diff --git a/lix/libexpr/eval-cache.cc b/lix/libexpr/eval-cache.cc
index 03d11ebdb..ad6e0a069 100644
--- a/lix/libexpr/eval-cache.cc
+++ b/lix/libexpr/eval-cache.cc
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ Value * EvalCache::getRootValue(EvalState & state)
 
 ref<AttrCursor> EvalCache::getRoot()
 {
-    return make_ref<AttrCursor>(ref(shared_from_this()), std::nullopt);
+    return make_ref<AttrCursor>(*this, std::nullopt);
 }
 
 AttrCursor::AttrCursor(
diff --git a/lix/libstore/binary-cache-store.cc b/lix/libstore/binary-cache-store.cc
index 2dbf57d2f..77602efec 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/binary-cache-store.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/binary-cache-store.cc
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ try {
 
 ref<FSAccessor> BinaryCacheStore::getFSAccessor()
 {
-    return make_ref<RemoteFSAccessor>(ref<Store>(shared_from_this()), config().localNarCache);
+    return make_ref<RemoteFSAccessor>(*this, config().localNarCache);
 }
 
 kj::Promise<Result<void>>
diff --git a/lix/libstore/remote-store.cc b/lix/libstore/remote-store.cc
index 6f2d61f18..e24c578b7 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/remote-store.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/remote-store.cc
@@ -1022,7 +1022,7 @@ try {
 
 ref<FSAccessor> RemoteStore::getFSAccessor()
 {
-    return make_ref<RemoteFSAccessor>(ref<Store>(shared_from_this()));
+    return make_ref<RemoteFSAccessor>(*this);
 }
 
 static Logger::Fields readFields(Source & from)
diff --git a/lix/libutil/ref.hh b/lix/libutil/ref.hh
index 8ccad834b..312b7d09e 100644
--- a/lix/libutil/ref.hh
+++ b/lix/libutil/ref.hh
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ public:
             throw std::invalid_argument("null pointer cast to ref");
     }
 
+    template<std::derived_from<std::enable_shared_from_this<T>> T2>
+    ref(T2 & r) : p(r.shared_from_this())
+    {
+    }
+
     T* operator ->() const
     {
         return &*p;