 }
 
 private int lengthFromClass(ClassObjectInternal cls) {
@@ -472,5 +478,7 @@ class SuperInstance extends TSuperInstance, ObjectInternal {
 
     override string getName() { none() }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { any() }
+
 }
 
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Modules.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Modules.qll
index 5edc710c2b3..b0f5cb78661 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Modules.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Modules.qll
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ abstract class ModuleObjectInternal extends ObjectInternal {
         any(PackageObjectInternal package).getInitModule() = this
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 /** A class representing built-in modules */
@@ -308,10 +310,6 @@ class AbsentModuleObjectInternal extends ModuleObjectInternal, TAbsentModule {
         none()
     }
 
-    override predicate isMissing() {
-        any()
-    }
-
 }
 
 /** A class representing an attribute of a missing module. */
@@ -397,12 +395,10 @@ class AbsentModuleAttributeObjectInternal extends ObjectInternal, TAbsentModuleA
 
     override predicate subscriptUnknown() { any() }
 
-    override predicate isMissing() {
-        any()
-    }
-
     /* We know what this is called, but not its innate name */
     override string getName() { none() }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/ObjectAPI.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/ObjectAPI.qll
index 477aa1aac68..36cf48afdd7 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/ObjectAPI.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/ObjectAPI.qll
@@ -78,14 +78,6 @@ class Value extends TObject {
         this.(ObjectInternal).isBuiltin()
     }
 
-    /** Holds if this value represents an entity that is inferred to exist,
-     * but missing from the database.
-     * Most commonly, this is a module that is imported, but wasn't present during extraction.
-     */
-    predicate isMissing() {
-        this.(ObjectInternal).isMissing()
-    }
-
     predicate hasLocationInfo(string filepath, int bl, int bc, int el, int ec) {
         this.(ObjectInternal).getOrigin().getLocation().hasLocationInfo(filepath, bl, bc, el, ec)
         or
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/ObjectInternal.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/ObjectInternal.qll
index b5cf48eab04..ee62308abe2 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/ObjectInternal.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/ObjectInternal.qll
@@ -155,11 +155,12 @@ class ObjectInternal extends TObject {
      */
     predicate functionAndOffset(CallableObjectInternal function, int offset) { none() }
 
-    /** Holds if this 'object' represents an entity that is inferred to exist
-     * but is missing from the database */
-    predicate isMissing() {
-        none()
-    }
+    /** Holds if this 'object' represents an entity that should be exposed to the legacy points_to API
+     * This should hold for almost all objects that do not have an underlying DB object representing their source,
+     * for example `super` objects and bound-method. This should not hold for objects that are inferred to exists by
+     * an import statements or the like, but which aren't in the database. */
+     /* This predicate can be removed when the legacy points_to API is removed. */
+    abstract predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject();
 
     /** Gets the name of this of this object if it has a meaningful name.
      * Note that the name of an object is not necessarily the name by which it is called
@@ -249,6 +250,9 @@ class BuiltinOpaqueObjectInternal extends ObjectInternal, TBuiltinOpaqueObject {
     override string getName() {
         result = this.getBuiltin().getName()
     }
+
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 
@@ -326,6 +330,8 @@ class UnknownInternal extends ObjectInternal, TUnknown {
 
     override string getName() { none() }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 class UndefinedInternal extends ObjectInternal, TUndefined {
@@ -404,6 +410,8 @@ class UndefinedInternal extends ObjectInternal, TUndefined {
 
     override string getName() { none() }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 module ObjectInternal {
@@ -498,6 +506,7 @@ module ObjectInternal {
         result.(BuiltinTupleObjectInternal).length() = 0
     }
 
+
 }
 
 /** Helper for boolean predicates returning both `true` and `false` */
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Sequences.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Sequences.qll
index 7c72c7ade2f..4b062c46dfe 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Sequences.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/objects/Sequences.qll
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ class BuiltinTupleObjectInternal extends TBuiltinTuple, TupleObjectInternal {
             result = count(int n | exists(b.getItem(n)))
         )
     }
+
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 /** A tuple declared by a tuple expression in the Python source code */
@@ -148,6 +151,8 @@ class PythonTupleObjectInternal extends TPythonTuple, TupleObjectInternal {
         )
     }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { none() }
+
 }
 
 /** A tuple created by a `*` parameter */
@@ -176,6 +181,9 @@ class VarargsTupleObjectInternal extends TVarargsTuple,  TupleObjectInternal {
     override int length() {
         this = TVarargsTuple(_, _, _, result)
     }
+
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { any() }
+
 }
 
 
@@ -256,4 +264,6 @@ class SysVersionInfoObjectInternal extends TSysVersionInfo, SequenceObjectIntern
 
     override predicate functionAndOffset(CallableObjectInternal function, int offset) { none() }
 
