diff --git a/src/Frame.cc b/src/Frame.cc
index 6aad078db1..f4eb49cbac 100644
--- a/src/Frame.cc
+++ b/src/Frame.cc
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ std::pair<bool, Frame*> Frame::Unserialize(const broker::vector& data)
 			return std::make_pair(false, nullptr);
 			}
 
-		rf->frame[i] = val.release();
+		rf->frame[i] = val.detach();
 		}
 
 	return std::make_pair(true, rf);
diff --git a/src/IntrusivePtr.h b/src/IntrusivePtr.h
index 5f90672c39..dd5eae9112 100644
--- a/src/IntrusivePtr.h
+++ b/src/IntrusivePtr.h
@@ -5,15 +5,6 @@
 #include <type_traits>
 #include <utility>
 
-// These forward declarations only exist to enable ADL for the Ref and Unref
-// functions.
-
-struct IntrusivePtrDummy;
-
-void Ref(IntrusivePtrDummy*);
-
-void Unref(IntrusivePtrDummy*);
-
 // An intrusive, reference counting smart pointer implementation.
 template <class T>
 class IntrusivePtr {
@@ -65,7 +56,7 @@ public:
 
 	~IntrusivePtr()
 		{
-		if (ptr_)
+		if ( ptr_ )
 			Unref(ptr_);
 		}
 
@@ -76,10 +67,10 @@ public:
 
 	// Returns the raw pointer without modifying the reference count and sets
 	// this to `nullptr`.
-	pointer release() noexcept
+	pointer detach() noexcept
 		{
 		auto result = ptr_;
-		if (result)
+		if ( result )
 			ptr_ = nullptr;
 		return result;
 		}
@@ -88,7 +79,7 @@ public:
 		{
 		auto old = ptr_;
 		setPtr(new_value, add_ref);
-		if (old)
+		if ( old )
 			Unref(old);
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/Val.cc b/src/Val.cc
index cfc8f5fd83..29959ff0f7 100644
--- a/src/Val.cc
+++ b/src/Val.cc
@@ -3159,7 +3159,7 @@ Val* cast_value_to_type(Val* v, BroType* t)
 		if ( ! dv )
 			return 0;
 
-		return static_cast<bro_broker::DataVal *>(dv)->castTo(t).release();
+		return static_cast<bro_broker::DataVal *>(dv)->castTo(t).detach();
 		}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/broker/Data.cc b/src/broker/Data.cc
index 382a27ac45..6401a15cc1 100644
--- a/src/broker/Data.cc
+++ b/src/broker/Data.cc
@@ -229,14 +229,14 @@ struct val_converter {
 					return nullptr;
 					}
 
-				list_val->Append(index_val.release());
+				list_val->Append(index_val.detach());
 				}
 
 
 			rval->Assign(list_val.get(), nullptr);
 			}
 
-		return rval.release();
+		return rval.detach();
 		}
 
 	result_type operator()(broker::table& a)
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ struct val_converter {
 					return nullptr;
 					}
 
-				list_val->Append(index_val.release());
+				list_val->Append(index_val.detach());
 				}
 
 			auto value_val = bro_broker::data_to_val(move(item.second),
@@ -304,10 +304,10 @@ struct val_converter {
 				return nullptr;
 				}
 
-			rval->Assign(list_val.get(), value_val.release());
+			rval->Assign(list_val.get(), value_val.detach());
 			}
 
-		return rval.release();
+		return rval.detach();
 		}
 
 	result_type operator()(broker::vector& a)
@@ -326,10 +326,10 @@ struct val_converter {
 					return nullptr;
 					}
 
-				rval->Assign(rval->Size(), item_val.release());
+				rval->Assign(rval->Size(), item_val.detach());
 				}
 
-			return rval.release();
+			return rval.detach();
 			}
 		else if ( type->Tag() == TYPE_FUNC )
 			{
@@ -399,11 +399,11 @@ struct val_converter {
 					return nullptr;
 					}
 
-				rval->Assign(i, item_val.release());
+				rval->Assign(i, item_val.detach());
 				++idx;
 				}
 
-			return rval.release();
+			return rval.detach();
 			}
 		else if ( type->Tag() == TYPE_PATTERN )
 			{
diff --git a/src/broker/Manager.cc b/src/broker/Manager.cc
index d648bbf27a..392057e0f9 100644
--- a/src/broker/Manager.cc
+++ b/src/broker/Manager.cc
@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@ void Manager::ProcessEvent(const broker::topic& topic, broker::zeek::Event ev)
 		auto val = data_to_val(std::move(args[i]), expected_type);
 
 		if ( val )
-			vl.push_back(val.release());
+			vl.push_back(val.detach());
 		else
 			{
 			auto expected_name = type_name(expected_type->Tag());
@@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@ bool Manager::ProcessIdentifierUpdate(broker::zeek::IdentifierUpdate iu)
 		return false;
 		}
 
-	id->SetVal(val.release());
+	id->SetVal(val.detach());
 	return true;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/probabilistic/Topk.cc b/src/probabilistic/Topk.cc
index fd373cc5c1..131f490fae 100644
--- a/src/probabilistic/Topk.cc
+++ b/src/probabilistic/Topk.cc
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ bool TopkVal::DoUnserialize(const broker::data& data)
 
 			Element* e = new Element();
 			e->epsilon = *epsilon;
-			e->value = val.release();
+			e->value = val.detach();
 			e->parent = b;
 
 			b->elements.insert(b->elements.end(), e);