diff --git a/src/Val.cc b/src/Val.cc
index f88b4a90c9..94bdb9ec5e 100644
--- a/src/Val.cc
+++ b/src/Val.cc
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
 #include "threading/formatters/JSON.h"
 
 Val::Val(Func* f)
+	:val(f)
 	{
-	val.func_val = f;
 	::Ref(val.func_val);
 	type = f->FType()->Ref();
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -48,13 +48,12 @@ Val::Val(Func* f)
 	}
 
 Val::Val(BroFile* f)
+	:val(f)
 	{
 	static FileType* string_file_type = 0;
 	if ( ! string_file_type )
 		string_file_type = new FileType(base_type(TYPE_STRING));
 
-	val.file_val = f;
-
 	assert(f->FType()->Tag() == TYPE_STRING);
 	type = string_file_type->Ref();
 
@@ -771,9 +770,8 @@ uint32_t PortVal::Mask(uint32_t port_num, TransportProto port_type)
 	return port_num;
 	}
 
-PortVal::PortVal(uint32_t p) : Val(TYPE_PORT)
+PortVal::PortVal(uint32_t p) : Val(bro_uint_t(p), TYPE_PORT)
 	{
-	val.uint_val = static_cast<bro_uint_t>(p);
 	}
 
 uint32_t PortVal::Port() const
@@ -823,29 +821,25 @@ Val* PortVal::DoClone(CloneState* state)
 	return Ref();
 	}
 
-AddrVal::AddrVal(const char* text) : Val(TYPE_ADDR)
+AddrVal::AddrVal(const char* text) : Val(new IPAddr(text), TYPE_ADDR)
 	{
-	val.addr_val = new IPAddr(text);
 	}
 
 AddrVal::AddrVal(const std::string& text) : AddrVal(text.c_str())
 	{
 	}
 
-AddrVal::AddrVal(uint32_t addr) : Val(TYPE_ADDR)
+AddrVal::AddrVal(uint32_t addr) : Val(new IPAddr(IPv4, &addr, IPAddr::Network), TYPE_ADDR)
 	{
 	// ### perhaps do gethostbyaddr here?
-	val.addr_val = new IPAddr(IPv4, &addr, IPAddr::Network);
 	}
 
-AddrVal::AddrVal(const uint32_t addr[4]) : Val(TYPE_ADDR)
+AddrVal::AddrVal(const uint32_t addr[4]) : Val(new IPAddr(IPv6, addr, IPAddr::Network), TYPE_ADDR)
 	{
-	val.addr_val = new IPAddr(IPv6, addr, IPAddr::Network);
 	}
 
-AddrVal::AddrVal(const IPAddr& addr) : Val(TYPE_ADDR)
+AddrVal::AddrVal(const IPAddr& addr) : Val(new IPAddr(addr), TYPE_ADDR)
 	{
-	val.addr_val = new IPAddr(addr);
 	}
 
 AddrVal::~AddrVal()
@@ -872,17 +866,14 @@ Val* AddrVal::DoClone(CloneState* state)
 	return Ref();
 	}
 
-SubNetVal::SubNetVal(const char* text) : Val(TYPE_SUBNET)
+SubNetVal::SubNetVal(const char* text) : Val(new IPPrefix(), TYPE_SUBNET)
 	{
-	val.subnet_val = new IPPrefix();
-
 	if ( ! IPPrefix::ConvertString(text, val.subnet_val) )
 		reporter->Error("Bad string in SubNetVal ctor: %s", text);
 	}
 
-SubNetVal::SubNetVal(const char* text, int width) : Val(TYPE_SUBNET)
+SubNetVal::SubNetVal(const char* text, int width) : Val(new IPPrefix(text, width), TYPE_SUBNET)
 	{
-	val.subnet_val = new IPPrefix(text, width);
 	}
 
 SubNetVal::SubNetVal(uint32_t addr, int width) : SubNetVal(IPAddr{IPv4, &addr, IPAddr::Network}, width)
@@ -893,14 +884,12 @@ SubNetVal::SubNetVal(const uint32_t* addr, int width) : SubNetVal(IPAddr{IPv6, a
 	{
 	}
 
