diff --git a/src/ID.cc b/src/ID.cc
index c72137d534..e7b7638a75 100644
--- a/src/ID.cc
+++ b/src/ID.cc
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ IntrusivePtr<Func> zeek::id::find_func(std::string_view name)
 		reporter->InternalError("Expected variable '%s' to be a function",
 		                        std::string(name).data());
 
-	return {NewRef{}, v->AsFunc()};
+	return v->AsFuncPtr();
 	}
 
 void zeek::id::detail::init()
diff --git a/src/Val.cc b/src/Val.cc
index 0f81712e73..bc7fd36d91 100644
--- a/src/Val.cc
+++ b/src/Val.cc
@@ -153,6 +153,12 @@ IntrusivePtr<Val> Val::DoClone(CloneState* state)
 	return nullptr;
  	}
 
+IntrusivePtr<Func> Val::AsFuncPtr() const
+	{
+	CHECK_TAG(type->Tag(), TYPE_FUNC, "Val::Func", type_name)
+	return {NewRef{}, val.func_val};
+	}
+
 bool Val::IsZero() const
 	{
 	switch ( type->InternalType() ) {
diff --git a/src/Val.h b/src/Val.h
index fdaea07f5d..8bf278943d 100644
--- a/src/Val.h
+++ b/src/Val.h
@@ -257,6 +257,8 @@ public:
 	ACCESSOR(TYPE_PATTERN, RE_Matcher*, re_val, AsPattern)
 	ACCESSOR(TYPE_VECTOR, std::vector<Val*>*, vector_val, AsVector)
 
+	IntrusivePtr<Func> AsFuncPtr() const;
+
 	const IPPrefix& AsSubNet()
 		{
 		CHECK_TAG(type->Tag(), TYPE_SUBNET, "Val::SubNet", type_name)
diff --git a/src/option.bif b/src/option.bif
index 9f3f359148..fd118ca5cc 100644
--- a/src/option.bif
+++ b/src/option.bif
@@ -206,7 +206,6 @@ function Option::set_change_handler%(ID: string, on_change: any, priority: int &
 		return val_mgr->False();
 		}
 
-	auto* func = on_change->AsFunc();
-	i->AddOptionHandler({NewRef{}, func}, -priority);
+	i->AddOptionHandler(on_change->AsFuncPtr(), -priority);
 	return val_mgr->True();
 	%}