diff --git a/sdbusplus/bus.hpp b/sdbusplus/bus.hpp
index f0ca1bf..07ce3aa 100644
--- a/sdbusplus/bus.hpp
+++ b/sdbusplus/bus.hpp
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
         sd_bus_message* m = nullptr;
         sd_bus_process(_bus.get(), &m);
 
-        return message::message(m);
+        return message::message(m, std::false_type());
     }
 
     /** @brief Process waiting dbus messages or signals, discarding unhandled.
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@
         sd_bus_message_new_method_call(_bus.get(), &m, service, objpath,
                                        interf, method);
 
-        return message::message(m);
+        return message::message(m, std::false_type());
     }
 
     /** @brief Create a signal message.
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
         sd_bus_message* m = nullptr;
         sd_bus_message_new_signal(_bus.get(), &m, objpath, interf, member);
 
-        return message::message(m);
+        return message::message(m, std::false_type());
     }
 
     /** @brief Perform a message call.
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
         sd_bus_message* reply = nullptr;
         sd_bus_call(_bus.get(), m.get(), timeout_us, nullptr, &reply);
 
-        return message::message(reply);
+        return message::message(reply, std::false_type());
     }
 
     /** @brief Perform a message call, ignoring the reply.
diff --git a/sdbusplus/message.hpp b/sdbusplus/message.hpp
index 958e60b..7cb4c1c 100644
--- a/sdbusplus/message.hpp
+++ b/sdbusplus/message.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <memory>
+#include <type_traits>
 #include <systemd/sd-bus.h>
 #include <sdbusplus/message/append.hpp>
 #include <sdbusplus/message/read.hpp>
@@ -57,9 +58,16 @@
 
     /** @brief Conversion constructor for 'msgp_t'.
      *
+     *  Takes increment ref-count of the msg-pointer and release when
+     *  destructed.
+     */
+    explicit message(msgp_t m) : _msg(sd_bus_message_ref(m)) {}
+
+    /** @brief Constructor for 'msgp_t'.
+     *
      *  Takes ownership of the msg-pointer and releases it when done.
      */
-    explicit message(msgp_t m) : _msg(m) {}
+    message(msgp_t m, std::false_type) : _msg(m) {}
 
     /** @brief Release ownership of the stored msg-pointer. */
     msgp_t release() { return _msg.release(); }
@@ -137,7 +145,7 @@
         msgp_t reply = nullptr;
         sd_bus_message_new_method_return(this->get(), &reply);
 
-        return message(reply);
+        return message(reply, std::false_type());
     }
 
     /** @brief Perform a 'method-return' response call. */
diff --git a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.mako.server.cpp b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.mako.server.cpp
index 50a6cad..89fa2a9 100644
--- a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.mako.server.cpp
+++ b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/interface.mako.server.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
     try
     {
-        auto m = message::message(sd_bus_message_ref(reply));
+        auto m = message::message(reply);
 
         auto o = static_cast<${classname}*>(context);
         m.append(convertForMessage(o->${p.camelCase}()));
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
 {
     try
     {
-        auto m = message::message(sd_bus_message_ref(value));
+        auto m = message::message(value);
 
         auto o = static_cast<${classname}*>(context);
 
diff --git a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/method.mako.prototype.hpp b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/method.mako.prototype.hpp
index 1d3cbfb..b58a2e3 100644
--- a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/method.mako.prototype.hpp
+++ b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/method.mako.prototype.hpp
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
     {
         ### Need to add a ref to msg since we attached it to an
         ### sdbusplus::message.
-        auto m = message::message(sd_bus_message_ref(msg));
+        auto m = message::message(msg);
 
     % if len(method.parameters) != 0:
         ${parameters_as_local(as_param=False)}{};