diff --git a/src/pya/pya/pyaConvert.cc b/src/pya/pya/pyaConvert.cc
index d80af95e9..017d030e2 100644
--- a/src/pya/pya/pyaConvert.cc
+++ b/src/pya/pya/pyaConvert.cc
@@ -533,8 +533,13 @@ PyObject *c2python_func<const tl::Variant &>::operator() (const tl::Variant &c)
 
     const gsi::ClassBase *cls = c.gsi_cls ();
     if (cls) {
-      void *obj = const_cast<void *> (c.to_user ());
-      return object_to_python (obj, 0, c.user_cls ()->gsi_cls (), false, false, true, false);
+      if (! c.user_is_ref () && cls->is_managed ()) {
+        void *obj = c.user_unshare ();
+        return object_to_python (obj, 0, c.user_cls ()->gsi_cls (), true, c.user_is_const (), false, false);
+      } else {
+        void *obj = const_cast<void *> (c.to_user ());
+        return object_to_python (obj, 0, c.user_cls ()->gsi_cls (), false, false, true, false);
+      }
     } else {
       //  not a known type -> return nil
       Py_RETURN_NONE;
diff --git a/src/rba/rba/rbaConvert.cc b/src/rba/rba/rbaConvert.cc
index b803b6450..2a05a69cf 100644
--- a/src/rba/rba/rbaConvert.cc
+++ b/src/rba/rba/rbaConvert.cc
@@ -287,8 +287,13 @@ VALUE c2ruby<tl::Variant> (const tl::Variant &c)
   } else if (c.is_user ()) {
     const gsi::ClassBase *cls = c.gsi_cls ();
     if (cls) {
-      void *obj = const_cast<void *> (c.to_user ());
-      return object_to_ruby (obj, 0, c.user_cls ()->gsi_cls (), false, false, true, false);
+      if (! c.user_is_ref () && cls->is_managed ()) {
+        void *obj = c.user_unshare ();
+        return object_to_ruby (obj, 0, c.user_cls ()->gsi_cls (), true, c.user_is_const (), false, false);
+      } else {
+        void *obj = const_cast<void *> (c.to_user ());
+        return object_to_ruby (obj, 0, c.user_cls ()->gsi_cls (), false, false, true, false);
+      }
     } else {
       //  not a known type -> return nil
       return Qnil;
diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlObject.cc b/src/tl/tl/tlObject.cc
index b28b0958a..fd4f6aaf4 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlObject.cc
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlObject.cc
@@ -227,6 +227,11 @@ const Object *WeakOrSharedPtr::get () const
   return mp_t;
 }
 
+void WeakOrSharedPtr::unshare ()
+{
+  m_is_shared = false;
+}
+
 void WeakOrSharedPtr::reset_object ()
 {
   tl::MutexLocker locker (&lock ());
diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlObject.h b/src/tl/tl/tlObject.h
index 9bea96ed4..0157c6887 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlObject.h
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlObject.h
@@ -197,6 +197,12 @@ public:
    */
   void detach_from_all_events ();
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Unshares the object
+   *  This will turn a shared reference into a weak one.
+   */
+  void unshare ();
+
   /**
    *  @brief Indicates that this object is an event
    *  This property is intended for internal use only.
@@ -401,6 +407,9 @@ public:
   {
     //  .. nothing yet ..
   }
+
+private:
+  using weak_or_shared_ptr<T, false>::unshare;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -429,6 +438,9 @@ public:
   {
     //  .. nothing yet ..
   }
+
+private:
+  using weak_or_shared_ptr<T, true>::unshare;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlVariant.cc b/src/tl/tl/tlVariant.cc
index 28d476282..1811606fb 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlVariant.cc
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlVariant.cc
@@ -2709,6 +2709,21 @@ void *Variant::user_take ()
   return obj;
 }
 
+void *Variant::user_unshare () const
+{
+  tl_assert (is_user () && ! user_is_ref ());
+
+  if (m_type == t_user) {
+    Variant *nc_this = const_cast<Variant *> (this);
+    nc_this->m_var.mp_user.shared = false;
+  } else if (m_type == t_user_ref) {
+    tl::WeakOrSharedPtr *wptr = const_cast<tl::WeakOrSharedPtr *> (reinterpret_cast <const tl::WeakOrSharedPtr *> (m_var.mp_user_ref.ptr));
+    wptr->unshare ();
+  }
+
+  return const_cast<void *> (to_user ());
+}
+
 void Variant::user_assign (const tl::Variant &other)
 {
   tl_assert (is_user ());
diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlVariant.h b/src/tl/tl/tlVariant.h
index 4b12a892a..762a49eb9 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlVariant.h
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlVariant.h
@@ -891,6 +891,13 @@ public:
    */
   void *user_take ();
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Takes the user object and releases ownership by the variant
+   *  This method is const as it does not change the value, but the ownership of
+   *  the contained object. The object must not be "user_is_ref".
+   */
+  void *user_unshare () const;
+
   /**
    *  @brief Assigns the object stored in other to self
    *