diff --git a/include/yaml-cpp/value/detail/node.h b/include/yaml-cpp/value/detail/node.h
index 1943046..3932129 100644
--- a/include/yaml-cpp/value/detail/node.h
+++ b/include/yaml-cpp/value/detail/node.h
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@
 #include "yaml-cpp/dll.h"
 #include "yaml-cpp/value/type.h"
 #include "yaml-cpp/value/ptr.h"
-#include "yaml-cpp/value/value.h"
-#include "yaml-cpp/value/detail/node_data.h"
+#include "yaml-cpp/value/detail/node_ref.h"
 
 namespace YAML
 {
@@ -19,27 +18,28 @@ namespace YAML
 		class node
 		{
 		public:
-			node(): m_pData(new node_data) {}
+			node(): m_pRef(new node_ref) {}
 
-			ValueType::value type() const { return m_pData->type(); }
+			ValueType::value type() const { return m_pRef->type(); }
 			
-			void set_data(const node& rhs) { m_pData = rhs.m_pData; }
+			void set_ref(const node& rhs) { m_pRef = rhs.m_pRef; }
+			void set_data(const node& rhs) { m_pRef->set_data(*rhs.m_pRef); }
 				
-			void set_type(ValueType::value type) { m_pData->set_type(type); }
-			void set_null() { m_pData->set_null(); }
-			void set_scalar(const std::string& scalar) { m_pData->set_scalar(scalar); }
+			void set_type(ValueType::value type) { m_pRef->set_type(type); }
+			void set_null() { m_pRef->set_null(); }
+			void set_scalar(const std::string& scalar) { m_pRef->set_scalar(scalar); }
 
 			// indexing
-			template<typename Key> shared_node get(const Key& key, shared_memory_holder pMemory) const { return static_cast<const node_data&>(*m_pData).get(key, pMemory); }
-			template<typename Key> shared_node get(const Key& key, shared_memory_holder pMemory) { return m_pData->get(key, pMemory); }
-			template<typename Key> bool remove(const Key& key, shared_memory_holder pMemory) { return m_pData->remove(key, pMemory); }
+			template<typename Key> shared_node get(const Key& key, shared_memory_holder pMemory) const { return static_cast<const node_ref&>(*m_pRef).get(key, pMemory); }
+			template<typename Key> shared_node get(const Key& key, shared_memory_holder pMemory) { return m_pRef->get(key, pMemory); }
+			template<typename Key> bool remove(const Key& key, shared_memory_holder pMemory) { return m_pRef->remove(key, pMemory); }
 			
-			shared_node get(shared_node pKey) const { return static_cast<const node_data&>(*m_pData).get(pKey); }
-			shared_node get(shared_node pKey) { return m_pData->get(pKey); }
-			bool remove(shared_node pKey) { return m_pData->remove(pKey); }
+			shared_node get(shared_node pKey) const { return static_cast<const node_ref&>(*m_pRef).get(pKey); }
+			shared_node get(shared_node pKey) { return m_pRef->get(pKey); }
+			bool remove(shared_node pKey) { return m_pRef->remove(pKey); }
 
 		private:
-			shared_node_data m_pData;
+			shared_node_ref m_pRef;
 		};
 	}
 }
diff --git a/include/yaml-cpp/value/detail/node_ref.h b/include/yaml-cpp/value/detail/node_ref.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c8d696
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/yaml-cpp/value/detail/node_ref.h
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#ifndef VALUE_DETAIL_NODE_REF_H_62B23520_7C8E_11DE_8A39_0800200C9A66
+#define VALUE_DETAIL_NODE_REF_H_62B23520_7C8E_11DE_8A39_0800200C9A66
+
+#if defined(_MSC_VER) || (defined(__GNUC__) && (__GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 4) || (__GNUC__ >= 4)) // GCC supports "pragma once" correctly since 3.4
+#pragma once
+#endif
+
+
+#include "yaml-cpp/dll.h"
+#include "yaml-cpp/value/type.h"
+#include "yaml-cpp/value/ptr.h"
+#include "yaml-cpp/value/detail/node_data.h"
+
+namespace YAML
+{
+	namespace detail
+	{
+		class node_ref
+		{
+		public:
+			node_ref(): m_pData(new node_data) {}
+			
+			ValueType::value type() const { return m_pData->type(); }
+			
+			void set_data(const node_ref& rhs) { m_pData = rhs.m_pData; }
+			
+			void set_type(ValueType::value type) { m_pData->set_type(type); }
+			void set_null() { m_pData->set_null(); }
+			void set_scalar(const std::string& scalar) { m_pData->set_scalar(scalar); }
+			
+			// indexing
+			template<typename Key> shared_node get(const Key& key, shared_memory_holder pMemory) const { return static_cast<const node_data&>(*m_pData).get(key, pMemory); }
+			template<typename Key> shared_node get(const Key& key, shared_memory_holder pMemory) { return m_pData->get(key, pMemory); }
+			template<typename Key> bool remove(const Key& key, shared_memory_holder pMemory) { return m_pData->remove(key, pMemory); }
+			
+			shared_node get(shared_node pKey) const { return static_cast<const node_data&>(*m_pData).get(pKey); }
+			shared_node get(shared_node pKey) { return m_pData->get(pKey); }
+			bool remove(shared_node pKey) { return m_pData->remove(pKey); }
+			
+		private:
+			shared_node_data m_pData;
+		};
+	}
+}
+
+#endif // VALUE_DETAIL_NODE_REF_H_62B23520_7C8E_11DE_8A39_0800200C9A66
diff --git a/include/yaml-cpp/value/impl.h b/include/yaml-cpp/value/impl.h
index 52f06f4..197441d 100644
--- a/include/yaml-cpp/value/impl.h
+++ b/include/yaml-cpp/value/impl.h
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ namespace YAML
 
 	void Value::AssignNode(const Value& rhs)
 	{
-		m_pNode = rhs.m_pNode;
+		m_pNode->set_ref(*rhs.m_pNode);
 		m_pMemory->merge(*rhs.m_pMemory);
 	}
 
diff --git a/include/yaml-cpp/value/ptr.h b/include/yaml-cpp/value/ptr.h
index 7a9d35e..316dbd2 100644
--- a/include/yaml-cpp/value/ptr.h
+++ b/include/yaml-cpp/value/ptr.h
@@ -13,11 +13,13 @@ namespace YAML
 {
 	namespace detail {
 		class node;
+		class node_ref;
 		class node_data;
 		class memory;
 		class memory_holder;
 
 		typedef boost::shared_ptr<node> shared_node;
+		typedef boost::shared_ptr<node_ref> shared_node_ref;
 		typedef boost::shared_ptr<node_data> shared_node_data;
 		typedef boost::shared_ptr<memory_holder> shared_memory_holder;
 		typedef boost::shared_ptr<memory> shared_memory;