diff --git a/src/apfl.h b/src/apfl.h
index 18ff5fb..e271b74 100644
--- a/src/apfl.h
+++ b/src/apfl.h
@@ -30,10 +30,9 @@ struct apfl_string {
     size_t len;
 };
 
-struct apfl_refcounted_string {
-    unsigned refcount;
-    struct apfl_string string;
-};
+struct apfl_refcounted_string_data;
+
+typedef struct apfl_refcounted_string_data *apfl_refcounted_string;
 
 #define APFL_STR_FMT "%.*s"
 #define APFL_STR_FMT_ARGS(s) (int)(s).len,(s).bytes
@@ -42,14 +41,14 @@ struct apfl_string_view apfl_string_view_from_view(struct apfl_string_view);
 struct apfl_string_view apfl_string_view_from_cstr(char *);
 struct apfl_string_view apfl_string_view_from_const_cstr(const char *);
 struct apfl_string_view apfl_string_view_from_string(struct apfl_string);
-struct apfl_string_view apfl_string_view_from_refcounted_string(struct apfl_refcounted_string *);
+struct apfl_string_view apfl_string_view_from_refcounted_string(apfl_refcounted_string);
 
-#define apfl_string_view_from(s) _Generic((s),                                \
-    struct apfl_string:              apfl_string_view_from_string,            \
-    struct apfl_string_view:         apfl_string_view_from_view,              \
-    struct apfl_refcounted_string *: apfl_string_view_from_refcounted_string, \
-    char *:                          apfl_string_view_from_cstr,              \
-    const char *:                    apfl_string_view_from_const_cstr         \
+#define apfl_string_view_from(s) _Generic((s),                        \
+    struct apfl_string:      apfl_string_view_from_string,            \
+    struct apfl_string_view: apfl_string_view_from_view,              \
+    apfl_refcounted_string:  apfl_string_view_from_refcounted_string, \
+    char *:                  apfl_string_view_from_cstr,              \
+    const char *:            apfl_string_view_from_const_cstr         \
 )(s)
 
 int apfl_string_view_cmp(struct apfl_string_view, struct apfl_string_view);
@@ -82,13 +81,17 @@ struct apfl_string apfl_string_builder_move_string(struct apfl_string_builder *)
 
 #define apfl_string_builder_append_cstr(builder, cstr) (apfl_string_builder_append((builder), apfl_string_view_from_cstr((cstr))))
 
-struct apfl_refcounted_string *apfl_string_move_into_new_refcounted(struct apfl_string *);
-struct apfl_refcounted_string *apfl_refcounted_string_copy(struct apfl_refcounted_string *);
+apfl_refcounted_string apfl_string_move_into_new_refcounted(struct apfl_string *);
+
+/* Increases the reference of the refcounted string.
+ * Returns the same apfl_refcounted_string value.
+ */
+apfl_refcounted_string apfl_refcounted_string_incref(apfl_refcounted_string);
 
 /* Unrefs the refcounted string. It is no longer allowed to use the pointer
  * after calling this function with it!
  */
-void apfl_refcounted_string_unref(struct apfl_refcounted_string *);
+void apfl_refcounted_string_unref(apfl_refcounted_string );
 
 // Tokens
 
@@ -518,7 +521,7 @@ struct apfl_value {
     union {
         bool boolean;
         apfl_number number;
-        struct apfl_refcounted_string *string;
+        apfl_refcounted_string string;
         struct apfl_list *list;
     };
 };
diff --git a/src/eval.c b/src/eval.c
index eac8b8c..b53e21d 100644
--- a/src/eval.c
+++ b/src/eval.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ fatal(void)
 static struct apfl_result
 evaluate_constant(struct apfl_expr_const *constant)
 {
-    struct apfl_refcounted_string *rcstring;
+    apfl_refcounted_string rcstring;
 
     switch (constant->type) {
     case APFL_EXPR_CONST_NIL:
diff --git a/src/internal.c b/src/internal.c
index 67d78db..3630df7 100644
--- a/src/internal.c
+++ b/src/internal.c
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ apfl_print_indented(unsigned indent, FILE *f, const char* fmt, ...)
 bool
 apfl_refcount_dec(unsigned *rc)
 {
-    if (rc == 0) {
+    if (rc == NULL) {
         return false;
     }
     return --(*rc) == 0;
diff --git a/src/strings.c b/src/strings.c
index 44e93dd..ae7bb80 100644
--- a/src/strings.c
+++ b/src/strings.c
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@
 #include "internal.h"
 #include "resizable.h"
 
