diff --git a/src/shared/json.c b/src/shared/json.c
index 26d99a5fba..417d17df34 100644
--- a/src/shared/json.c
+++ b/src/shared/json.c
@@ -4642,10 +4642,20 @@ int json_dispatch_variant(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFl
         JsonVariant **p = ASSERT_PTR(userdata);
         assert(variant);
 
+        /* Takes a reference */
         JSON_VARIANT_REPLACE(*p, json_variant_ref(variant));
         return 0;
 }
 
+int json_dispatch_variant_noref(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFlags flags, void *userdata) {
+        JsonVariant **p = ASSERT_PTR(userdata);
+        assert(variant);
+
+        /* Doesn't take a reference */
+        *p = variant;
+        return 0;
+}
+
 int json_dispatch_uid_gid(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFlags flags, void *userdata) {
         uid_t *uid = userdata;
         uint64_t k;
diff --git a/src/shared/json.h b/src/shared/json.h
index 5d79472351..1356d0827b 100644
--- a/src/shared/json.h
+++ b/src/shared/json.h
@@ -387,6 +387,7 @@ int json_dispatch_strv(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFlags
 int json_dispatch_boolean(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFlags flags, void *userdata);
 int json_dispatch_tristate(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFlags flags, void *userdata);
 int json_dispatch_variant(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFlags flags, void *userdata);
+int json_dispatch_variant_noref(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFlags flags, void *userdata);
 int json_dispatch_int64(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFlags flags, void *userdata);
 int json_dispatch_uint64(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFlags flags, void *userdata);
 int json_dispatch_uint32(const char *name, JsonVariant *variant, JsonDispatchFlags flags, void *userdata);