diff --git a/kafka/admin/client.py b/kafka/admin/client.py
index 82edbc868..8266c7bfb 100644
--- a/kafka/admin/client.py
+++ b/kafka/admin/client.py
@@ -1236,7 +1236,7 @@ def _describe_consumer_groups_process_response(self, response):
             for response_field, response_name in zip(response.SCHEMA.fields, response.SCHEMA.names):
                 if isinstance(response_field, Array):
                     described_groups_field_schema = response_field.array_of
-                    described_group = response.__dict__[response_name][0]
+                    described_group = getattr(response, response_name)[0]
                     described_group_information_list = []
                     protocol_type_is_consumer = False
                     for (described_group_information, group_information_name, group_information_field) in zip(described_group, described_groups_field_schema.names, described_groups_field_schema.fields):
diff --git a/kafka/protocol/struct.py b/kafka/protocol/struct.py
index e9da6e6c1..d4adb8832 100644
--- a/kafka/protocol/struct.py
+++ b/kafka/protocol/struct.py
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@ class Struct(AbstractType):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         if len(args) == len(self.SCHEMA.fields):
             for i, name in enumerate(self.SCHEMA.names):
-                self.__dict__[name] = args[i]
+                setattr(self, name, args[i])
         elif len(args) > 0:
             raise ValueError('Args must be empty or mirror schema')
         else:
             for name in self.SCHEMA.names:
-                self.__dict__[name] = kwargs.pop(name, None)
+                setattr(self, name, kwargs.pop(name, None))
             if kwargs:
                 raise ValueError('Keyword(s) not in schema %s: %s'
                                  % (list(self.SCHEMA.names),
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         # causes instances to "leak" to garbage
         self.encode = WeakMethod(self._encode_self)
 
-
     @classmethod
     def encode(cls, item):  # pylint: disable=E0202
         bits = []
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ def encode(cls, item):  # pylint: disable=E0202
 
     def _encode_self(self):
         return self.SCHEMA.encode(
-            [self.__dict__[name] for name in self.SCHEMA.names]
+            [getattr(self, name) for name in self.SCHEMA.names]
         )
 
     @classmethod
@@ -52,12 +51,12 @@ def decode(cls, data):
     def get_item(self, name):
         if name not in self.SCHEMA.names:
             raise KeyError("%s is not in the schema" % name)
-        return self.__dict__[name]
+        return getattr(self, name)
 
     def __repr__(self):
         key_vals = []
         for name, field in zip(self.SCHEMA.names, self.SCHEMA.fields):
-            key_vals.append('%s=%s' % (name, field.repr(self.__dict__[name])))
+            key_vals.append('%s=%s' % (name, field.repr(getattr(self, name))))
         return self.__class__.__name__ + '(' + ', '.join(key_vals) + ')'
 
     def __hash__(self):
@@ -67,6 +66,6 @@ def __eq__(self, other):
         if self.SCHEMA != other.SCHEMA:
             return False
         for attr in self.SCHEMA.names:
-            if self.__dict__[attr] != other.__dict__[attr]:
+            if getattr(self, attr) != getattr(other, attr):
                 return False
         return True
diff --git a/test/test_object_conversion.py b/test/test_object_conversion.py
index a48eb0601..f1d584091 100644
--- a/test/test_object_conversion.py
+++ b/test/test_object_conversion.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class TestClass(superclass):
         assert tc.get_item('myobject') == 0
         with pytest.raises(KeyError):
             tc.get_item('does-not-exist')
-        
+
     def test_with_empty_schema(self, superclass):
         class TestClass(superclass):
             API_KEY = 0
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class TestClass(superclass):
                     ('subobject', Int16),
                     ('othersubobject', String('utf-8')))),
                 ('notarray', Int16))
-        
+
         tc = TestClass(
             myarray=[[10, 'hello']],
             notarray=42
@@ -185,7 +185,6 @@ def test_with_metadata_response():
         ]]
     )
     tc.encode()  # Make sure this object encodes successfully
-    
 
     obj = tc.to_object()