+    override predicate useOriginAsLegacyObject() { any() }
+
 }
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/pointsto/PointsTo.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/pointsto/PointsTo.qll
index f750d31ad3f..786aae79916 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/pointsto/PointsTo.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/pointsto/PointsTo.qll
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ module PointsTo {
             PointsToInternal::pointsTo(f, context, value, origin) and
             cls = value.getClass().getSource() |
             obj = value.getSource() or
-            not exists(value.getSource()) and not value.isMissing() and obj = origin
+            value.useOriginAsLegacyObject() and obj = origin
         )
         or
         /* Backwards compatibility for *args and **kwargs */
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ module PointsTo {
             PointsToInternal::pointsTo(f.(DefinitionNode).getValue(), context, value, origin) and
             cls = value.getClass().getSource() |
             obj = value.getSource() or
-            not exists(value.getSource()) and obj = origin
+            value.useOriginAsLegacyObject() and obj = origin
         )
     }
 
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/regex.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/regex.qll
index 652c89147a2..04ac4b407a8 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/regex.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/regex.qll
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import python
+import semmle.python.objects.ObjectInternal
 
 private predicate re_module_function(string name, int flags) {
     name = "compile" and flags = 1 or
@@ -14,44 +15,42 @@ private predicate re_module_function(string name, int flags) {
 predicate used_as_regex(Expr s, string mode) {
     (s instanceof Bytes or s instanceof Unicode)
     and
-    exists(ModuleObject re | re.getName() = "re" |
+    exists(ModuleValue re | re.getName() = "re" |
         /* Call to re.xxx(regex, ... [mode]) */
         exists(CallNode call, string name |
             call.getArg(0).refersTo(_, _, s.getAFlowNode()) and
-            call.getFunction().refersTo(re.attr(name)) |
+            call.getFunction().pointsTo(re.attr(name)) |
             mode = "None"
             or
-            exists(Object obj |
+            exists(Value obj |
                 mode = mode_from_mode_object(obj) |
                 exists(int flags_arg |
                     re_module_function(name, flags_arg) and
-                    call.getArg(flags_arg).refersTo(obj)
+                    call.getArg(flags_arg).pointsTo(obj)
                 )
                 or
-                call.getArgByName("flags").refersTo(obj)
+                call.getArgByName("flags").pointsTo(obj)
             )
         )
     )
 }
 
-string mode_from_mode_object(Object obj) {
+string mode_from_mode_object(Value obj) {
     (
         result = "DEBUG" or result = "IGNORECASE" or result = "LOCALE" or
         result = "MULTILINE" or result = "DOTALL" or result = "UNICODE" or
         result = "VERBOSE"
     ) and
-    obj = ModuleObject::named("sre_constants").attr("SRE_FLAG_" + result)
-    or
-    exists(BinaryExpr be, Object sub | obj.getOrigin() = be |
-        be.getOp() instanceof BitOr and
-        be.getASubExpression().refersTo(sub) and
-        result = mode_from_mode_object(sub)
+    exists(int flag |
+        flag = Value::named("sre_constants.SRE_FLAG_" + result).(ObjectInternal).intValue()
+        and
+        obj.(ObjectInternal).intValue().bitAnd(flag) = flag
     )
 }
 
 /** A StrConst used as a regular expression */
 abstract class RegexString extends Expr {
-  
+
     RegexString() {
         (this instanceof Bytes or this instanceof Unicode)
     }
diff --git a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/types/Extensions.qll b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/types/Extensions.qll
index b4e01e47285..a97c620951c 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/semmle/python/types/Extensions.qll
+++ b/python/ql/src/semmle/python/types/Extensions.qll
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ import python
 private import semmle.python.pointsto.PointsTo
 private import semmle.python.pointsto.PointsToContext
 private import semmle.python.objects.TObject
-private import semmle.python.objects.ObjectInternal
 private import semmle.python.web.HttpConstants
 
+/* Make ObjectInternal visible to save extra imports in user code */
+import semmle.python.objects.ObjectInternal
+
 abstract class PointsToExtension extends @py_flow_node {
 
     string toString() { none() }
diff --git a/python/ql/test/3/library-tests/PointsTo/attributes/Test.expected b/python/ql/test/3/library-tests/PointsTo/attributes/Test.expected
index 7286fb20959..0adb7c86bef 100644
--- a/python/ql/test/3/library-tests/PointsTo/attributes/Test.expected
+++ b/python/ql/test/3/library-tests/PointsTo/attributes/Test.expected
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-| 1 | ControlFlowNode for unicode_literals | ImportMember | 1 |
 | 2 | ControlFlowNode for C | class C | 2 |
 | 2 | ControlFlowNode for ClassExpr | class C | 2 |
 | 2 | ControlFlowNode for object | builtin-class object | 2 |
diff --git a/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/extensions/Extend.expected b/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/extensions/Extend.expected
index c728fb74233..791f854e105 100644
--- a/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/extensions/Extend.expected
+++ b/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/extensions/Extend.expected
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
-WARNING: Type CustomPointsToAttribute has been deprecated and may be removed in future (Extend.ql:26,35-58)
-WARNING: Type CustomPointsToObjectFact has been deprecated and may be removed in future (Extend.ql:41,32-56)
-WARNING: Type CustomPointsToOriginFact has been deprecated and may be removed in future (Extend.ql:8,28-52)
+WARNING: Predicate points_to has been deprecated and may be removed in future (Extend.ql:58,9-28)
+WARNING: Type CustomPointsToAttribute has been deprecated and may be removed in future (Extend.ql:27,35-58)
+WARNING: Type CustomPointsToObjectFact has been deprecated and may be removed in future (Extend.ql:42,32-56)
+WARNING: Type CustomPointsToOriginFact has been deprecated and may be removed in future (Extend.ql:9,28-52)
+WARNING: Type CustomPointsToOriginFact has been deprecated and may be removed in future (Extend.ql:55,38-62)
 | test.py:4:1:4:3 | ControlFlowNode for one | int 1 |
 | test.py:5:1:5:3 | ControlFlowNode for two | int 2 |
 | test.py:8:1:8:1 | ControlFlowNode for IntegerLiteral | int 1 |
diff --git a/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/extensions/Extend.ql b/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/extensions/Extend.ql
index b947bd0a900..af4a696ea4f 100644
--- a/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/extensions/Extend.ql
+++ b/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/extensions/Extend.ql
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import python
 
