diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 93a28cb200..8cd4f3c201 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ New Functionality
   to the version in 2.5), and much of its implementation has been
   redone. There's a new script-level "broker" framework that
   supersedes the old "communication" framework, which is now
-  depracated. The "cluster" and "control" frameworks have been ported
+  deprecated. The "cluster" and "control" frameworks have been ported
   to Broker; same for BroControl. For more about the new Broker
   framework, see doc/frameworks/broker.rst (there's also guide there
   for porting existing Bro scripts to Broker). For more about Broker
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ New Functionality
 Changed Functionality
 ---------------------
 
-  - ALl communication is now handled through Broker, requiring changes
+  - All communication is now handled through Broker, requiring changes
     to existing scripts to port them over to the new API. The Broker
     framework documentation comes with a porting guide.
 
@@ -356,6 +356,16 @@ Deprecated Functionality
   removal with the next Bro release. Bro's new configuration framework
   is taking its place.
 
+- Mixing of scalars and vectors, such as "v + e" yielding a vector
+  corresponding to the vector v with the scalar e added to each of
+  its elements, has been deprecated.
+
+- The built-in function merge_pattern() has been deprecated.  It will
+  be replaced by the '&' operator for patterns.
+
+- The undocumented feature of using "&&" and "||" operators for patterns
+  has been deprecated.
+
 Bro 2.5.1
 =========
 
diff --git a/src/Expr.cc b/src/Expr.cc
index 1ab82853c3..ef8da8edbb 100644
--- a/src/Expr.cc
+++ b/src/Expr.cc
@@ -909,11 +909,17 @@ void BinaryExpr::PromoteOps(TypeTag t)
 	TypeTag bt1 = op1->Type()->Tag();
 	TypeTag bt2 = op2->Type()->Tag();
 
-	if ( IsVector(bt1) )
+	bool is_vec1 = IsVector(bt1);
+	bool is_vec2 = IsVector(bt2);
+
+	if ( is_vec1 )
 		bt1 = op1->Type()->AsVectorType()->YieldType()->Tag();
-	if ( IsVector(bt2) )
+	if ( is_vec2 )
 		bt2 = op2->Type()->AsVectorType()->YieldType()->Tag();
 
+	if ( (is_vec1 || is_vec2) && ! (is_vec1 && is_vec2) )
+		reporter->Warning("mixing vector and scalar operands is deprecated");
+
 	if ( bt1 != t )
 		op1 = new ArithCoerceExpr(op1, t);
 	if ( bt2 != t )
@@ -1003,7 +1009,10 @@ IncrExpr::IncrExpr(BroExprTag arg_tag, Expr* arg_op)
 		if ( ! IsIntegral(t->AsVectorType()->YieldType()->Tag()) )
 			ExprError("vector elements must be integral for increment operator");
 		else
+			{
+			reporter->Warning("increment/decrement operations for vectors deprecated");
 			SetType(t->Ref());
+			}
 		}
 	else
 		{
@@ -1689,13 +1698,20 @@ BoolExpr::BoolExpr(BroExprTag arg_tag, Expr* arg_op1, Expr* arg_op2)
 	if ( BothBool(bt1, bt2) )
 		{
 		if ( is_vector(op1) || is_vector(op2) )
+			{
+			if ( ! (is_vector(op1) && is_vector(op2)) )
+				reporter->Warning("mixing vector and scalar operands is deprecated");
 			SetType(new VectorType(base_type(TYPE_BOOL)));
+			}
 		else
 			SetType(base_type(TYPE_BOOL));
 		}
 
 	else if ( bt1 == TYPE_PATTERN && bt2 == bt1 )
+		{
+		reporter->Warning("&& and || operators deprecated for pattern operands");
 		SetType(base_type(TYPE_PATTERN));
+		}
 
 	else
 		ExprError("requires boolean operands");
@@ -1786,7 +1802,7 @@ Val* BoolExpr::Eval(Frame* f) const
 
 		VectorVal* result = 0;
 
-		// It's either and EXPR_AND_AND or an EXPR_OR_OR.
+		// It's either an EXPR_AND_AND or an EXPR_OR_OR.
 		bool is_and = (tag == EXPR_AND_AND);
 
 		if ( scalar_v->IsZero() == is_and )
diff --git a/src/Val.cc b/src/Val.cc
index acf0b6f915..36269ad9c9 100644
--- a/src/Val.cc
+++ b/src/Val.cc
@@ -3228,7 +3228,7 @@ bool VectorVal::AssignRepeat(unsigned int index, unsigned int how_many,
 	ResizeAtLeast(index + how_many);
 
 	for ( unsigned int i = index; i < index + how_many; ++i )
-		if ( ! Assign(i, element ) )
+		if ( ! Assign(i, element->Ref() ) )
 			return false;
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/src/bro.bif b/src/bro.bif
index 652b8cdd07..27020b2601 100644
--- a/src/bro.bif
+++ b/src/bro.bif
@@ -2958,7 +2958,7 @@ function uuid_to_string%(uuid: string%): string
 ##
 ##      This function must be called at Bro startup time, e.g., in the event
 ##      :bro:id:`bro_init`.
-function merge_pattern%(p1: pattern, p2: pattern%): pattern
+function merge_pattern%(p1: pattern, p2: pattern%): pattern &deprecated
 	%{
 	if ( bro_start_network_time != 0.0 )
 		{