diff --git a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/geom/main.py b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/geom/main.py
index fc9430bf8a..29ba26e92b 100644
--- a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/geom/main.py
+++ b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/geom/main.py
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ from ..entity_instance import entity_instance
 
 from . import has_occ
 
-from typing import TypeVar, Union, Optional, Generator, Any, Literal, overload
+from typing import TypeVar, Union, Optional, Generator, Any, Literal, overload, TYPE_CHECKING
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from OCC.Core import TopoDS
 
 T = TypeVar("T")
 ShapeElementType = Union[
@@ -356,7 +359,7 @@ def create_shape(
     inst: entity_instance,
     repr: Optional[entity_instance] = None,
     geometry_library: GEOMETRY_LIBRARY = "opencascade",
-) -> Union[ShapeType, ShapeElementType, ifcopenshell_wrapper.Transformation]:
+) -> Union[ShapeType, ShapeElementType, ifcopenshell_wrapper.Transformation, utils.shape_tuple, TopoDS.TopoDS_Shape]:
     """
     Return a geometric representation from STEP-based IFCREPRESENTATIONSHAPE
     or
@@ -368,14 +371,18 @@ def create_shape(
     :raises RuntimeError: If failed to process shape. You can turn detailed logging to get more details.
 
     :return:
-        - `inst` is IfcProduct and `repr` provided / None -> ShapeElementType
-        - `inst` is IfcRepresentation and `repr` is None -> ShapeType
-        - `inst` is IfcRepresentationItem and `repr` is None -> ShapeType
-        - `inst` is IfcProfileDef and `repr` is None -> ShapeType
-        - `inst` is IfcPlacement / IfcObjectPlacement -> Transformation
-        - `inst` is IfcTypeProduct and `repr` is None -> None
+        - `inst` is IfcProduct and `repr` provided / None -> ShapeElementType\n
+        - `inst` is IfcRepresentation and `repr` is None -> ShapeType\n
+        - `inst` is IfcRepresentationItem and `repr` is None -> ShapeType\n
+        - `inst` is IfcProfileDef and `repr` is None -> ShapeType\n
+        - `inst` is IfcPlacement / IfcObjectPlacement -> Transformation\n
+        - `inst` is IfcTypeProduct and `repr` is None -> None\n
         - `inst` is IfcTypeProduct and `repr` is provided -> RuntimeError
-        (for IfcTypeProducts provide just IfcRepresentation as `inst`).
+        (for IfcTypeProducts provide just IfcRepresentation as `inst`).\n
+
+        If 'use-python-opencascade' is enabled in settings then\n
+        - instead of ShapeElementType it returns shape_tuple, \n
+        - instead of ShapeType it returns TopoDS.TopoDS_Shape.
 
     Example:
 
diff --git a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/geom/occ_utils.py b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/geom/occ_utils.py
index 2b230a4168..b5e8b1ccae 100644
--- a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/geom/occ_utils.py
+++ b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/geom/occ_utils.py
@@ -17,11 +17,14 @@
 # along with IfcOpenShell.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 
+from __future__ import annotations
 import random
 import operator
 import warnings
+import ifcopenshell.ifcopenshell_wrapper as ifcopenshell_wrapper
 
-from collections import namedtuple
+from typing import NamedTuple, Any, Union
+from typing_extensions import assert_never
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 
 import OCC
@@ -35,7 +38,13 @@ except ImportError:
 
     USE_OCCT_HANDLE = True
 
-shape_tuple = namedtuple("shape_tuple", ("data", "geometry", "styles", "style_ids"))
+
+class shape_tuple(NamedTuple):
+    data: Union[ifcopenshell_wrapper.SerializedElement, ifcopenshell_wrapper.Serialization]
+    geometry: TopoDS.TopoDS_Shape
+    styles: tuple[tuple[float, float, float, float], ...]
+    style_ids: tuple[int, ...]
+
 
 handle, main_loop, add_menu, add_function_to_menu = None, None, None, None
 
@@ -217,22 +226,26 @@ def serialize_shape(shape):
     return shapes.WriteToString()
 
 
-def create_shape_from_serialization(brep_object):
+def create_shape_from_serialization(
+    brep_object: Union[ifcopenshell_wrapper.SerializedElement, ifcopenshell_wrapper.Serialization]
+) -> Union[shape_tuple, TopoDS.TopoDS_Shape]:
     brep_data, occ_shape, styles, style_ids = None, None, (), ()
 
     is_product_shape = True
-    try:
+    if isinstance(brep_object, ifcopenshell_wrapper.SerializedElement):
         brep_data = brep_object.geometry.brep_data
         styles = brep_object.geometry.surface_styles
         style_ids = brep_object.geometry.surface_style_ids
-    except BaseException:
+    elif isinstance(brep_object, ifcopenshell_wrapper.Serialization):
         try:
             brep_data = brep_object.brep_data
             styles = brep_object.surface_styles
             style_ids = brep_object.surface_style_ids
             is_product_shape = False
-        except BaseException:
-            pass
+        except BaseException as e:
+            print("Error occurred creating a shape:", e)
+    else:
+        assert_never(brep_object)
 
     styles = tuple(styles[i : i + 4] for i in range(0, len(styles), 4))