diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Json/JsonDeserializer.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Json/JsonDeserializer.hpp
index d6b5afee..9602496a 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Json/JsonDeserializer.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Json/JsonDeserializer.hpp
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ class JsonDeserializer {
           slot->setKey(savedKey);
           object.add(slot);
         } else {
-          variantRelease(slot->data(), pool_);
+          slot->data()->setNull(pool_);
         }
 
         // Parse value
diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/SlotFunctions.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/SlotFunctions.hpp
index c0683c0d..00bebf37 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/SlotFunctions.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/SlotFunctions.hpp
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ inline size_t slotSize(const VariantSlot* var) {
   return n;
 }
 
-inline void slotRelease(const VariantSlot* slot, MemoryPool* pool) {
+inline void slotRelease(VariantSlot* slot, MemoryPool* pool) {
   ARDUINOJSON_ASSERT(slot != nullptr);
   if (slot->ownsKey())
     pool->dereferenceString(slot->key());
-  variantRelease(slot->data(), pool);
+  slot->data()->setNull(pool);
 }
 
 ARDUINOJSON_END_PRIVATE_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp
index 19fe1559..ba6545d6 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ ARDUINOJSON_BEGIN_PRIVATE_NAMESPACE
 
 template <typename T>
 T parseNumber(const char* s);
+void slotRelease(VariantSlot* slot, MemoryPool* pool);
 
 class VariantData {
   VariantContent content_;  // must be first to allow cast from array to variant
@@ -176,13 +177,6 @@ class VariantData {
     return slotData(object->get(key));
   }
 
-  const char* getOwnedString() const {
-    if (flags_ & OWNED_VALUE_BIT)
-      return content_.asOwnedString->data;
-    else
-      return nullptr;
-  }
-
   bool isArray() const {
     return (flags_ & VALUE_IS_ARRAY) != 0;
   }
@@ -257,11 +251,21 @@ class VariantData {
     content_.asBoolean = value;
   }
 
+  void setBoolean(bool value, MemoryPool* pool) {
+    release(pool);
+    setBoolean(value);
+  }
+
   void setFloat(JsonFloat value) {
     setType(VALUE_IS_FLOAT);
     content_.asFloat = value;
   }
 
+  void setFloat(JsonFloat value, MemoryPool* pool) {
+    release(pool);
+    setFloat(value);
+  }
+
   template <typename T>
   typename enable_if<is_signed<T>::value>::type setInteger(T value) {
     setType(VALUE_IS_SIGNED_INTEGER);
@@ -274,16 +278,32 @@ class VariantData {
     content_.asUnsignedInteger = static_cast<JsonUInt>(value);
   }
 
+  template <typename T>
+  void setInteger(T value, MemoryPool* pool) {
+    release(pool);
+    setInteger(value);
+  }
+
   void setNull() {
     setType(VALUE_IS_NULL);
   }
 
+  void setNull(MemoryPool* pool) {
+    release(pool);
+    setNull();
+  }
+
   void setRawString(StringNode* s) {
     ARDUINOJSON_ASSERT(s);
     setType(VALUE_IS_RAW_STRING);
     content_.asOwnedString = s;
   }
 
+  void setRawString(StringNode* s, MemoryPool* pool) {
+    release(pool);
+    setRawString(s);
+  }
+
   void setString(const char* s) {
     ARDUINOJSON_ASSERT(s);
     setType(VALUE_IS_LINKED_STRING);
@@ -306,17 +326,38 @@ class VariantData {
     return content_.asCollection;
   }
 
+  CollectionData& toArray(MemoryPool* pool) {
+    release(pool);
+    return toArray();
+  }
+
   CollectionData& toObject() {
     setType(VALUE_IS_OBJECT);
     content_.asCollection.clear();
     return content_.asCollection;
   }
 
