diff --git a/src/awkward/_layout.py b/src/awkward/_layout.py
index 4dfd1216a4..f642dd6ed4 100644
--- a/src/awkward/_layout.py
+++ b/src/awkward/_layout.py
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 T = TypeVar("T")
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from awkward._namedaxis import AttrsNamedAxisMapping
     from awkward.highlevel import Array
     from awkward.highlevel import Record as HighLevelRecord
 
@@ -96,7 +95,7 @@ def _ensure_not_finalized(self):
             raise RuntimeError("HighLevelContext has already been finalized")
 
     @property
-    def attrs(self) -> Mapping | AttrsNamedAxisMapping:
+    def attrs(self) -> Mapping:
         self._ensure_finalized()
         if self._attrs is None:
             self._attrs = {}
diff --git a/src/awkward/_namedaxis.py b/src/awkward/_namedaxis.py
index 31cc06e12f..9f0b8d36cc 100644
--- a/src/awkward/_namedaxis.py
+++ b/src/awkward/_namedaxis.py
@@ -24,16 +24,6 @@
 )
 
 
-class AttrsNamedAxisMapping(tp.TypedDict, total=False):
-    __named_axis__: AxisMapping
-
-
-@tp.runtime_checkable
-class MaybeSupportsNamedAxis(tp.Protocol):
-    @property
-    def attrs(self) -> tp.Mapping | AttrsNamedAxisMapping: ...
-
-
 # just a class for inplace mutation
 class NamedAxis:
     mapping: AxisMapping
@@ -92,37 +82,31 @@ def _prettify(ax: AxisName) -> str:
     return delimiter.join(items)
 
 
-def _get_named_axis(
-    ctx: MaybeSupportsNamedAxis | AttrsNamedAxisMapping | tp.Mapping | tp.Any,
-) -> AxisMapping:
+def _get_named_axis(ctx: tp.Any) -> AxisMapping:
     """
-    Retrieves the named axis from the provided context. The context can either be an object that supports named axis
-    or a dictionary that includes a named axis mapping.
+    Retrieves the named axis from the provided context.
 
     Args:
-        ctx (MaybeSupportsNamedAxis | AttrsNamedAxisMapping | Mapping | Any): The context from which the named axis is to be retrieved.
+        ctx (Any): The context from which the named axis is to be retrieved.
 
     Returns:
         AxisMapping: The named axis retrieved from the context. If the context does not include a named axis,
             an empty dictionary is returned.
 
     Examples:
-        >>> class Test(MaybeSupportsNamedAxis):
-        ...     @property
-        ...     def attrs(self):
-        ...         return {NAMED_AXIS_KEY: {"x": 0, "y": 1, "z": 2}}
-        ...
-        >>> _get_named_axis(Test())
-        {"x": 0, "y": 1, "z": 2}
+        >>> _get_named_axis(ak.Array([1, 2, 3], named_axis={"x": 0}))
+        {"x": 0}
+        >>> _get_named_axis(np.array([1, 2, 3]))
+        {}
         >>> _get_named_axis({NAMED_AXIS_KEY: {"x": 0, "y": 1, "z": 2}})
         {"x": 0, "y": 1, "z": 2}
         >>> _get_named_axis({"other_key": "other_value"})
         {}
     """
-    if isinstance(ctx, MaybeSupportsNamedAxis):
+    if hasattr(ctx, "attrs"):
         return _get_named_axis(ctx.attrs)
     elif isinstance(ctx, tp.Mapping) and NAMED_AXIS_KEY in ctx:
-        return ctx[NAMED_AXIS_KEY]
+        return dict(ctx[NAMED_AXIS_KEY])
     else:
         return {}
 
diff --git a/src/awkward/highlevel.py b/src/awkward/highlevel.py
index 5c84a99f31..6d1d6649aa 100644
--- a/src/awkward/highlevel.py
+++ b/src/awkward/highlevel.py
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 from awkward._layout import wrap_layout
 from awkward._namedaxis import (
     NAMED_AXIS_KEY,
-    AttrsNamedAxisMapping,
     AxisMapping,
     NamedAxis,
     _get_named_axis,
@@ -380,7 +379,7 @@ def _update_class(self):
         self.__class__ = get_array_class(self._layout, self._behavior)
 
     @property
-    def attrs(self) -> Mapping | AttrsNamedAxisMapping:
+    def attrs(self) -> Mapping:
         """
         The mutable mapping containing top-level metadata, which is serialised
         with the array during pickling.