diff --git a/py-polars/src/dataframe/export.rs b/py-polars/src/dataframe/export.rs
index f595ac92f02c..cfd6f1406ef2 100644
--- a/py-polars/src/dataframe/export.rs
+++ b/py-polars/src/dataframe/export.rs
@@ -140,6 +140,6 @@ impl PyDataFrame {
         requested_schema: Option<PyObject>,
     ) -> PyResult<Bound<'py, PyCapsule>> {
         self.df.align_chunks();
-        dataframe_to_stream(self.df.clone(), py)
+        dataframe_to_stream(&self.df, py)
     }
 }
diff --git a/py-polars/src/interop/arrow/to_py.rs b/py-polars/src/interop/arrow/to_py.rs
index 17a89ff1eccc..2581a52f34ce 100644
--- a/py-polars/src/interop/arrow/to_py.rs
+++ b/py-polars/src/interop/arrow/to_py.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@ pub(crate) fn series_to_stream<'py>(
     PyCapsule::new_bound(py, stream, Some(stream_capsule_name))
 }
 
-pub(crate) fn dataframe_to_stream(df: DataFrame, py: Python) -> PyResult<Bound<'_, PyCapsule>> {
+pub(crate) fn dataframe_to_stream<'py>(
+    df: &'py DataFrame,
+    py: Python<'py>,
+) -> PyResult<Bound<'py, PyCapsule>> {
     let iter = Box::new(DataFrameStreamIterator::new(df));
     let field = iter.field();
     let stream = ffi::export_iterator(iter, field);
@@ -87,7 +90,7 @@ pub struct DataFrameStreamIterator {
 }
 
 impl DataFrameStreamIterator {
-    fn new(df: DataFrame) -> Self {
+    fn new(df: &DataFrame) -> Self {
         let schema = df.schema().to_arrow(CompatLevel::newest());
         let data_type = ArrowDataType::Struct(schema.fields);