diff --git a/gdb/ChangeLog b/gdb/ChangeLog
index 8cbe8ad..f455f7f 100644
--- a/gdb/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdb/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 2016-11-28  Tom Tromey  <tom@tromey.com>
 
+	* common/gdb_ref_ptr.h: New file.
+	* python/py-ref.h (struct gdbpy_ref_policy): New.
+	(gdbpy_ref): Now a typedef.
+
+2016-11-28  Tom Tromey  <tom@tromey.com>
+
 	* utils.h (make_cleanup_htab_delete): Don't declare.
 	* utils.c (do_htab_delete_cleanup, make_cleanup_htab_delete):
 	Remove.
diff --git a/gdb/common/gdb_ref_ptr.h b/gdb/common/gdb_ref_ptr.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc8ba94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdb/common/gdb_ref_ptr.h
@@ -0,0 +1,209 @@
+/* Reference-counted smart pointer class
+
+   Copyright (C) 2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+   This file is part of GDB.
+
+   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
+
+#ifndef GDB_REF_PTR_H
+#define GDB_REF_PTR_H
+
+#include <cstddef>
+
+namespace gdb
+{
+
+/* An instance of this class either holds a reference to a
+   reference-counted object or is "NULL".  Reference counting is
+   handled externally by a policy class.  If the object holds a
+   reference, then when the object is destroyed, the reference is
+   decref'd.
+
+   Normally an instance is constructed using a pointer.  This sort of
+   initialization lets this class manage the lifetime of that
+   reference.
+
+   Assignment and copy construction will make a new reference as
+   appropriate.  Assignment from a plain pointer is disallowed to
+   avoid confusion about whether this acquires a new reference;
+   instead use the "reset" method -- which, like the pointer
+   constructor, transfers ownership.
+
+   The policy class must provide two static methods:
+   void incref (T *);
+   void decref (T *);
+*/
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+class ref_ptr
+{
+ public:
+
+  /* Create a new NULL instance.  */
+  ref_ptr ()
+    : m_obj (NULL)
+  {
+  }
+
+  /* Create a new instance.  OBJ is a reference, management of which
+     is now transferred to this class.  */
+  explicit ref_ptr (T *obj)
+    : m_obj (obj)
+  {
+  }
+
+  /* Copy another instance.  */
+  ref_ptr (const ref_ptr &other)
+    : m_obj (other.m_obj)
+  {
+    if (m_obj != NULL)
+      POLICY::incref (m_obj);
+  }
+
+  /* Transfer ownership from OTHER.  */
+  ref_ptr (ref_ptr &&other)
+    : m_obj (other.m_obj)
+  {
+    other.m_obj = NULL;
+  }
+
+  /* Destroy this instance.  */
+  ~ref_ptr ()
+  {
+    if (m_obj != NULL)
+      POLICY::decref (m_obj);
+  }
+
+  /* Copy another instance.  */
+  ref_ptr &operator= (const ref_ptr &other)
+  {
+    /* Do nothing on self-assignment.  */
+    if (this != &other)
+      {
+	reset (other.m_obj);
+	if (m_obj != NULL)
+	  POLICY::incref (m_obj);
+      }
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  /* Transfer ownership from OTHER.  */
+  ref_ptr &operator= (ref_ptr &&other)
+  {
+    /* Do nothing on self-assignment.  */
+    if (this != &other)
+      {
+	reset (other.m_obj);
+	other.m_obj = NULL;
+      }
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  /* Change this instance's referent.  OBJ is a reference, management
+     of which is now transferred to this class.  */
+  void reset (T *obj)
+  {
+    if (m_obj != NULL)
+      POLICY::decref (m_obj);
+    m_obj = obj;
+  }
+
+  /* Return this instance's referent without changing the state of
+     this class.  */
+  T *get () const
+  {
+    return m_obj;
+  }
+
+  /* Return this instance's referent, and stop managing this
+     reference.  The caller is now responsible for the ownership of
+     the reference.  */
+  T *release ()
+  {
+    T *result = m_obj;
+
+    m_obj = NULL;
+    return result;
+  }
+
+ private:
+
+  T *m_obj;
+};
+
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+inline bool operator== (const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &self,
+			const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &other)
+{
+  return self.get () == other.get ();
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+inline bool operator== (const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &self, const T *other)
+{
+  return self.get () == other;
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+inline bool operator== (const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &self, const std::nullptr_t)
+{
+  return self.get () == nullptr;
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+inline bool operator== (const T *self, const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &other)
+{
+  return self == other.get ();
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+inline bool operator== (const std::nullptr_t, const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &other)
+{
+  return nullptr == other.get ();
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+inline bool operator!= (const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &self,
+			const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &other)
+{
+  return self.get () != other.get ();
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+inline bool operator!= (const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &self, const T *other)
+{
+  return self.get () != other;
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+inline bool operator!= (const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &self, const std::nullptr_t)
+{
+  return self.get () != nullptr;
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+inline bool operator!= (const T *self, const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &other)
+{
+  return self != other.get ();
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename POLICY>
+inline bool operator!= (const std::nullptr_t, const ref_ptr<T, POLICY> &other)
+{
+  return nullptr != other.get ();
+}
+
+}
+
+#endif /* GDB_REF_PTR_H */
diff --git a/gdb/python/py-ref.h b/gdb/python/py-ref.h
index f0e4aae..b2479bf 100644
--- a/gdb/python/py-ref.h
+++ b/gdb/python/py-ref.h
@@ -20,140 +20,23 @@
 #ifndef GDB_PYTHON_REF_H
 #define GDB_PYTHON_REF_H
 
