Index: mlir/lib/Bindings/Python/IRAttributes.cpp
===================================================================
--- mlir/lib/Bindings/Python/IRAttributes.cpp
+++ mlir/lib/Bindings/Python/IRAttributes.cpp
@@ -7,12 +7,15 @@
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 
 #include <optional>
+#include <string_view>
 #include <utility>
 
 #include "IRModule.h"
 
 #include "PybindUtils.h"
 
+#include "llvm/ADT/ScopeExit.h"
+
 #include "mlir-c/BuiltinAttributes.h"
 #include "mlir-c/BuiltinTypes.h"
 #include "mlir/Bindings/Python/PybindAdaptors.h"
@@ -612,19 +615,20 @@
                 std::optional<std::vector<int64_t>> explicitShape,
                 DefaultingPyMlirContext contextWrapper) {
     // Request a contiguous view. In exotic cases, this will cause a copy.
-    int flags = PyBUF_C_CONTIGUOUS | PyBUF_FORMAT;
-    Py_buffer *view = new Py_buffer();
-    if (PyObject_GetBuffer(array.ptr(), view, flags) != 0) {
-      delete view;
+    int flags = PyBUF_ND;
+    if (!explicitType) {
+      flags |= PyBUF_FORMAT;
+    }
+    Py_buffer view;
+    if (PyObject_GetBuffer(array.ptr(), &view, flags) != 0) {
       throw py::error_already_set();
     }
-    py::buffer_info arrayInfo(view);
+    auto freeBuffer = llvm::make_scope_exit([&]() { PyBuffer_Release(&view); });
     SmallVector<int64_t> shape;
     if (explicitShape) {
       shape.append(explicitShape->begin(), explicitShape->end());
     } else {
-      shape.append(arrayInfo.shape.begin(),
-                   arrayInfo.shape.begin() + arrayInfo.ndim);
+      shape.append(view.shape, view.shape + view.ndim);
     }
 
     MlirAttribute encodingAttr = mlirAttributeGetNull();
@@ -638,85 +642,91 @@
     std::optional<MlirType> bulkLoadElementType;
     if (explicitType) {
       bulkLoadElementType = *explicitType;
-    } else if (arrayInfo.format == "f") {
-      // f32
-      assert(arrayInfo.itemsize == 4 && "mismatched array itemsize");
-      bulkLoadElementType = mlirF32TypeGet(context);
-    } else if (arrayInfo.format == "d") {
-      // f64
-      assert(arrayInfo.itemsize == 8 && "mismatched array itemsize");
-      bulkLoadElementType = mlirF64TypeGet(context);
-    } else if (arrayInfo.format == "e") {
-      // f16
-      assert(arrayInfo.itemsize == 2 && "mismatched array itemsize");
-      bulkLoadElementType = mlirF16TypeGet(context);
-    } else if (isSignedIntegerFormat(arrayInfo.format)) {
-      if (arrayInfo.itemsize == 4) {
-        // i32
-        bulkLoadElementType = signless ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 32)
-                                       : mlirIntegerTypeSignedGet(context, 32);
-      } else if (arrayInfo.itemsize == 8) {
-        // i64
-        bulkLoadElementType = signless ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 64)
-                                       : mlirIntegerTypeSignedGet(context, 64);
-      } else if (arrayInfo.itemsize == 1) {
-        // i8
-        bulkLoadElementType = signless ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 8)
-                                       : mlirIntegerTypeSignedGet(context, 8);
-      } else if (arrayInfo.itemsize == 2) {
-        // i16
-        bulkLoadElementType = signless ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 16)
-                                       : mlirIntegerTypeSignedGet(context, 16);
-      }
-    } else if (isUnsignedIntegerFormat(arrayInfo.format)) {
-      if (arrayInfo.itemsize == 4) {
-        // unsigned i32
-        bulkLoadElementType = signless
-                                  ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 32)
-                                  : mlirIntegerTypeUnsignedGet(context, 32);
-      } else if (arrayInfo.itemsize == 8) {
-        // unsigned i64
-        bulkLoadElementType = signless
-                                  ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 64)
-                                  : mlirIntegerTypeUnsignedGet(context, 64);
-      } else if (arrayInfo.itemsize == 1) {
-        // i8
-        bulkLoadElementType = signless ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 8)
-                                       : mlirIntegerTypeUnsignedGet(context, 8);
-      } else if (arrayInfo.itemsize == 2) {
-        // i16
-        bulkLoadElementType = signless
-                                  ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 16)
-                                  : mlirIntegerTypeUnsignedGet(context, 16);
-      }
-    }
-    if (bulkLoadElementType) {
-      MlirType shapedType;
-      if (mlirTypeIsAShaped(*bulkLoadElementType)) {
-        if (explicitShape) {
-          throw std::invalid_argument("Shape can only be specified explicitly "
-                                      "when the type is not a shaped type.");
+    } else {
+      std::string_view format(view.format);
+      if (format == "f") {
+        // f32
+        assert(view.itemsize == 4 && "mismatched array itemsize");
+        bulkLoadElementType = mlirF32TypeGet(context);
+      } else if (format == "d") {
+        // f64
+        assert(view.itemsize == 8 && "mismatched array itemsize");
+        bulkLoadElementType = mlirF64TypeGet(context);
+      } else if (format == "e") {
+        // f16
+        assert(view.itemsize == 2 && "mismatched array itemsize");
+        bulkLoadElementType = mlirF16TypeGet(context);
+      } else if (isSignedIntegerFormat(format)) {
+        if (view.itemsize == 4) {
+          // i32
+          bulkLoadElementType = signless
+                                    ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 32)
+                                    : mlirIntegerTypeSignedGet(context, 32);
+        } else if (view.itemsize == 8) {
+          // i64
+          bulkLoadElementType = signless
+                                    ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 64)
+                                    : mlirIntegerTypeSignedGet(context, 64);
+        } else if (view.itemsize == 1) {
+          // i8
+          bulkLoadElementType = signless ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 8)
+                                         : mlirIntegerTypeSignedGet(context, 8);
+        } else if (view.itemsize == 2) {
+          // i16
+          bulkLoadElementType = signless
+                                    ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 16)
+                                    : mlirIntegerTypeSignedGet(context, 16);
+        }
+      } else if (isUnsignedIntegerFormat(format)) {
+        if (view.itemsize == 4) {
+          // unsigned i32
+          bulkLoadElementType = signless
+                                    ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 32)
+                                    : mlirIntegerTypeUnsignedGet(context, 32);
+        } else if (view.itemsize == 8) {
+          // unsigned i64
+          bulkLoadElementType = signless
+                                    ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 64)
+                                    : mlirIntegerTypeUnsignedGet(context, 64);
+        } else if (view.itemsize == 1) {
+          // i8
+          bulkLoadElementType = signless
+                                    ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 8)
+                                    : mlirIntegerTypeUnsignedGet(context, 8);
+        } else if (view.itemsize == 2) {
+          // i16
+          bulkLoadElementType = signless
+                                    ? mlirIntegerTypeGet(context, 16)
+                                    : mlirIntegerTypeUnsignedGet(context, 16);
         }
-        shapedType = *bulkLoadElementType;
       } else {
-        shapedType = mlirRankedTensorTypeGet(
-            shape.size(), shape.data(), *bulkLoadElementType, encodingAttr);
-      }
-      size_t rawBufferSize = arrayInfo.size * arrayInfo.itemsize;
-      MlirAttribute attr = mlirDenseElementsAttrRawBufferGet(
-          shapedType, rawBufferSize, arrayInfo.ptr);
-      if (mlirAttributeIsNull(attr)) {
         throw std::invalid_argument(
-            "DenseElementsAttr could not be constructed from the given buffer. "
-            "This may mean that the Python buffer layout does not match that "
-            "MLIR expected layout and is a bug.");
+            std::string("unimplemented array format conversion from format: ") +
+            std::string(format));
       }
-      return PyDenseElementsAttribute(contextWrapper->getRef(), attr);
     }
 
