diff --git a/src/libutil-test-support/include/nix/util/tests/json-characterization.hh b/src/libutil-test-support/include/nix/util/tests/json-characterization.hh
index bd70ba830..6db32c4b6 100644
--- a/src/libutil-test-support/include/nix/util/tests/json-characterization.hh
+++ b/src/libutil-test-support/include/nix/util/tests/json-characterization.hh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
 
 #include "nix/util/types.hh"
+#include "nix/util/ref.hh"
 #include "nix/util/file-system.hh"
 
 #include "nix/util/tests/characterization.hh"
@@ -39,6 +40,25 @@ void writeJsonTest(CharacterizationTest & test, PathView testStem, const T & val
         [](const auto & file, const auto & got) { return writeFile(file, got.dump(2) + "\n"); });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Specialization for when we need to do "JSON -> `ref<T>`" in one
+ * direction, but "`const T &` -> JSON" in the other direction.
+ *
+ * We can't just return `const T &`, but it would be wasteful to
+ * requires a `const ref<T> &` double indirection (and mandatory shared
+ * pointer), so we break the symmetry as the best remaining option.
+ */
+template<typename T>
+void writeJsonTest(CharacterizationTest & test, PathView testStem, const ref<T> & value)
+{
+    using namespace nlohmann;
+    test.writeTest(
+        Path{testStem} + ".json",
+        [&]() -> json { return static_cast<json>(*value); },
+        [](const auto & file) { return json::parse(readFile(file)); },
+        [](const auto & file, const auto & got) { return writeFile(file, got.dump(2) + "\n"); });
+}
+
 /**
  * Golden test in the middle of something
  */
diff --git a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/json-impls.hh b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/json-impls.hh
index b55716a6d..26a94472f 100644
--- a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/json-impls.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/json-impls.hh
@@ -6,18 +6,30 @@
 #include "nix/util/experimental-features.hh"
 
 // Following https://github.com/nlohmann/json#how-can-i-use-get-for-non-default-constructiblenon-copyable-types
+#define JSON_IMPL_INNER_TO(TYPE)                          \
+    struct adl_serializer<TYPE>                           \
+    {                                                     \
+        static void to_json(json & json, const TYPE & t); \
+    }
+
+#define JSON_IMPL_INNER_FROM(TYPE)                \
+    struct adl_serializer<TYPE>                   \
+    {                                             \
+        static TYPE from_json(const json & json); \
+    }
+
 #define JSON_IMPL_INNER(TYPE)                             \
     struct adl_serializer<TYPE>                           \
     {                                                     \
         static TYPE from_json(const json & json);         \
         static void to_json(json & json, const TYPE & t); \
-    };
+    }
 
-#define JSON_IMPL(TYPE)   \
-    namespace nlohmann {  \
-    using namespace nix;  \
-    template<>            \
-    JSON_IMPL_INNER(TYPE) \
+#define JSON_IMPL(TYPE)    \
+    namespace nlohmann {   \
+    using namespace nix;   \
+    template<>             \
+    JSON_IMPL_INNER(TYPE); \
     }
 
 #define JSON_IMPL_WITH_XP_FEATURES(TYPE)                                                                            \
diff --git a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/memory-source-accessor.hh b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/memory-source-accessor.hh
index 933af600a..fc00f34d9 100644
--- a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/memory-source-accessor.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/memory-source-accessor.hh
@@ -188,23 +188,23 @@ using namespace nix;
 
 #define ARG fso::Regular<RegularContents>
 template<typename RegularContents>
-JSON_IMPL_INNER(ARG)
+JSON_IMPL_INNER(ARG);
 #undef ARG
 
 #define ARG fso::DirectoryT<Child>
 template<typename Child>
-JSON_IMPL_INNER(ARG)
+JSON_IMPL_INNER(ARG);
 #undef ARG
 
 template<>
-JSON_IMPL_INNER(fso::Symlink)
+JSON_IMPL_INNER(fso::Symlink);
 
 template<>
-JSON_IMPL_INNER(fso::Opaque)
+JSON_IMPL_INNER(fso::Opaque);
 
 #define ARG fso::VariantT<RegularContents, recur>
 template<typename RegularContents, bool recur>
-JSON_IMPL_INNER(ARG)
+JSON_IMPL_INNER(ARG);
 #undef ARG
 
 } // namespace nlohmann