diff --git a/crates/polars-python/src/dataframe/general.rs b/crates/polars-python/src/dataframe/general.rs
index 543a32eb98d9..af0ff8928bdb 100644
--- a/crates/polars-python/src/dataframe/general.rs
+++ b/crates/polars-python/src/dataframe/general.rs
@@ -651,13 +651,6 @@ impl PyDataFrame {
         })
     }
 
-    pub fn unnest(&self, py: Python, columns: Vec<String>) -> PyResult<Self> {
-        let df = py
-            .allow_threads(|| self.df.unnest(columns))
-            .map_err(PyPolarsErr::from)?;
-        Ok(df.into())
-    }
-
     pub fn clear(&self, py: Python) -> Self {
         py.allow_threads(|| self.df.clear()).into()
     }
diff --git a/py-polars/polars/dataframe/frame.py b/py-polars/polars/dataframe/frame.py
index fc6f892a25ca..3c04447a9a6b 100644
--- a/py-polars/polars/dataframe/frame.py
+++ b/py-polars/polars/dataframe/frame.py
@@ -11261,8 +11261,7 @@ def unnest(
         │ bar    ┆ 2   ┆ b   ┆ null ┆ [3]       ┆ womp  │
         └────────┴─────┴─────┴──────┴───────────┴───────┘
         """
-        columns = _expand_selectors(self, columns, *more_columns)
-        return self._from_pydf(self._df.unnest(columns))
+        return self.lazy().unnest(columns, *more_columns).collect(_eager=True)
 
     def corr(self, **kwargs: Any) -> DataFrame:
         """
diff --git a/py-polars/tests/unit/constructors/test_constructors.py b/py-polars/tests/unit/constructors/test_constructors.py
index dbeb26484bd0..af801301b16a 100644
--- a/py-polars/tests/unit/constructors/test_constructors.py
+++ b/py-polars/tests/unit/constructors/test_constructors.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, TypeAdapter
 
 import polars as pl
+import polars.selectors as cs
 from polars._utils.construction.utils import try_get_type_hints
 from polars.datatypes import numpy_char_code_to_dtype
 from polars.dependencies import dataclasses, pydantic
@@ -1397,24 +1398,23 @@ def test_from_records_nullable_structs() -> None:
     assert series.to_list() == []
 
 
-def test_from_categorical_in_struct_defined_by_schema() -> None:
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("unnest_column", ["a", pl.col("a"), cs.by_name("a")])
+def test_from_categorical_in_struct_defined_by_schema(unnest_column: Any) -> None:
     df = pl.DataFrame(
-        {
-            "a": [
-                {"value": "foo", "counts": 1},
-                {"value": "bar", "counts": 2},
-            ]
-        },
+        {"a": [{"value": "foo", "counts": 1}, {"value": "bar", "counts": 2}]},
         schema={"a": pl.Struct({"value": pl.Categorical, "counts": pl.UInt32})},
     )
 
-    result = df.unnest("a")
-
     expected = pl.DataFrame(
         {"value": ["foo", "bar"], "counts": [1, 2]},
         schema={"value": pl.Categorical, "counts": pl.UInt32},
     )
-    assert_frame_equal(result, expected, categorical_as_str=True)
+
+    res_eager = df.unnest(unnest_column)
+    assert_frame_equal(res_eager, expected, categorical_as_str=True)
+
+    res_lazy = df.lazy().unnest(unnest_column)
+    assert_frame_equal(res_lazy.collect(), expected, categorical_as_str=True)
 
 
 def test_nested_schema_construction() -> None: