diff --git a/src/Expr.cc b/src/Expr.cc
index 5cee1cce38..3382515847 100644
--- a/src/Expr.cc
+++ b/src/Expr.cc
@@ -3112,7 +3112,7 @@ TableConstructorExpr::TableConstructorExpr(IntrusivePtr<ListExpr> constructor_li
 			SetType(make_intrusive<TableType>(make_intrusive<TypeList>(IntrusivePtr{AdoptRef{}, base_type(TYPE_ANY)}), nullptr));
 		else
 			{
-			SetType({AdoptRef{}, init_type(op.get())});
+			SetType(init_type(op.get()));
 
 			if ( ! type )
 				SetError();
@@ -3225,7 +3225,7 @@ SetConstructorExpr::SetConstructorExpr(IntrusivePtr<ListExpr> constructor_list,
 		if ( op->AsListExpr()->Exprs().empty() )
 			SetType(make_intrusive<::SetType>(make_intrusive<TypeList>(IntrusivePtr{AdoptRef{}, base_type(TYPE_ANY)}), nullptr));
 		else
-			SetType({AdoptRef{}, init_type(op.get())});
+			SetType(init_type(op.get()));
 		}
 
 	if ( ! type )
diff --git a/src/Type.cc b/src/Type.cc
index cbebe06b68..b59a8ffc8f 100644
--- a/src/Type.cc
+++ b/src/Type.cc
@@ -1983,7 +1983,7 @@ static BroType* reduce_type(BroType* t)
 		return t;
 	}
 
-BroType* init_type(Expr* init)
+IntrusivePtr<BroType> init_type(Expr* init)
 	{
 	if ( init->Tag() != EXPR_LIST )
 		{
@@ -1999,7 +1999,7 @@ BroType* init_type(Expr* init)
 			return nullptr;
 			}
 
-		return t.release();
+		return t;
 		}
 
 	ListExpr* init_list = init->AsListExpr();
@@ -2017,7 +2017,7 @@ BroType* init_type(Expr* init)
 	if ( e0->IsRecordElement(0) )
 		// ListExpr's know how to build a record from their
 		// components.
-		return init_list->InitType().release();
+		return init_list->InitType();
 
 	auto t = e0->InitType();
 
@@ -2049,7 +2049,7 @@ BroType* init_type(Expr* init)
 
 	if ( t->Tag() == TYPE_TABLE && ! t->AsTableType()->IsSet() )
 		// A list of table elements.
-		return t.release();
+		return t;
 
 	// A set.  If the index type isn't yet a type list, make
 	// it one, as that's what's required for creating a set type.
@@ -2060,7 +2060,7 @@ BroType* init_type(Expr* init)
 		t = std::move(tl);
 		}
 
-	return new SetType({AdoptRef{}, t.release()->AsTypeList()}, nullptr);
+	return make_intrusive<SetType>(IntrusivePtr{AdoptRef{}, t.release()->AsTypeList()}, nullptr);
 	}
 
 bool is_atomic_type(const BroType* t)
diff --git a/src/Type.h b/src/Type.h
index f3cdf2d289..7075d3565e 100644
--- a/src/Type.h
+++ b/src/Type.h
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ IntrusivePtr<BroType> merge_types(const BroType* t1, const BroType* t2);
 IntrusivePtr<BroType> merge_type_list(ListExpr* elements);
 
 // Given an expression, infer its type when used for an initialization.
-extern BroType* init_type(Expr* init);
+IntrusivePtr<BroType> init_type(Expr* init);
 
 // Returns true if argument is an atomic type.
 bool is_atomic_type(const BroType* t);
diff --git a/src/Var.cc b/src/Var.cc
index 6b95dea094..888f1bd788 100644
--- a/src/Var.cc
+++ b/src/Var.cc
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static void make_var(ID* id, IntrusivePtr<BroType> t, init_class c,
 	if ( id->Type() && id->Type()->Tag() != TYPE_ERROR )
 		{
 		if ( dt != VAR_REDEF &&
-		     (! init || ! do_init || (! t && ! (t = {AdoptRef{}, init_type(init.get())}))) )
+		     (! init || ! do_init || (! t && ! (t = init_type(init.get())))) )
 			{
 			id->Error("already defined", init.get());
 			return;
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ static void make_var(ID* id, IntrusivePtr<BroType> t, init_class c,
 			return;
 			}
 
-		t = {AdoptRef{}, init_type(init.get())};
+		t = init_type(init.get());
 		if ( ! t )
 			{
 			id->SetType({AdoptRef{}, error_type()});