-SubNetVal::SubNetVal(const IPAddr& addr, int width) : Val(TYPE_SUBNET)
+SubNetVal::SubNetVal(const IPAddr& addr, int width) : Val(new IPPrefix(addr, width), TYPE_SUBNET)
 	{
-	val.subnet_val = new IPPrefix(addr, width);
 	}
 
-SubNetVal::SubNetVal(const IPPrefix& prefix) : Val(TYPE_SUBNET)
+SubNetVal::SubNetVal(const IPPrefix& prefix) : Val(new IPPrefix(prefix), TYPE_SUBNET)
 	{
-	val.subnet_val = new IPPrefix(prefix);
 	}
 
 SubNetVal::~SubNetVal()
@@ -974,9 +963,8 @@ Val* SubNetVal::DoClone(CloneState* state)
 	return Ref();
 	}
 
-StringVal::StringVal(BroString* s) : Val(TYPE_STRING)
+StringVal::StringVal(BroString* s) : Val(s, TYPE_STRING)
 	{
-	val.string_val = s;
 	}
 
 // The following adds a NUL at the end.
diff --git a/src/Val.h b/src/Val.h
index 8fe62dc64d..666e5fd824 100644
--- a/src/Val.h
+++ b/src/Val.h
@@ -86,13 +86,50 @@ union BroValUnion {
 
 	vector<Val*>* vector_val;
 
+	BroValUnion() = default;
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(bro_int_t value) noexcept
+		:int_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(bro_uint_t value) noexcept
+		:uint_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(IPAddr* value) noexcept
+		:addr_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(IPPrefix* value) noexcept
+		:subnet_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(double value) noexcept
+		:double_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(BroString* value) noexcept
+		:string_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(Func* value) noexcept
+		:func_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(BroFile* value) noexcept
+		:file_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(RE_Matcher* value) noexcept
+		:re_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(PDict<TableEntryVal>* value) noexcept
+		:table_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(val_list* value) noexcept
+		:val_list_val(value) {}
+
+	constexpr BroValUnion(vector<Val*> *value) noexcept
+		:vector_val(value) {}
 };
 
 class Val : public BroObj {
 public:
 	Val(double d, TypeTag t)
+		:val(d)
 		{
-		val.double_val = d;
 		type = base_type(t);
 #ifdef DEBUG
 		bound_id = 0;
@@ -114,8 +151,8 @@ public:
 		}
 
 	Val()
+		:val(bro_int_t(0))
 		{
-		val.int_val = 0;
 		type = base_type(TYPE_ERROR);
 #ifdef DEBUG
 		bound_id = 0;
@@ -312,26 +349,22 @@ protected:
 
 	static Val* MakeBool(bool b)
 		{
-		auto rval = new Val(TYPE_BOOL);
-		rval->val.int_val = b;
-		return rval;
+		return new Val(bro_int_t(b), TYPE_BOOL);
 		}
 
 	static Val* MakeInt(bro_int_t i)
 		{
-		auto rval = new Val(TYPE_INT);
-		rval->val.int_val = i;
-		return rval;
+		return new Val(i, TYPE_INT);
 		}
 
 	static Val* MakeCount(bro_uint_t u)
 		{
-		auto rval = new Val(TYPE_COUNT);
-		rval->val.uint_val = u;
-		return rval;
+		return new Val(u, TYPE_COUNT);
 		}
 
-	explicit Val(TypeTag t)
+	template<typename V>
+	Val(V &&v, TypeTag t) noexcept
+		:val(std::forward<V>(v))
 		{
 		type = base_type(t);
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -339,6 +372,16 @@ protected:
 #endif
 		}
 
+	template<typename V>
+	Val(V &&v, BroType* t) noexcept
+		:val(std::forward<V>(v))
+		{
+		type = t->Ref();
+#ifdef DEBUG
+		bound_id = 0;
+#endif
+		}
+
 	explicit Val(BroType* t)
 		{
 		type = t->Ref();
@@ -918,9 +961,8 @@ protected:
 	friend class Val;
 	friend class EnumType;
 
-	EnumVal(EnumType* t, int i) : Val(t)
+	EnumVal(EnumType* t, int i) : Val(bro_int_t(i), t)
 		{
-		val.int_val = i;
 		}
 
 	void ValDescribe(ODesc* d) const override;