diff --git a/src/OpaqueVal.cc b/src/OpaqueVal.cc
index 703efba33b..e3e6d2a4fc 100644
--- a/src/OpaqueVal.cc
+++ b/src/OpaqueVal.cc
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ broker::expected<broker::data> OpaqueVal::SerializeType(BroType* t)
 	return {broker::vector{false, static_cast<uint64_t>(t->Tag())}};
 	}
 
-BroType* OpaqueVal::UnserializeType(const broker::data& data)
+IntrusivePtr<BroType> OpaqueVal::UnserializeType(const broker::data& data)
 	{
 	auto v = caf::get_if<broker::vector>(&data);
 	if ( ! (v && v->size() == 2) )
@@ -135,14 +135,14 @@ BroType* OpaqueVal::UnserializeType(const broker::data& data)
 		if ( ! id->IsType() )
 			return nullptr;
 
-		return id->GetType()->Ref();
+		return id->GetType();
 		}
 
 	auto tag = caf::get_if<uint64_t>(&(*v)[1]);
 	if ( ! tag )
 		return nullptr;
 
-	return base_type(static_cast<TypeTag>(*tag))->Ref();
+	return base_type(static_cast<TypeTag>(*tag));
 	}
 
 IntrusivePtr<Val> OpaqueVal::DoClone(CloneState* state)
@@ -854,8 +854,9 @@ bool BloomFilterVal::DoUnserialize(const broker::data& data)
 	auto no_type = caf::get_if<broker::none>(&(*v)[0]);
 	if ( ! no_type )
 		{
-		BroType* t = UnserializeType((*v)[0]);
-		if ( ! (t && Typify(t)) )
+		auto t = UnserializeType((*v)[0]);
+
+		if ( ! (t && Typify(t.get())) )
 			return false;
 		}
 
@@ -957,8 +958,9 @@ bool CardinalityVal::DoUnserialize(const broker::data& data)
 	auto no_type = caf::get_if<broker::none>(&(*v)[0]);
 	if ( ! no_type )
 		{
-		BroType* t = UnserializeType((*v)[0]);
-                if ( ! (t && Typify(t)) )
+		auto t = UnserializeType((*v)[0]);
+
+		if ( ! (t && Typify(t.get())) )
 			return false;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/OpaqueVal.h b/src/OpaqueVal.h
index 6071dbf951..153fc36ee0 100644
--- a/src/OpaqueVal.h
+++ b/src/OpaqueVal.h
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ protected:
 	 * Helper function for derived class that need to restore a type
 	 * during unserialization. Returns the type at reference count +1.
 	 */
-	static BroType* UnserializeType(const broker::data& data);
+	static IntrusivePtr<BroType> UnserializeType(const broker::data& data);
 };
 
 namespace probabilistic {
diff --git a/src/probabilistic/Topk.cc b/src/probabilistic/Topk.cc
index 841fc771c8..137af7a50a 100644
--- a/src/probabilistic/Topk.cc
+++ b/src/probabilistic/Topk.cc
@@ -479,12 +479,12 @@ bool TopkVal::DoUnserialize(const broker::data& data)
 	auto no_type = caf::get_if<broker::none>(&(*v)[3]);
 	if ( ! no_type )
 		{
-		BroType* t = UnserializeType((*v)[3]);
+		auto t = UnserializeType((*v)[3]);
+
 		if ( ! t )
 			return false;
 
-		Typify(t);
-		Unref(t);
+		Typify(t.get());
 		}
 
 	uint64_t i = 0;