diff --git a/aux/bifcl b/aux/bifcl
index 66b4b30305..daf968b2fc 160000
--- a/aux/bifcl
+++ b/aux/bifcl
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 66b4b30305237f48535276a00a52ca304659400b
+Subproject commit daf968b2fc34c4316811adb1094f7ca1d68b92bf
diff --git a/src/Func.cc b/src/Func.cc
index 059d3807fd..e71e431904 100644
--- a/src/Func.cc
+++ b/src/Func.cc
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ IntrusivePtr<Val> BuiltinFunc::Call(const zeek::Args& args, Frame* parent) const
 
 	const CallExpr* call_expr = parent ? parent->GetCall() : nullptr;
 	call_stack.emplace_back(CallInfo{call_expr, this, args});
-	IntrusivePtr<Val> result{AdoptRef{}, func(parent, &args)};
+	auto result = std::move(func(parent, &args).rval);
 	call_stack.pop_back();
 
 	if ( result && g_trace_state.DoTrace() )
@@ -890,3 +890,7 @@ function_ingredients::~function_ingredients()
 
 	delete inits;
 	}
+
+BifReturnVal::BifReturnVal(Val* v) noexcept
+	: rval(AdoptRef{}, v)
+	{ }
diff --git a/src/Func.h b/src/Func.h
index ef22bb6aa1..a66bc5934f 100644
--- a/src/Func.h
+++ b/src/Func.h
@@ -188,7 +188,29 @@ private:
 	bool weak_closure_ref = false;
 };
 
-using built_in_func = Val* (*)(Frame* frame, const zeek::Args* args);
+/**
+ * A simple wrapper class to use for the return value of BIFs so that
+ * they may return either a Val* or IntrusivePtr<Val> (the former could
+ * potentially be deprecated).
+ */
+class BifReturnVal {
+public:
+
+	template <typename T>
+	BifReturnVal(IntrusivePtr<T> v) noexcept
+		: rval(AdoptRef{}, v.release())
+		{ }
+
+	BifReturnVal(Val* v) noexcept;
+
+private:
+
+	friend class BuiltinFunc;
+
+	IntrusivePtr<Val> rval;
+};
+
+using built_in_func = BifReturnVal (*)(Frame* frame, const zeek::Args* args);
 
 class BuiltinFunc final : public Func {
 public: