diff --git a/include/ref_trie.h b/include/ref_trie.h
index fea6128..71b0398 100644
--- a/include/ref_trie.h
+++ b/include/ref_trie.h
@@ -38,11 +38,6 @@ struct libab_ref_trie_s {
      * The first node in the trie.
      */
     struct libab_ref_trie_node_s* head;
-    /**
-     * Reference (initialized to NULL) returned
-     * if no key is found.
-     */
-    libab_ref null_ref;
 };
 
 typedef struct libab_ref_trie_node_s libab_ref_trie_node;
@@ -78,8 +73,8 @@ libab_result libab_ref_trie_put(libab_ref_trie* trie, const char* key,
  * @param key the key to look under.
  * @return a reference stored under the given key. This can be a NULL reference.
  */
-const libab_ref* libab_ref_trie_get(const libab_ref_trie* trie,
-                                    const char* key);
+void libab_ref_trie_get(const libab_ref_trie* trie,
+                                    const char* key, libab_ref* into);
 /**
  * Releases the trie, decrementing the refcounts of all
  * the values stored inside.
diff --git a/include/ref_vec.h b/include/ref_vec.h
index 8da62b9..e81f265 100644
--- a/include/ref_vec.h
+++ b/include/ref_vec.h
@@ -57,9 +57,10 @@ libab_result libab_ref_vec_insert_value(libab_ref_vec* vec, void* data,
  * doesn't exist.
  * @param vec the vector to get a value from.
  * @param index the index to look at.
+ * @param into the reference to store the result value into.
  * @return the reference stored at the given index.
  */
-const libab_ref* libab_ref_vec_index(libab_ref_vec* vec, size_t index);
+void libab_ref_vec_index(libab_ref_vec* vec, size_t index, libab_ref* into);
 /**
  * Releases the memory allocated by the vector.
  * The references stored in the vector have their refcount decreased.
diff --git a/src/ref_trie.c b/src/ref_trie.c
index 72d3b28..a9faab5 100644
--- a/src/ref_trie.c
+++ b/src/ref_trie.c
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 void libab_ref_trie_init(libab_ref_trie* trie) {
-    libab_ref_null(&trie->null_ref);
     trie->head = NULL;
 }
 
@@ -116,8 +115,8 @@ libab_result libab_ref_trie_put(libab_ref_trie* trie, const char* key,
     return result;
 }
 
-const libab_ref* libab_ref_trie_get(const libab_ref_trie* trie,
-                                    const char* key) {
+void libab_ref_trie_get(const libab_ref_trie* trie,
+                                    const char* key, libab_ref* into) {
     libab_ref_trie_node* current = trie->head;
     while (current && *key) {
         while (current && current->key != *key) {
@@ -130,13 +129,13 @@ const libab_ref* libab_ref_trie_get(const libab_ref_trie* trie,
             current = current->child;
             key++;
         } else {
-            return &current->ref;
+            libab_ref_copy(&current->ref, into);
+            return;
         }
     }
-    return &trie->null_ref;
+    libab_ref_null(into);
 }
 
 void libab_ref_trie_free(libab_ref_trie* trie) {
     _libab_ref_trie_free(trie->head);
-    libab_ref_free(&trie->null_ref);
 }
diff --git a/src/ref_vec.c b/src/ref_vec.c
index 6867ff5..65a19d7 100644
--- a/src/ref_vec.c
+++ b/src/ref_vec.c
@@ -50,12 +50,12 @@ libab_result libab_ref_vec_insert_value(libab_ref_vec* vec, void* data,
     return result;
 }
 
-const libab_ref* libab_ref_vec_index(libab_ref_vec* vec, size_t index) {
-    const libab_ref* to_return = NULL;
+void libab_ref_vec_index(libab_ref_vec* vec, size_t index, libab_ref* into) {
     if (index < vec->size) {
-        to_return = &vec->data[index];
+        libab_ref_copy(&vec->data[index], into);
+    } else {
+        libab_ref_null(into);
     }
-    return to_return;
 }
 
 void libab_ref_vec_free(libab_ref_vec* vec) {