diff --git a/extras/tests/JsonVariant/link.cpp b/extras/tests/JsonVariant/link.cpp
index 2cf6ec5c..3a45ff6d 100644
--- a/extras/tests/JsonVariant/link.cpp
+++ b/extras/tests/JsonVariant/link.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ TEST_CASE("JsonVariant::link()") {
   SECTION("JsonVariant::link(JsonDocument&)") {
     doc2["hello"] = "world";
 
-    variant.link(doc2.as<JsonVariant>());
+    variant.link(doc2);
 
     CHECK(variant.as<std::string>() == "{\"hello\":\"world\"}");
     CHECK(variant.memoryUsage() == 0);
diff --git a/extras/tests/JsonVariant/memoryUsage.cpp b/extras/tests/JsonVariant/memoryUsage.cpp
index f8d47ddf..486772c8 100644
--- a/extras/tests/JsonVariant/memoryUsage.cpp
+++ b/extras/tests/JsonVariant/memoryUsage.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ TEST_CASE("JsonVariant::memoryUsage()") {
   SECTION("ignore size of link document") {
     StaticJsonDocument<128> doc2;
     doc2["hello"] = "world";
-    var.link(doc2.as<JsonVariant>());
+    var.link(doc2);
     CHECK(var.memoryUsage() == 0);
     CHECK(var.memoryUsage() == doc.memoryUsage());
   }
diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantContent.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantContent.hpp
index 162d095d..3ede76ef 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantContent.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantContent.hpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ union VariantContent {
   UInt asUnsignedInteger;
   Integer asSignedInteger;
   CollectionData asCollection;
-  class VariantData *asPointer;
+  const class VariantData *asPointer;
   struct {
     const char *data;
     size_t size;
diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp
index 144ba46e..9b410efd 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ class VariantData {
     setType(VALUE_IS_NULL);
   }
 
-  void setPointer(VariantData *value) {
+  void setPointer(const VariantData *value) {
     setType(VALUE_IS_POINTER);
     _content.asPointer = value;
   }
diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantImpl.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantImpl.hpp
index 48c45fb8..dae07c53 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantImpl.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantImpl.hpp
@@ -181,4 +181,9 @@ bool CopyStringStoragePolicy::store(TAdaptedString str, MemoryPool *pool,
   return copy != 0;
 }
 
+inline void VariantRef::link(VariantConstRef var) {
+  if (_data)
+    _data->setPointer(var._data);
+}
+
 }  // namespace ARDUINOJSON_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantRef.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantRef.hpp
index 41b53fbb..cd78673a 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantRef.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantRef.hpp
@@ -198,10 +198,7 @@ class VariantRef : public VariantRefBase<VariantData>,
   template <typename TString>
   FORCE_INLINE VariantRef getOrAddMember(const TString &) const;
 
-  FORCE_INLINE void link(VariantRef var) {
-    if (_data)
-      _data->setPointer(var._data);
-  }
+  void link(class VariantConstRef var);
 
   FORCE_INLINE void remove(size_t index) const {
     if (_data)