-    throw std::invalid_argument(
-        std::string("unimplemented array format conversion from format: ") +
-        arrayInfo.format);
+    MlirType shapedType;
+    if (mlirTypeIsAShaped(*bulkLoadElementType)) {
+      if (explicitShape) {
+        throw std::invalid_argument("Shape can only be specified explicitly "
+                                    "when the type is not a shaped type.");
+      }
+      shapedType = *bulkLoadElementType;
+    } else {
+      shapedType = mlirRankedTensorTypeGet(shape.size(), shape.data(),
+                                           *bulkLoadElementType, encodingAttr);
+    }
+    size_t rawBufferSize = view.len;
+    MlirAttribute attr =
+        mlirDenseElementsAttrRawBufferGet(shapedType, rawBufferSize, view.buf);
+    if (mlirAttributeIsNull(attr)) {
+      throw std::invalid_argument(
+          "DenseElementsAttr could not be constructed from the given buffer. "
+          "This may mean that the Python buffer layout does not match that "
+          "MLIR expected layout and is a bug.");
+    }
+    return PyDenseElementsAttribute(contextWrapper->getRef(), attr);
   }
 
   static PyDenseElementsAttribute getSplat(const PyType &shapedType,
@@ -852,7 +862,7 @@
   }
 
 private:
-  static bool isUnsignedIntegerFormat(const std::string &format) {
+  static bool isUnsignedIntegerFormat(std::string_view format) {
     if (format.empty())
       return false;
     char code = format[0];
@@ -860,7 +870,7 @@
            code == 'Q';
   }
 
-  static bool isSignedIntegerFormat(const std::string &format) {
+  static bool isSignedIntegerFormat(std::string_view format) {
     if (format.empty())
       return false;
     char code = format[0];
Index: mlir/test/python/ir/array_attributes.py
===================================================================
--- mlir/test/python/ir/array_attributes.py
+++ mlir/test/python/ir/array_attributes.py
@@ -30,6 +30,24 @@
             # CHECK: unimplemented array format conversion from format:
             print(e)
 
+# CHECK-LABEL: TEST: testGetDenseElementsUnSupportedTypeOkIfExplicitTypeProvided
+@run
+def testGetDenseElementsUnSupportedTypeOkIfExplicitTypeProvided():
+    with Context():
+        array = np.array([[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]], dtype=np.int64)
+        # datetime64 specifically isn't important: it's just a 64-bit type that
+        # doesn't have a format under the Python buffer protocol. A more
+        # realistic example would be a NumPy extension type like the bfloat16
+        # type from the ml_dtypes package, which isn't a dependency of this
+        # test.
+        attr = DenseElementsAttr.get(array.view(np.datetime64),
+                                     type=IntegerType.get_signless(64))
+        # CHECK: dense<{{\[}}[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]]> : tensor<2x3xi64>
+        print(attr)
+        # CHECK: {{\[}}[1 2 3]
+        # CHECK: {{\[}}4 5 6]]
+        print(np.array(attr))
+
 
 ################################################################################
 # Splats.