diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index c7c9c6bc3e..5f4f479c6f 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -211,8 +211,8 @@ Deprecated Functionality
 - ``TableVal::Lookup()`` is deprecated, use ``TableVal::Find()`` or
   ``TableVal::FindOrDefault()``.
 
-- ``VectorVal::Assign`` methods taking raw ``Val*`` are deprecated, use the
-  methods that take ``IntrusivePtr``.
+- ``VectorVal::Assign`` and ``Insert`` methods taking raw ``Val*`` are
+  deprecated, use the methods that take ``IntrusivePtr``.
 
 Zeek 3.1.0
 ==========
diff --git a/src/Expr.cc b/src/Expr.cc
index 33c26f3e35..04dfdbecd2 100644
--- a/src/Expr.cc
+++ b/src/Expr.cc
@@ -2756,7 +2756,7 @@ void IndexExpr::Assign(Frame* f, IntrusivePtr<Val> v)
 			VectorVal* v_vect = v->AsVectorVal();
 
 			for ( auto idx = 0u; idx < v_vect->Size(); idx++, first++ )
-				v1_vect->Insert(first, v_vect->Lookup(idx)->Ref());
+				v1_vect->Insert(first, {NewRef{}, v_vect->Lookup(idx)});
 			}
 		else if ( ! v1_vect->Assign(lv->Idx(0)->CoerceToUnsigned(), std::move(v)) )
 			{
diff --git a/src/Val.cc b/src/Val.cc
index bf2966dca1..d1c914e951 100644
--- a/src/Val.cc
+++ b/src/Val.cc
@@ -3092,12 +3092,11 @@ bool VectorVal::AssignRepeat(unsigned int index, unsigned int how_many,
 	return true;
 	}
 
-bool VectorVal::Insert(unsigned int index, Val* element)
+bool VectorVal::Insert(unsigned int index, IntrusivePtr<Val> element)
 	{
 	if ( element &&
 	     ! same_type(element->GetType().get(), GetType()->AsVectorType()->Yield().get(), false) )
 		{
-		Unref(element);
 		return false;
 		}
 
@@ -3111,7 +3110,7 @@ bool VectorVal::Insert(unsigned int index, Val* element)
 	// Note: we do *not* Ref() the element, if any, at this point.
 	// AssignExpr::Eval() already does this; other callers must remember
 	// to do it similarly.
-	val.vector_val->insert(it, element);
+	val.vector_val->insert(it, element.release());
 
 	Modified();
 	return true;
diff --git a/src/Val.h b/src/Val.h
index bf3541c02d..1a0a7de7e6 100644
--- a/src/Val.h
+++ b/src/Val.h
@@ -1309,8 +1309,19 @@ public:
 
 	notifier::Modifiable* Modifiable() override	{ return this; }
 
-	// Insert an element at a specific position into the underlying vector.
-	bool Insert(unsigned int index, Val* element);
+	/**
+	 * Inserts an element at the given position in the vector.  All elements
+	 * at that original position and higher are shifted up by one.
+	 * @param index  The index to insert the element at.
+	 * @param element  The value to insert into the vector.
+	 * @return  True if the element was inserted or false if the element was
+	 * the wrong type.
+	 */
+	bool Insert(unsigned int index, IntrusivePtr<Val> element);
+
+	[[deprecated("Remove in v4.1.  Insert an IntrusivePtr instead.")]]
+	bool Insert(unsigned int index, Val* element)
+		{ return Insert(index, {AdoptRef{}, element}); }
 
 	// Removes an element at a specific position.
 	bool Remove(unsigned int index);