diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp
index 76a5ead5..5429cb88 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantData.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 ARDUINOJSON_BEGIN_PRIVATE_NAMESPACE
 
 VariantData* collectionAddElement(CollectionData* array, MemoryPool* pool);
+bool collectionCopy(CollectionData* dst, const CollectionData* src,
+                    MemoryPool* pool);
 void collectionRemoveElement(CollectionData* data, size_t index,
                              MemoryPool* pool);
 template <typename T>
@@ -170,6 +172,40 @@ class VariantData {
     }
   }
 
+  bool copyFrom(const VariantData* src, MemoryPool* pool) {
+    release(pool);
+    if (!src) {
+      setNull();
+      return true;
+    }
+    switch (src->type()) {
+      case VALUE_IS_ARRAY:
+        return collectionCopy(&toArray(), src->asArray(), pool);
+      case VALUE_IS_OBJECT:
+        return collectionCopy(&toObject(), src->asObject(), pool);
+      case VALUE_IS_OWNED_STRING: {
+        auto str = adaptString(src->asString());
+        auto dup = pool->saveString(str);
+        if (!dup)
+          return false;
+        setOwnedString(dup);
+        return true;
+      }
+      case VALUE_IS_RAW_STRING: {
+        auto str = adaptString(src->asRawString());
+        auto dup = pool->saveString(str);
+        if (!dup)
+          return false;
+        setRawString(dup);
+        return true;
+      }
+      default:
+        content_ = src->content_;
+        flags_ = src->flags_;
+        return true;
+    }
+  }
+
   VariantData* getElement(size_t index) const {
     auto array = asArray();
     if (!array)
diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantFunctions.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantFunctions.hpp
index cecd33e4..f2b2bdf8 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantFunctions.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantFunctions.hpp
@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@
 
 ARDUINOJSON_BEGIN_PRIVATE_NAMESPACE
 
-bool collectionCopy(CollectionData* dst, const CollectionData* src,
-                    MemoryPool* pool);
-
 template <typename TVisitor>
 inline typename TVisitor::result_type variantAccept(const VariantData* var,
                                                     TVisitor& visitor) {
@@ -27,35 +24,7 @@ inline bool variantCopyFrom(VariantData* dst, const VariantData* src,
                             MemoryPool* pool) {
   if (!dst)
     return false;
-  if (!src) {
-    dst->setNull();
-    return true;
-  }
-  switch (src->type()) {
-    case VALUE_IS_ARRAY:
-      return collectionCopy(&dst->toArray(), src->asArray(), pool);
-    case VALUE_IS_OBJECT:
-      return collectionCopy(&dst->toObject(), src->asObject(), pool);
-    case VALUE_IS_OWNED_STRING: {
-      auto str = adaptString(src->asString());
-      auto dup = pool->saveString(str);
-      if (!dup)
-        return false;
-      dst->setOwnedString(dup);
-      return true;
-    }
-    case VALUE_IS_RAW_STRING: {
-      auto str = adaptString(src->asRawString());
-      auto dup = pool->saveString(str);
-      if (!dup)
-        return false;
-      dst->setRawString(dup);
-      return true;
-    }
-    default:
-      *dst = *src;
-      return true;
-  }
+  return dst->copyFrom(src, pool);
 }
 
 inline void variantSetNull(VariantData* var, MemoryPool* pool) {