+struct apfl_refcounted_string_data {
+    unsigned refcount;
+    struct apfl_string string;
+};
+
 struct apfl_string_view
 apfl_string_view_from_view(struct apfl_string_view view)
 {
@@ -142,21 +147,25 @@ apfl_string_builder_move_string(struct apfl_string_builder *builder)
     return str;
 }
 
-struct
-apfl_string_view apfl_string_view_from_refcounted_string(struct apfl_refcounted_string *rcstring)
+struct apfl_string_view
+apfl_string_view_from_refcounted_string(apfl_refcounted_string rcstring)
 {
+    if (rcstring == NULL) {
+        return apfl_string_view_from(apfl_string_blank());
+    }
+
     return apfl_string_view_from(rcstring->string);
 }
 
-struct apfl_refcounted_string *
+apfl_refcounted_string
 apfl_string_move_into_new_refcounted(struct apfl_string *src)
 {
-    struct apfl_refcounted_string *dst = ALLOC(struct apfl_refcounted_string);
+    apfl_refcounted_string dst = ALLOC(struct apfl_refcounted_string_data);
     if (dst == NULL) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    *dst = (struct apfl_refcounted_string) {
+    *dst = (struct apfl_refcounted_string_data) {
         .refcount = 1,
         .string = apfl_string_move(src),
     };
@@ -164,24 +173,20 @@ apfl_string_move_into_new_refcounted(struct apfl_string *src)
     return dst;
 }
 
-struct apfl_refcounted_string *
-apfl_refcounted_string_copy(struct apfl_refcounted_string *src)
+apfl_refcounted_string
+apfl_refcounted_string_incref(apfl_refcounted_string rcstring)
 {
-    struct apfl_refcounted_string *dst = ALLOC(struct apfl_refcounted_string);
-    if (dst == NULL) {
-        return NULL;
+    if (rcstring != NULL) {
+        rcstring->refcount++;
     }
-
-    *dst = *src;
-    dst->refcount++;
-
-    return dst;
+    return rcstring;
 }
 
 void
-apfl_refcounted_string_unref(struct apfl_refcounted_string *rcstring)
+apfl_refcounted_string_unref(apfl_refcounted_string rcstring)
 {
-    if (apfl_refcount_dec(&rcstring->refcount)) {
+    if (rcstring != NULL && apfl_refcount_dec(&rcstring->refcount)) {
         apfl_string_deinit(&rcstring->string);
+        free(rcstring);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/value.c b/src/value.c
index b3bb24d..1c94784 100644
--- a/src/value.c
+++ b/src/value.c
@@ -50,9 +50,7 @@ apfl_value_copy(struct apfl_value *dst, struct apfl_value src)
         // Nothing to do
         goto ok;
     case APFL_VALUE_STRING:
-        if ((dst->string = apfl_refcounted_string_copy(src.string)) == NULL) {
-            return false;
-        }
+        dst->string = apfl_refcounted_string_incref(src.string);
         goto ok;
     case APFL_VALUE_LIST:
         assert(src.list != NULL);
@@ -108,7 +106,8 @@ apfl_value_deinit(struct apfl_value *value)
     case APFL_VALUE_NUMBER:
         goto ok;
     case APFL_VALUE_STRING:
-        DESTROY(value->string, apfl_refcounted_string_unref);
+        apfl_refcounted_string_unref(value->string);
+        value->string = NULL;
         goto ok;
     case APFL_VALUE_LIST:
         if (apfl_refcount_dec(&value->list->refcount)) {