diff --git a/src/Frame.cc b/src/Frame.cc
index 42de2b1e16..73084074bd 100644
--- a/src/Frame.cc
+++ b/src/Frame.cc
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ Frame::Frame(int arg_size, const BroFunc* func, const val_list* fn_args)
 	break_before_next_stmt = false;
 	break_on_return = false;
 
-	trigger = nullptr;
 	call = nullptr;
 	delayed = false;
 
@@ -43,9 +42,6 @@ Frame::~Frame()
 		Unref(func);
 		}
 
-	// Deleting a Frame that is a view is a no-op.
-	Unref(trigger);
-
 	if ( ! weak_closure_ref )
 		Unref(closure);
 
@@ -183,8 +179,6 @@ Frame* Frame::Clone() const
 
 	other->call = call;
 	other->trigger = trigger;
-	if ( trigger )
-		Ref(trigger);
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < size; i++)
 		other->frame[i] = frame[i] ? frame[i]->Clone().release() : nullptr;
@@ -359,14 +353,14 @@ broker::expected<broker::data> Frame::Serialize(const Frame* target, const id_li
 	return {std::move(rval)};
 	}
 
-std::pair<bool, Frame*> Frame::Unserialize(const broker::vector& data)
+std::pair<bool, IntrusivePtr<Frame>> Frame::Unserialize(const broker::vector& data)
 	{
 	if ( data.size() == 0 )
 		return std::make_pair(true, nullptr);
 
 	id_list outer_ids;
 	std::unordered_map<std::string, int> offset_map;
-	Frame* closure = nullptr;
+	IntrusivePtr<Frame> closure;
 
 	auto where = data.begin();
 
@@ -410,7 +404,7 @@ std::pair<bool, Frame*> Frame::Unserialize(const broker::vector& data)
 			return std::make_pair(false, nullptr);
 			}
 
-		closure = closure_pair.second;
+		closure = std::move(closure_pair.second);
 		}
 
 	auto has_vec = broker::get_if<broker::vector>(*where);
@@ -448,11 +442,11 @@ std::pair<bool, Frame*> Frame::Unserialize(const broker::vector& data)
 	int frame_size = body.size();
 
 	// We'll associate this frame with a function later.
-	Frame* rf = new Frame(frame_size, nullptr, nullptr);
+	auto rf = make_intrusive<Frame>(frame_size, nullptr, nullptr);
 	rf->offset_map = std::move(offset_map);
 	// Frame takes ownership of unref'ing elements in outer_ids
 	rf->outer_ids = std::move(outer_ids);
-	rf->closure = closure;
+	rf->closure = closure.release();
 	rf->weak_closure_ref = false;
 
 	for ( int i = 0; i < frame_size; ++i )
@@ -463,32 +457,23 @@ std::pair<bool, Frame*> Frame::Unserialize(const broker::vector& data)
 
 		broker::vector val_tuple = *has_vec;
 		if ( val_tuple.size() != 2 )
-			{
-			Unref(rf);
 			return std::make_pair(false, nullptr);
-			}
 
 		auto has_type = broker::get_if<broker::integer>(val_tuple[1]);
 		if ( ! has_type )
-			{
-			Unref(rf);
 			return std::make_pair(false, nullptr);
-			}
 
 		broker::integer g = *has_type;
 		BroType t( static_cast<TypeTag>(g) );
 
 		auto val = bro_broker::data_to_val(std::move(val_tuple[0]), &t);
 		if ( ! val )
-			{
-			Unref(rf);
 			return std::make_pair(false, nullptr);
-			}
 
 		rf->frame[i] = val.release();
 		}
 
-	return std::make_pair(true, rf);
+	return std::make_pair(true, std::move(rf));
 	}
 
 void Frame::AddKnownOffsets(const id_list& ids)
@@ -521,19 +506,13 @@ void Frame::CaptureClosure(Frame* c, id_list arg_outer_ids)
 	// if (c) closure = c->SelectiveClone(outer_ids);
 	}
 
-void Frame::SetTrigger(trigger::Trigger* arg_trigger)
+void Frame::SetTrigger(IntrusivePtr<trigger::Trigger> arg_trigger)
 	{
-	ClearTrigger();
-
-	if ( arg_trigger )
-		Ref(arg_trigger);
-
-	trigger = arg_trigger;
+	trigger = std::move(arg_trigger);
 	}
 
 void Frame::ClearTrigger()
 	{
-	Unref(trigger);
 	trigger = nullptr;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/Frame.h b/src/Frame.h
index 8a5c3b339a..d999b6f3ed 100644
--- a/src/Frame.h
+++ b/src/Frame.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include "BroList.h" // for typedef val_list
 #include "Obj.h"
+#include "IntrusivePtr.h"
 
 #include <unordered_map>
 #include <string>
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ public:
 	 * and the second is the unserialized frame with reference count +1, or
 	 * null if the serialization wasn't successful.
 	 */
-	static std::pair<bool, Frame*> Unserialize(const broker::vector& data);
+	static std::pair<bool, IntrusivePtr<Frame>> Unserialize(const broker::vector& data);
 
 	/**
 	 * Sets the IDs that the frame knows offsets for. These offsets will
@@ -210,9 +211,9 @@ public:
 
 	// If the frame is run in the context of a trigger condition evaluation,
 	// the trigger needs to be registered.
-	void SetTrigger(trigger::Trigger* arg_trigger);
+	void SetTrigger(IntrusivePtr<trigger::Trigger> arg_trigger);
 	void ClearTrigger();
-	trigger::Trigger* GetTrigger() const		{ return trigger; }
+	trigger::Trigger* GetTrigger() const		{ return trigger.get(); }
 
 	void SetCall(const CallExpr* arg_call)	{ call = arg_call; }
 	void ClearCall()			{ call = 0; }
@@ -290,7 +291,7 @@ private:
 	bool break_before_next_stmt;
 	bool break_on_return;
 
-	trigger::Trigger* trigger;
+	IntrusivePtr<trigger::Trigger> trigger;
 	const CallExpr* call;
 	bool delayed;
 
diff --git a/src/Func.cc b/src/Func.cc
index 6e94debd6a..777fcdf3d8 100644
--- a/src/Func.cc
+++ b/src/Func.cc
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ IntrusivePtr<Val> BroFunc::Call(val_list* args, Frame* parent) const
 	// Hand down any trigger.
 	if ( parent )
 		{
-		f->SetTrigger(parent->GetTrigger());
+		f->SetTrigger({NewRef{}, parent->GetTrigger()});
 		f->SetCall(parent->GetCall());
 		}
 
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ bool BroFunc::UpdateClosure(const broker::vector& data)
 	if ( ! result.first )
 		return false;
 
-	Frame* new_closure = result.second;
+	auto &new_closure = result.second;
 	if ( new_closure )
 		new_closure->SetFunction(this);
 
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ bool BroFunc::UpdateClosure(const broker::vector& data)
 		Unref(closure);
 
 	weak_closure_ref = false;
-	closure = new_closure;
+	closure = new_closure.release();
 
 	return true;
 	}
diff --git a/src/Trigger.cc b/src/Trigger.cc
index 15d912fb2d..b962e449c1 100644
--- a/src/Trigger.cc
+++ b/src/Trigger.cc
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ bool Trigger::Eval()
 		return false;
 		}
 
-	f->SetTrigger(this);
+	f->SetTrigger({NewRef{}, this});
 
 	IntrusivePtr<Val> v;