-/* An instance of this class either holds a reference to a PyObject,
-   or is "NULL".  If it holds a reference, then when the object is
-   destroyed, the PyObject is decref'd.
+#include "common/gdb_ref_ptr.h"
 
-   Normally an instance is constructed using a PyObject*.  This sort
-   of initialization lets this class manage the lifetime of that
-   reference.
-
-   Assignment and copy construction will make a new reference as
-   appropriate.  Assignment from a plain PyObject* is disallowed to
-   avoid confusion about whether this acquires a new reference;
-   instead use the "reset" method -- which, like the PyObject*
-   constructor, transfers ownership.
-*/
-class gdbpy_ref
+/* A policy class for gdb::ref_ptr for Python reference counting.  */
+struct gdbpy_ref_policy
 {
- public:
-
-  /* Create a new NULL instance.  */
-  gdbpy_ref ()
-    : m_obj (NULL)
-  {
-  }
-
-  /* Create a new instance.  OBJ is a reference, management of which
-     is now transferred to this class.  */
-  explicit gdbpy_ref (PyObject *obj)
-    : m_obj (obj)
-  {
-  }
-
-  /* Copy another instance.  */
-  gdbpy_ref (const gdbpy_ref &other)
-    : m_obj (other.m_obj)
-  {
-    Py_XINCREF (m_obj);
-  }
-
-  /* Transfer ownership from OTHER.  */
-  gdbpy_ref (gdbpy_ref &&other)
-    : m_obj (other.m_obj)
-  {
-    other.m_obj = NULL;
-  }
-
-  /* Destroy this instance.  */
-  ~gdbpy_ref ()
-  {
-    Py_XDECREF (m_obj);
-  }
-
-  /* Copy another instance.  */
-  gdbpy_ref &operator= (const gdbpy_ref &other)
-  {
-    /* Do nothing on self-assignment.  */
-    if (this != &other)
-      {
-	reset (other.m_obj);
-	Py_XINCREF (m_obj);
-      }
-    return *this;
-  }
-
-  /* Transfer ownership from OTHER.  */
-  gdbpy_ref &operator= (gdbpy_ref &&other)
+  static void incref (PyObject *ptr)
   {
-    /* Do nothing on self-assignment.  */
-    if (this != &other)
-      {
-	reset (other.m_obj);
-	other.m_obj = NULL;
-      }
-    return *this;
+    Py_INCREF (ptr);
   }
 
-  /* Change this instance's referent.  OBJ is a reference, management
-     of which is now transferred to this class.  */
-  void reset (PyObject *obj)
+  static void decref (PyObject *ptr)
   {
-    Py_XDECREF (m_obj);
-    m_obj = obj;
+    Py_DECREF (ptr);
   }
-
-  /* Return this instance's referent.  In Python terms this is a
-     borrowed pointer.  */
-  PyObject *get () const
-  {
-    return m_obj;
-  }
-
-  /* Return this instance's referent, and stop managing this
-     reference.  The caller is now responsible for the ownership of
-     the reference.  */
-  PyObject *release ()
-  {
-    PyObject *result = m_obj;
-
-    m_obj = NULL;
-    return result;
-  }
-
- private:
-
-  PyObject *m_obj;
 };
 
-inline bool operator== (const gdbpy_ref &self, const gdbpy_ref &other)
-{
-  return self.get () == other.get ();
-}
-
-inline bool operator== (const gdbpy_ref &self, const PyObject *other)
-{
-  return self.get () == other;
-}
-
-inline bool operator== (const PyObject *self, const gdbpy_ref &other)
-{
-  return self == other.get ();
-}
-
-inline bool operator!= (const gdbpy_ref &self, const gdbpy_ref &other)
-{
-  return self.get () != other.get ();
-}
-
-inline bool operator!= (const gdbpy_ref &self, const PyObject *other)
-{
-  return self.get () != other;
-}
-
-inline bool operator!= (const PyObject *self, const gdbpy_ref &other)
-{
-  return self != other.get ();
-}
+/* A gdb::ref_ptr that has been specialized for Python objects.  */
+typedef gdb::ref_ptr<PyObject, gdbpy_ref_policy> gdbpy_ref;
 
 #endif /* GDB_PYTHON_REF_H */