+  CollectionData& toObject(MemoryPool* pool) {
+    release(pool);
+    return toObject();
+  }
+
   uint8_t type() const {
     return flags_ & VALUE_MASK;
   }
 
  private:
+  void release(MemoryPool* pool) {
+    if (flags_ & OWNED_VALUE_BIT)
+      pool->dereferenceString(content_.asOwnedString->data);
+
+    auto c = asCollection();
+    if (c) {
+      for (auto slot = c->head(); slot; slot = slot->next())
+        slotRelease(slot, pool);
+    }
+  }
+
   void setType(uint8_t t) {
     flags_ &= OWNED_KEY_BIT;
     flags_ |= t;
diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantFunctions.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantFunctions.hpp
index ef74096a..f6745d02 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantFunctions.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantFunctions.hpp
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 ARDUINOJSON_BEGIN_PRIVATE_NAMESPACE
 
-void slotRelease(const VariantSlot* slot, MemoryPool* pool);
 bool collectionCopy(CollectionData* dst, const CollectionData* src,
                     MemoryPool* pool);
 VariantData* collectionAddElement(CollectionData* array, MemoryPool* pool);
@@ -30,19 +29,6 @@ inline typename TVisitor::result_type variantAccept(const VariantData* var,
     return visitor.visitNull();
 }
 
-inline void variantRelease(const VariantData* var, MemoryPool* pool) {
-  ARDUINOJSON_ASSERT(var != nullptr);
-  auto s = var->getOwnedString();
-  if (s)
-    pool->dereferenceString(s);
-
-  auto c = var->asCollection();
-  if (c) {
-    for (auto slot = c->head(); slot; slot = slot->next())
-      slotRelease(slot, pool);
-  }
-}
-
 inline bool variantCopyFrom(VariantData* dst, const VariantData* src,
                             MemoryPool* pool) {
   if (!dst)
@@ -81,31 +67,27 @@ inline bool variantCopyFrom(VariantData* dst, const VariantData* src,
 inline void variantSetNull(VariantData* var, MemoryPool* pool) {
   if (!var)
     return;
-  variantRelease(var, pool);
-  var->setNull();
+  var->setNull(pool);
 }
 
 inline void variantSetBoolean(VariantData* var, bool value, MemoryPool* pool) {
   if (!var)
     return;
-  variantRelease(var, pool);
-  var->setBoolean(value);
+  var->setBoolean(value, pool);
 }
 
 inline void variantSetFloat(VariantData* var, JsonFloat value,
                             MemoryPool* pool) {
   if (!var)
     return;
-  variantRelease(var, pool);
-  var->setFloat(value);
+  var->setFloat(value, pool);
 }
 
 template <typename T>
 inline void variantSetInteger(VariantData* var, T value, MemoryPool* pool) {
   if (!var)
     return;
-  variantRelease(var, pool);
-  var->setInteger(value);
+  var->setInteger(value, pool);
 }
 
 template <typename TAdaptedString>
@@ -113,12 +95,10 @@ inline void variantSetString(VariantData* var, TAdaptedString value,
                              MemoryPool* pool) {
   if (!var)
     return;
-  variantRelease(var, pool);
+  var->setNull(pool);
 
-  if (value.isNull()) {
-    var->setNull();
+  if (value.isNull())
     return;
-  }
 
   if (value.isLinked()) {
     var->setString(value.data());
@@ -137,12 +117,11 @@ inline void variantSetRawString(VariantData* var, SerializedValue<T> value,
                                 MemoryPool* pool) {
   if (!var)
     return;
-  variantRelease(var, pool);
   auto dup = pool->saveString(adaptString(value.data(), value.size()));
   if (dup)
-    var->setRawString(dup);
+    var->setRawString(dup, pool);
   else
-    var->setNull();
+    var->setNull(pool);
 }
 
 inline size_t variantSize(const VariantData* var) {
@@ -152,15 +131,13 @@ inline size_t variantSize(const VariantData* var) {
 inline CollectionData* variantToArray(VariantData* var, MemoryPool* pool) {
   if (!var)
     return 0;
-  variantRelease(var, pool);
-  return &var->toArray();
+  return &var->toArray(pool);
 }
 
 inline CollectionData* variantToObject(VariantData* var, MemoryPool* pool) {
   if (!var)
     return 0;
-  variantRelease(var, pool);
-  return &var->toObject();
+  return &var->toObject(pool);
 }
 
 inline VariantData* variantGetElement(const VariantData* var, size_t index) {