diff --git a/src/Expr.cc b/src/Expr.cc
index 16b225352f..6ceb976ec6 100644
--- a/src/Expr.cc
+++ b/src/Expr.cc
@@ -5311,7 +5311,7 @@ ExprPtr check_and_promote_expr(Expr* const e, zeek::Type* t)
 			return nullptr;
 			}
 
-		return make_intrusive<ArithCoerceExpr>(IntrusivePtr{NewRef{}, e}, t_tag);
+		return make_intrusive<ArithCoerceExpr>(e_ptr, t_tag);
 		}
 
 	if ( t->Tag() == TYPE_RECORD && et->Tag() == TYPE_RECORD )
@@ -5320,11 +5320,10 @@ ExprPtr check_and_promote_expr(Expr* const e, zeek::Type* t)
 		RecordType* et_r = et->AsRecordType();
 
 		if ( same_type(t, et) )
-			return {NewRef{}, e};
+			return e_ptr;
 
 		if ( record_promotion_compatible(t_r, et_r) )
-			return make_intrusive<RecordCoerceExpr>(
-				IntrusivePtr{NewRef{}, e},
+			return make_intrusive<RecordCoerceExpr>(e_ptr,
 				IntrusivePtr{NewRef{}, t_r});
 
 		t->Error("incompatible record types", e);
@@ -5336,14 +5335,12 @@ ExprPtr check_and_promote_expr(Expr* const e, zeek::Type* t)
 		{
 		if ( t->Tag() == TYPE_TABLE && et->Tag() == TYPE_TABLE &&
 			  et->AsTableType()->IsUnspecifiedTable() )
-			return make_intrusive<TableCoerceExpr>(
-				IntrusivePtr{NewRef{}, e},
+			return make_intrusive<TableCoerceExpr>(e_ptr,
 				IntrusivePtr{NewRef{}, t->AsTableType()});
 
 		if ( t->Tag() == TYPE_VECTOR && et->Tag() == TYPE_VECTOR &&
 		     et->AsVectorType()->IsUnspecifiedVector() )
-			return make_intrusive<VectorCoerceExpr>(
-				IntrusivePtr{NewRef{}, e},
+			return make_intrusive<VectorCoerceExpr>(e_ptr,
 				IntrusivePtr{NewRef{}, t->AsVectorType()});
 
 		if ( t->Tag() != TYPE_ERROR && et->Tag() != TYPE_ERROR )
@@ -5352,7 +5349,7 @@ ExprPtr check_and_promote_expr(Expr* const e, zeek::Type* t)
 		return nullptr;
 		}
 
-	return {NewRef{}, e};
+	return e_ptr;
 	}
 
 bool check_and_promote_exprs(ListExpr* const elements, TypeList* types)