diff --git a/src/Type.cc b/src/Type.cc
index 8c229bdabb..0d9bd3e296 100644
--- a/src/Type.cc
+++ b/src/Type.cc
@@ -1004,20 +1004,16 @@ void SubNetType::Describe(ODesc* d) const
 		d->Add(int(Tag()));
 	}
 
-FileType::FileType(BroType* yield_type)
-: BroType(TYPE_FILE)
+FileType::FileType(IntrusivePtr<BroType> yield_type)
+: BroType(TYPE_FILE), yield(std::move(yield_type))
 	{
-	yield = yield_type;
 	}
 
-FileType::~FileType()
-	{
-	Unref(yield);
-	}
+FileType::~FileType() = default;
 
 BroType* FileType::YieldType()
 	{
-	return yield;
+	return yield.get();
 	}
 
 void FileType::Describe(ODesc* d) const
@@ -1949,7 +1945,7 @@ BroType* merge_types(const BroType* t1, const BroType* t2)
 			return 0;
 			}
 
-		return new FileType(merge_types(t1->YieldType(), t2->YieldType()));
+		return new FileType({AdoptRef{}, merge_types(t1->YieldType(), t2->YieldType())});
 
 	case TYPE_UNION:
 		reporter->InternalError("union type in merge_types()");
diff --git a/src/Type.h b/src/Type.h
index 178a0f5aac..7df8ae3057 100644
--- a/src/Type.h
+++ b/src/Type.h
@@ -567,8 +567,8 @@ public:
 
 class FileType : public BroType {
 public:
-	explicit FileType(BroType* yield_type);
-	FileType* ShallowClone() override { return new FileType(yield->Ref()); }
+	explicit FileType(IntrusivePtr<BroType> yield_type);
+	FileType* ShallowClone() override { return new FileType(yield); }
 	~FileType() override;
 
 	BroType* YieldType() override;
@@ -576,9 +576,7 @@ public:
 	void Describe(ODesc* d) const override;
 
 protected:
-	FileType()	{ yield = 0; }
-
-	BroType* yield;
+	IntrusivePtr<BroType> yield;
 };
 
 class OpaqueType : public BroType {
diff --git a/src/Val.cc b/src/Val.cc
index 46be8f1803..4c3ae7fd0c 100644
--- a/src/Val.cc
+++ b/src/Val.cc
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ static FileType* GetStringFileType() noexcept
 	{
 	static FileType* string_file_type = 0;
 	if ( ! string_file_type )
-		string_file_type = new FileType(base_type(TYPE_STRING));
+		string_file_type = new FileType({AdoptRef{}, base_type(TYPE_STRING)});
 	return string_file_type;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/parse.y b/src/parse.y
index c5dc8a4b1b..f19fcd65a0 100644
--- a/src/parse.y
+++ b/src/parse.y
@@ -991,13 +991,13 @@ type:
 	|	TOK_FILE TOK_OF type
 				{
 				set_location(@1, @3);
-				$$ = new FileType($3);
+				$$ = new FileType({AdoptRef{}, $3});
 				}
 
 	|	TOK_FILE
 				{
 				set_location(@1);
-				$$ = new FileType(base_type(TYPE_STRING));
+				$$ = new FileType({AdoptRef{}, base_type(TYPE_STRING)});
 				}
 
 	|	TOK_OPAQUE TOK_OF TOK_ID