diff --git a/rust/kernel/lib.rs b/rust/kernel/lib.rs
index 269c552ecda015..c16596ff0684ed 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/lib.rs
@@ -96,7 +96,9 @@ pub mod user_ptr;
 pub use build_error::build_error;
 
 pub use crate::error::{to_result, Error, Result};
-pub use crate::types::{bit, bits_iter, Bool, False, Mode, Opaque, ScopeGuard, True};
+pub use crate::types::{
+    bit, bits_iter, ARef, AlwaysRefCounted, Bool, False, Mode, Opaque, ScopeGuard, True,
+};
 
 use core::marker::PhantomData;
 
diff --git a/rust/kernel/prelude.rs b/rust/kernel/prelude.rs
index cc5894fba42038..3f14c5b2b91aa4 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/prelude.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/prelude.rs
@@ -33,4 +33,4 @@ pub use super::static_assert;
 
 pub use super::{error::code::*, Error, KernelModule, Result};
 
-pub use super::{str::CStr, ThisModule};
+pub use super::{str::CStr, ARef, ThisModule};
diff --git a/rust/kernel/types.rs b/rust/kernel/types.rs
index 28b93055e8b82c..d2bdcffe85f781 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/types.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/types.rs
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ use crate::{
 use alloc::boxed::Box;
 use core::{
     cell::UnsafeCell,
+    marker::PhantomData,
     mem::MaybeUninit,
     ops::{self, Deref, DerefMut},
     pin::Pin,
+    ptr::NonNull,
 };
 
 /// Permissions.
@@ -567,3 +569,108 @@ pub struct False;
 
 // SAFETY: This is one of the only two implementations of `Bool`.
 unsafe impl Bool for False {}
+
+/// Types that are _always_ reference counted.
+///
+/// It allows such types to define their own custom ref increment and decrement functions.
+/// Additionally, it allows users to convert from a shared reference `&T` to an owned reference
+/// [`ARef<T>`].
+///
+/// This is usually implemented by wrappers to existing structures on the C side of the code. For
+/// Rust code, the recommendation is to use [`Ref`] to create reference-counted instances of a
+/// type.
+///
+/// # Safety
+///
+/// Implementers must ensure that increments to the reference count keeps the object alive in
+/// memory at least until a matching decrement performed.
+///
+/// Implementers must also ensure that all instances are reference-counted. (Otherwise they
+/// won't be able to honour the requirement that [`AlwaysRefCounted::inc_ref`] keep the object
+/// alive.)
+pub unsafe trait AlwaysRefCounted {
+    /// Increments the reference count on the object.
+    fn inc_ref(&self);
+
+    /// Decrements the reference count on the object.
+    ///
+    /// Frees the object when the count reaches zero.
+    ///
+    /// # Safety
+    ///
+    /// Callers must ensure that there was a previous matching increment to the reference count,
+    /// and that the object is no longer used after its reference count is decremented (as it may
+    /// result in the object being freed), unless the caller owns another increment on the refcount
+    /// (e.g., it calls [`AlwaysRefCounted::inc_ref`] twice, then calls
+    /// [`AlwaysRefCounted::dec_ref`] once).
+    unsafe fn dec_ref(obj: NonNull<Self>);
+}
+
+/// An owned reference to an always-reference-counted object.
+///
+/// The object's reference count is automatically decremented when an instance of [`ARef`] is
+/// dropped. It is also automatically incremented when a new instance is created via
+/// [`ARef::clone`].
+///
+/// # Invariants
+///
+/// The pointer stored in `ptr` is non-null and valid for the lifetime of the [`ARef`] instance. In
+/// particular, the [`ARef`] instance owns an increment on underlying object's reference count.
+pub struct ARef<T: AlwaysRefCounted> {
+    ptr: NonNull<T>,
+    _p: PhantomData<T>,
+}
+
+impl<T: AlwaysRefCounted> ARef<T> {
+    /// Creates a new instance of [`ARef`].
+    ///
+    /// It takes over an increment of the reference count on the underlying object.
+    ///
+    /// # Safety
+    ///
+    /// Callers must ensure that the reference count was incremented at least once, and that they
+    /// are properly relinquishing one increment. That is, if there is only one increment, callers
+    /// must not use the underlying object anymore -- it is only safe to do so via the newly
+    /// created [`ARef`].
+    pub unsafe fn from_raw(ptr: NonNull<T>) -> Self {
+        // INVARIANT: The safety requirements guarantee that the new instance now owns the
+        // increment on the refcount.
+        Self {
+            ptr,
+            _p: PhantomData,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: AlwaysRefCounted> Clone for ARef<T> {
+    fn clone(&self) -> Self {
+        self.inc_ref();
+        // SAFETY: We just incremented the refcount above.
+        unsafe { Self::from_raw(self.ptr) }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: AlwaysRefCounted> Deref for ARef<T> {
+    type Target = T;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        // SAFETY: The type invariants guarantee that the object is valid.
+        unsafe { self.ptr.as_ref() }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: AlwaysRefCounted> From<&T> for ARef<T> {
+    fn from(b: &T) -> Self {
+        b.inc_ref();
+        // SAFETY: We just incremented the refcount above.
+        unsafe { Self::from_raw(NonNull::from(b)) }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: AlwaysRefCounted> Drop for ARef<T> {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: The type invariants guarantee that the `ARef` owns the reference we're about to
+        // decrement.
+        unsafe { T::dec_ref(self.ptr) };
+    }
+}