diff --git a/src/EventHandler.cc b/src/EventHandler.cc
index fe3472fbf5..051a7f98d2 100644
--- a/src/EventHandler.cc
+++ b/src/EventHandler.cc
@@ -14,17 +14,11 @@ EventHandler::EventHandler(std::string arg_name)
 	{
 	name = std::move(arg_name);
 	used = false;
-	local = nullptr;
 	error_handler = false;
 	enabled = true;
 	generate_always = false;
 	}
 
-EventHandler::~EventHandler()
-	{
-	Unref(local);
-	}
-
 EventHandler::operator bool() const
 	{
 	return enabled && ((local && local->HasBodies())
@@ -52,15 +46,6 @@ const IntrusivePtr<FuncType>& EventHandler::GetType(bool check_export)
 	return type;
 	}
 
-void EventHandler::SetLocalHandler(Func* f)
-	{
-	if ( local )
-		Unref(local);
-
-	Ref(f);
-	local = f;
-	}
-
 void EventHandler::Call(const zeek::Args& vl, bool no_remote)
 	{
 #ifdef PROFILE_BRO_FUNCTIONS
diff --git a/src/EventHandler.h b/src/EventHandler.h
index 86d6defb4f..ccbd90e44b 100644
--- a/src/EventHandler.h
+++ b/src/EventHandler.h
@@ -5,19 +5,22 @@
 #include "BroList.h"
 #include "ZeekArgs.h"
 #include "Type.h"
+#include "Func.h"
 
 #include <unordered_set>
 #include <string>
 
-class Func;
-
 class EventHandler {
 public:
 	explicit EventHandler(std::string name);
-	~EventHandler();
 
 	const char* Name()	{ return name.data(); }
-	Func* LocalHandler()	{ return local; }
+
+	const IntrusivePtr<Func>& GetFunc()
+		{ return local; }
+
+	[[deprecated("Remove in v4.1.  Use GetFunc().")]]
+	Func* LocalHandler()	{ return local.get(); }
 
 	const IntrusivePtr<FuncType>& GetType(bool check_export = true);
 
@@ -25,7 +28,12 @@ public:
 	FuncType* FType(bool check_export = true)
 		{ return GetType().get(); }
 
-	void SetLocalHandler(Func* f);
+	void SetFunc(IntrusivePtr<Func> f)
+		{ local = std::move(f); }
+
+	[[deprecated("Remove in v4.1.  Use SetFunc().")]]
+	void SetLocalHandler(Func* f)
+		{ SetFunc({NewRef{}, f}); }
 
 	void AutoPublish(std::string topic)
 		{
@@ -61,7 +69,7 @@ private:
 	void NewEvent(const zeek::Args& vl);	// Raise new_event() meta event.
 
 	std::string name;
-	Func* local;
+	IntrusivePtr<Func> local;
 	IntrusivePtr<FuncType> type;
 	bool used;		// this handler is indeed used somewhere
 	bool enabled;
diff --git a/src/EventRegistry.cc b/src/EventRegistry.cc
index ea6f3a0ca2..7cf05a7042 100644
--- a/src/EventRegistry.cc
+++ b/src/EventRegistry.cc
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ EventRegistry::string_list EventRegistry::Match(RE_Matcher* pattern)
 	for ( const auto& entry : handlers )
 		{
 		EventHandler* v = entry.second.get();
-		if ( v->LocalHandler() && pattern->MatchExactly(v->Name()) )
+		if ( v->GetFunc() && pattern->MatchExactly(v->Name()) )
 			names.push_back(entry.first);
 		}
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ EventRegistry::string_list EventRegistry::UnusedHandlers()
 	for ( const auto& entry : handlers )
 		{
 		EventHandler* v = entry.second.get();
-		if ( v->LocalHandler() && ! v->Used() )
+		if ( v->GetFunc() && ! v->Used() )
 			names.push_back(entry.first);
 		}
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ EventRegistry::string_list EventRegistry::UsedHandlers()
 	for ( const auto& entry : handlers )
 		{
 		EventHandler* v = entry.second.get();
-		if ( v->LocalHandler() && v->Used() )
+		if ( v->GetFunc() && v->Used() )
 			names.push_back(entry.first);
 		}
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ void EventRegistry::PrintDebug()
 		{
 		EventHandler* v = entry.second.get();
 		fprintf(stderr, "Registered event %s (%s handler / %s)\n", v->Name(),
-				v->LocalHandler()? "local" : "no",
+				v->GetFunc() ? "local" : "no",
 				*v ? "active" : "not active"
 				);
 		}
diff --git a/src/ID.cc b/src/ID.cc
index e7b7638a75..95da8e6568 100644
--- a/src/ID.cc
+++ b/src/ID.cc
@@ -164,14 +164,14 @@ void ID::SetVal(IntrusivePtr<Val> v, bool arg_weak_ref)
 		if ( ! handler )
 			{
 			handler = new EventHandler(name);
-			handler->SetLocalHandler(val->AsFunc());
+			handler->SetFunc(val->AsFuncPtr());
 			event_registry->Register(handler);
 			}
 		else
 			{
 			// Otherwise, internally defined events cannot
 			// have local handler.
-			handler->SetLocalHandler(val->AsFunc());
+			handler->SetFunc(val->AsFuncPtr());
 			}
 		}
 	}