diff --git a/include/nlohmann/detail/json_ref.hpp b/include/nlohmann/detail/json_ref.hpp
index c9bf6cb22..18e09f051 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/detail/json_ref.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/detail/json_ref.hpp
@@ -17,19 +17,14 @@ class json_ref
 
     json_ref(value_type&& value)
         : owned_value(std::move(value))
-        , value_ref(&owned_value)
-        , is_rvalue(true)
     {}
 
     json_ref(const value_type& value)
-        : value_ref(const_cast<value_type*>(&value))
-        , is_rvalue(false)
+        : value_ref(&value)
     {}
 
     json_ref(std::initializer_list<json_ref> init)
         : owned_value(init)
-        , value_ref(&owned_value)
-        , is_rvalue(true)
     {}
 
     template <
@@ -37,8 +32,6 @@ class json_ref
         enable_if_t<std::is_constructible<value_type, Args...>::value, int> = 0 >
     json_ref(Args && ... args)
         : owned_value(std::forward<Args>(args)...)
-        , value_ref(&owned_value)
-        , is_rvalue(true)
     {}
 
     // class should be movable only
@@ -50,27 +43,26 @@ class json_ref
 
     value_type moved_or_copied() const
     {
-        if (is_rvalue)
+        if (value_ref == nullptr)
         {
-            return std::move(*value_ref);
+            return std::move(owned_value);
         }
         return *value_ref;
     }
 
     value_type const& operator*() const
     {
-        return *static_cast<value_type const*>(value_ref);
+        return value_ref ? *value_ref : owned_value;
     }
 
     value_type const* operator->() const
     {
-        return static_cast<value_type const*>(value_ref);
+        return &**this;
     }
 
   private:
     mutable value_type owned_value = nullptr;
-    value_type* value_ref = nullptr;
-    const bool is_rvalue = true;
+    value_type const* value_ref = nullptr;
 };
 }  // namespace detail
 }  // namespace nlohmann
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index e8ba43c95..835140b3d 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -12605,19 +12605,14 @@ class json_ref
 
     json_ref(value_type&& value)
         : owned_value(std::move(value))
-        , value_ref(&owned_value)
-        , is_rvalue(true)
     {}
 
     json_ref(const value_type& value)
-        : value_ref(const_cast<value_type*>(&value))
-        , is_rvalue(false)
+        : value_ref(&value)
     {}
 
     json_ref(std::initializer_list<json_ref> init)
         : owned_value(init)
-        , value_ref(&owned_value)
-        , is_rvalue(true)
     {}
 
     template <
@@ -12625,8 +12620,6 @@ class json_ref
         enable_if_t<std::is_constructible<value_type, Args...>::value, int> = 0 >
     json_ref(Args && ... args)
         : owned_value(std::forward<Args>(args)...)
-        , value_ref(&owned_value)
-        , is_rvalue(true)
     {}
 
     // class should be movable only
@@ -12638,27 +12631,26 @@ class json_ref
 
     value_type moved_or_copied() const
     {
-        if (is_rvalue)
+        if (value_ref == nullptr)
         {
-            return std::move(*value_ref);
+            return std::move(owned_value);
         }
         return *value_ref;
     }
 
     value_type const& operator*() const
     {
-        return *static_cast<value_type const*>(value_ref);
+        return value_ref ? *value_ref : owned_value;
     }
 
     value_type const* operator->() const
     {
-        return static_cast<value_type const*>(value_ref);
+        return &**this;
     }
 
   private:
     mutable value_type owned_value = nullptr;
-    value_type* value_ref = nullptr;
-    const bool is_rvalue = true;
+    value_type const* value_ref = nullptr;
 };
 }  // namespace detail
 }  // namespace nlohmann