diff --git a/src/udf.rs b/src/udf.rs
index 4570e77a..e7ddb825 100644
--- a/src/udf.rs
+++ b/src/udf.rs
@@ -15,67 +15,23 @@
 // specific language governing permissions and limitations
 // under the License.
 
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::any::Any;
 
 use pyo3::{prelude::*, types::PyTuple};
 
-use datafusion::arrow::array::{make_array, Array, ArrayData, ArrayRef};
+use datafusion::arrow::array::{make_array, Array, ArrayData};
 use datafusion::arrow::datatypes::DataType;
 use datafusion::arrow::pyarrow::FromPyArrow;
 use datafusion::arrow::pyarrow::{PyArrowType, ToPyArrow};
+use datafusion::common::Result;
 use datafusion::error::DataFusionError;
-use datafusion::logical_expr::function::ScalarFunctionImplementation;
-use datafusion::logical_expr::ScalarUDF;
-use datafusion::logical_expr::{create_udf, ColumnarValue};
+use datafusion::logical_expr::{ColumnarValue, ScalarUDFImpl, Volatility};
+use datafusion::logical_expr::{ScalarUDF, Signature};
+use std::fmt::Debug;
 
 use crate::expr::PyExpr;
 use crate::utils::parse_volatility;
 
-/// Create a Rust callable function from a python function that expects pyarrow arrays
-fn pyarrow_function_to_rust(
-    func: PyObject,
-) -> impl Fn(&[ArrayRef]) -> Result<ArrayRef, DataFusionError> {
-    move |args: &[ArrayRef]| -> Result<ArrayRef, DataFusionError> {
-        Python::with_gil(|py| {
-            // 1. cast args to Pyarrow arrays
-            let py_args = args
-                .iter()
-                .map(|arg| {
-                    arg.into_data()
-                        .to_pyarrow(py)
-                        .map_err(|e| DataFusionError::Execution(format!("{e:?}")))
-                })
-                .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
-            let py_args = PyTuple::new_bound(py, py_args);
-
-            // 2. call function
-            let value = func
-                .call_bound(py, py_args, None)
-                .map_err(|e| DataFusionError::Execution(format!("{e:?}")))?;
-
-            // 3. cast to arrow::array::Array
-            let array_data = ArrayData::from_pyarrow_bound(value.bind(py))
-                .map_err(|e| DataFusionError::Execution(format!("{e:?}")))?;
-            Ok(make_array(array_data))
-        })
-    }
-}
-
-/// Create a DataFusion's UDF implementation from a python function
-/// that expects pyarrow arrays. This is more efficient as it performs
-/// a zero-copy of the contents.
-fn to_scalar_function_impl(func: PyObject) -> ScalarFunctionImplementation {
-    // Make the python function callable from rust
-    let pyarrow_func = pyarrow_function_to_rust(func);
-
-    // Convert input/output from datafusion ColumnarValue to arrow arrays
-    Arc::new(move |args: &[ColumnarValue]| {
-        let array_refs = ColumnarValue::values_to_arrays(args)?;
-        let array_result = pyarrow_func(&array_refs)?;
-        Ok(array_result.into())
-    })
-}
-
 /// Represents a PyScalarUDF
 #[pyclass(name = "ScalarUDF", module = "datafusion", subclass)]
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
@@ -94,14 +50,17 @@ impl PyScalarUDF {
         return_type: PyArrowType<DataType>,
         volatility: &str,
     ) -> PyResult<Self> {
-        let function = create_udf(
+        let function = PythonUDF::new(
             name,
             input_types.0,
             return_type.0,
             parse_volatility(volatility)?,
-            to_scalar_function_impl(func),
+            func,
         );
-        Ok(Self { function })
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            function: function.into(),
+        })
     }
 
     /// creates a new PyExpr with the call of the udf
@@ -115,3 +74,111 @@ impl PyScalarUDF {
         Ok(format!("ScalarUDF({})", self.function.name()))
     }
 }
+
+/// Implements [`ScalarUDFImpl`] for functions that have a single signature and
+/// return type.
+pub struct PythonUDF {
+    pub name: String,
+    pub signature: Signature,
+    // input types preserved as its a bit messy to get them from signature
+    pub input_types: Vec<DataType>,
+    pub return_type: DataType,
+    pub func: PyObject,
+}
+
+impl Debug for PythonUDF {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        f.debug_struct("PythonUDF")
+            .field("name", &self.name)
+            .field("signature", &self.signature)
+            .field("input_types", &self.input_types)
+            .field("return_type", &self.return_type)
+            .field("func", &"<FUNC>")
+            .finish()
+    }
+}
+
+impl PythonUDF {
+    /// Create a new `PythonUDF` from a name, input types, return type and
+    /// implementation.
+    pub fn new(
+        name: impl Into<String>,
+        input_types: Vec<DataType>,
+        return_type: DataType,
+        volatility: Volatility,
+        func: PyObject,
+    ) -> Self {
+        Self::new_with_signature(
+            name,
+            Signature::exact(input_types.clone(), volatility),
+            input_types,
+            return_type,
+            func,
+        )
+    }
+
+    /// Create a new `SimpleScalarUDF` from a name, signature, return type and
+    /// implementation.
+    pub fn new_with_signature(
+        name: impl Into<String>,
+        signature: Signature,
+        input_types: Vec<DataType>,
+        return_type: DataType,
+
+        func: PyObject,
+    ) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            name: name.into(),
+            signature,
+            input_types,
+            return_type,
+            func,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl ScalarUDFImpl for PythonUDF {
+    fn as_any(&self) -> &dyn Any {
+        self
+    }
+
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.name
+    }
+
+    fn signature(&self) -> &Signature {
+        &self.signature
+    }
+
+    fn return_type(&self, _arg_types: &[DataType]) -> Result<DataType> {
+        Ok(self.return_type.clone())
+    }
+
+    fn invoke_batch(&self, args: &[ColumnarValue], _number_rows: usize) -> Result<ColumnarValue> {
+        let array_refs = ColumnarValue::values_to_arrays(args)?;
+        let array_data: Result<_> = Python::with_gil(|py| {
+            // 1. cast args to PyArrow arrays
+            let py_args = array_refs
+                .iter()
+                .map(|arg| {
+                    arg.into_data()
+                        .to_pyarrow(py)
+                        .map_err(|e| DataFusionError::Execution(format!("{e:?}")))
+                })
+                .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
+            let py_args = PyTuple::new_bound(py, py_args);
+
+            // 2. call function
+            let value = self
+                .func
+                .call_bound(py, py_args, None)
+                .map_err(|e| DataFusionError::Execution(format!("{e:?}")))?;
+
+            // 3. cast to arrow::array::Array
+            ArrayData::from_pyarrow_bound(value.bind(py))
+                .map_err(|e| DataFusionError::Execution(format!("{e:?}")))
+        });
+
+        Ok(make_array(array_data?).into())
+    }
+}