diff --git a/include/ref_trie.h b/include/ref_trie.h
index 4186075..fea6128 100644
--- a/include/ref_trie.h
+++ b/include/ref_trie.h
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ typedef struct libab_ref_trie_s libab_ref_trie;
  * @param trie the trie to initialize.
  */
 void libab_ref_trie_init(libab_ref_trie* trie);
+/**
+ * Initializes a new trie with a shallow copy of another.
+ * @param trie the trie to initialize.
+ * @param copy_of the trie to copy.
+ * @return the result of the initialization.
+ */
+libab_result libab_ref_trie_init_copy(libab_ref_trie* trie, 
+                                      const libab_ref_trie* copy_of);
 /**
  * Stores a reference counted value into the trie.
  * This releases the reference for the given key, if one
diff --git a/src/ref_trie.c b/src/ref_trie.c
index ec320d9..72d3b28 100644
--- a/src/ref_trie.c
+++ b/src/ref_trie.c
@@ -6,6 +6,62 @@ void libab_ref_trie_init(libab_ref_trie* trie) {
     trie->head = NULL;
 }
 
+void _libab_ref_trie_free(libab_ref_trie_node* node) {
+    if (node == NULL)
+        return;
+    _libab_ref_trie_free(node->next);
+    _libab_ref_trie_free(node->child);
+    libab_ref_free(&node->ref);
+    free(node);
+}
+
+libab_result _libab_ref_trie_copy(const libab_ref_trie_node* copy_of,
+                                  libab_ref_trie_node** copy_into) {
+    libab_result result = LIBAB_SUCCESS;
+
+    if(copy_of == NULL) {
+        *copy_into = NULL;
+    } else if(((*copy_into) = malloc(sizeof(**copy_into)))) {
+        (*copy_into)->child = NULL;
+        (*copy_into)->next = NULL;
+
+        result = _libab_ref_trie_copy(copy_of->next, &(*copy_into)->next);
+        if(result == LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
+            result = _libab_ref_trie_copy(copy_of->child, &(*copy_into)->child);
+        }
+
+        if(result == LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
+            (*copy_into)->key = copy_of->key;
+            libab_ref_copy(&copy_of->ref, &(*copy_into)->ref);
+        }
+    } else {
+        result = LIBAB_MALLOC;
+    }
+
+    if(result != LIBAB_SUCCESS && *copy_into) {
+        _libab_ref_trie_free((*copy_into)->next);
+        _libab_ref_trie_free((*copy_into)->child);
+        free(*copy_into);
+        *copy_into = NULL;
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
+libab_result libab_ref_trie_init_copy(libab_ref_trie* trie, 
+                                      const libab_ref_trie* copy_of) {
+    libab_result result = LIBAB_SUCCESS;
+
+    libab_ref_trie_init(trie);
+    result = _libab_ref_trie_copy(copy_of->head, &trie->head);
+
+    if(result != LIBAB_SUCCESS) {
+        libab_ref_trie_free(trie);
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
 libab_result _libab_ref_trie_put(libab_ref_trie_node** node, const char* key,
                                  libab_ref* ref) {
     libab_result result = LIBAB_SUCCESS;
@@ -80,15 +136,6 @@ const libab_ref* libab_ref_trie_get(const libab_ref_trie* trie,
     return &trie->null_ref;
 }
 
-void _libab_ref_trie_free(libab_ref_trie_node* node) {
-    if (node == NULL)
-        return;
-    _libab_ref_trie_free(node->next);
-    _libab_ref_trie_free(node->child);
-    libab_ref_free(&node->ref);
-    free(node);
-}
-
 void libab_ref_trie_free(libab_ref_trie* trie) {
     _libab_ref_trie_free(trie->head);
     libab_ref_free(&trie->null_ref);