+import semmle.python.pointsto.PointsTo
 private import semmle.python.types.Extensions
 
 
@@ -50,6 +51,18 @@ class NoClassExtension extends CustomPointsToObjectFact {
 
 }
 
+/* Check that we can use old API without causing non-monotonic recursion */
+class RecurseIntoOldPointsTo extends CustomPointsToOriginFact {
+
+    RecurseIntoOldPointsTo() {
+        PointsTo::points_to(this, _, unknownValue(), _, _)
+    }
+
+    override predicate pointsTo(Object value, ClassObject cls) {
+        value = unknownValue() and cls = theUnknownType()
+    }
+}
+
 
 from ControlFlowNode f, Object o
 where f.getLocation().getFile().getBaseName() = "test.py" and f.refersTo(o)
diff --git a/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/general/GlobalPointsTo.expected b/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/general/GlobalPointsTo.expected
index 806114fee02..e394f72918f 100644
--- a/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/general/GlobalPointsTo.expected
+++ b/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/general/GlobalPointsTo.expected
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@
 | Module pointsto_test | 76 | ControlFlowNode for sys | Module sys |
 | Module pointsto_test | 76 | ControlFlowNode for type | builtin-class type |
 | Module pointsto_test | 76 | ControlFlowNode for type() | builtin-class module |
-| Module pointsto_test | 77 | ControlFlowNode for unknown | ImportMember |
 | Module pointsto_test | 78 | ControlFlowNode for type | builtin-class type |
 | Module pointsto_test | 79 | ControlFlowNode for Dict | Dict |
 | Module pointsto_test | 79 | ControlFlowNode for Tuple | Tuple |
diff --git a/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/general/LocalPointsTo.expected b/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/general/LocalPointsTo.expected
index 787c36bded4..1960aa00095 100644
--- a/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/general/LocalPointsTo.expected
+++ b/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/general/LocalPointsTo.expected
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@
 | 76 | ControlFlowNode for sys | Module sys |
 | 76 | ControlFlowNode for type | builtin-class type |
 | 76 | ControlFlowNode for type() | builtin-class module |
-| 77 | ControlFlowNode for unknown | ImportMember |
 | 78 | ControlFlowNode for type | builtin-class type |
 | 79 | ControlFlowNode for Dict | Dict |
 | 79 | ControlFlowNode for Tuple | Tuple |
diff --git a/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/new/PointsToWithContext.expected b/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/new/PointsToWithContext.expected
index 13d6eaa88f1..5b4b438bbab 100644
--- a/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/new/PointsToWithContext.expected
+++ b/python/ql/test/library-tests/PointsTo/new/PointsToWithContext.expected
@@ -1142,7 +1142,6 @@ WARNING: Predicate points_to has been deprecated and may be removed in future (P
 | t_type.py:7 | ControlFlowNode for sys | Module sys | builtin-class module | 1 | import |
 | t_type.py:7 | ControlFlowNode for type | builtin-class type | builtin-class type | 7 | import |
 | t_type.py:7 | ControlFlowNode for type() | builtin-class module | builtin-class type | 7 | import |
-| t_type.py:8 | ControlFlowNode for unknown | ImportMember | *UNKNOWN TYPE* | 8 | import |
 | t_type.py:9 | ControlFlowNode for type | builtin-class type | builtin-class type | 9 | import |
 | t_type.py:9 | ControlFlowNode for type() | *UNKNOWN TYPE* | *UNKNOWN TYPE* | 9 | import |
 | t_type.py:10 | ControlFlowNode for Dict | Dict | builtin-class dict | 10 | import |
diff --git a/python/ql/test/library-tests/regex/options b/python/ql/test/library-tests/regex/options
index e7a518df45b..be048160aeb 100644
--- a/python/ql/test/library-tests/regex/options
+++ b/python/ql/test/library-tests/regex/options
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 semmle-extractor-options: --max-import-depth=3
+optimize: true