diff --git a/src/pvxs/client.h b/src/pvxs/client.h
index 9fe0120..bc0c80f 100644
--- a/src/pvxs/client.h
+++ b/src/pvxs/client.h
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ public:
      */
     template<typename T>
     SubBuilder& record(const std::string& name, const T& val) {
-        typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t norm(val);
+        const typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t& norm(impl::StoreTransform<T>::in(val));
         this->_record(name, &norm, impl::StoreAs<T>::code);
         return _sb();
     }
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ public:
     template<typename T>
     PutBuilder& set(const std::string& name, const T& val, bool required=true)
     {
-        typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t norm(val);
+        const typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t& norm(impl::StoreTransform<T>::in(val));
         return set(name, &norm, impl::StoreAs<T>::code, required);
     }
 
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ public:
     template<typename T>
     RPCBuilder& arg(const std::string& name, const T& val)
     {
-        typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t norm(val);
+        const typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t& norm(impl::StoreTransform<T>::in(val));
         _set(name, &norm, impl::StoreAs<T>::code, true);
         return *this;
     }
diff --git a/src/pvxs/data.h b/src/pvxs/data.h
index f0ca8dd..d821656 100644
--- a/src/pvxs/data.h
+++ b/src/pvxs/data.h
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ template<>
 struct StorageMap<const char*>
 { typedef std::string store_t;   static constexpr StoreType code{StoreType::String}; };
 
-template<>
-struct StorageMap<shared_array<const void>>
+template<typename E>
+struct StorageMap<shared_array<const E>>
 { typedef shared_array<const void> store_t;   static constexpr StoreType code{StoreType::Array}; };
 
 template<>
@@ -90,6 +90,25 @@ struct StorageMap<Value>
 template<typename T>
 using StoreAs = StorageMap<typename std::decay<T>::type>;
 
+template<typename T>
+struct StoreTransform {
+    // pass through by default
+    static inline const T& in (const T& v) { return v; }
+    static inline const T& out(const T& v) { return v; }
+};
+template<typename E>
+struct StoreTransform<shared_array<const E>> {
+    // cast shared_array to void
+    static inline
+    shared_array<const void> in(const shared_array<const E>& v) {
+        return v.template castTo<const void>();
+    }
+    static inline
+    shared_array<const E> out(const shared_array<const void>& v) {
+        return v.template castTo<const E>();
+    }
+};
+
 } // namespace impl
 
 //! Groups of related types
@@ -536,7 +555,7 @@ public:
     inline T as() const {
         typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t ret;
         copyOut(&ret, impl::StoreAs<T>::code);
-        return ret;
+        return impl::StoreTransform<T>::out(ret);
     }
 
     //! Attempt to extract value from field.
@@ -546,7 +565,7 @@ public:
         typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t temp;
         auto ret = tryCopyOut(&temp, impl::StoreAs<T>::code);
         if(ret) {
-            val = temp;
+            val = impl::StoreTransform<T>::out(temp);
         }
         return ret;
     }
@@ -558,7 +577,7 @@ public:
     void as(FN&& fn) const {
         typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t val;
         if(tryCopyOut(&val, impl::StoreAs<T>::code)) {
-            fn(val);
+            fn(impl::StoreTransform<T>::out(val));
         }
     }
 
@@ -566,7 +585,7 @@ public:
     //! @returns false if from<T>() would throw NoField or NoConvert
     template<typename T>
     inline bool tryFrom(const T& val) {
-        typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t norm(val);
+        const typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t& norm(impl::StoreTransform<T>::in(val));
         return copyIn(&norm, impl::StoreAs<T>::code);
     }
 
@@ -583,7 +602,7 @@ public:
      */
     template<typename T>
     void from(const T& val) {
-        typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t norm(val);
+        const typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t& norm(impl::StoreTransform<T>::in(val));
         copyIn(&norm, impl::StoreAs<T>::code);
     }
 
diff --git a/test/testpvreq.cpp b/test/testpvreq.cpp
index 25c8bfa..a6fdeab 100644
--- a/test/testpvreq.cpp
+++ b/test/testpvreq.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ struct TestBuilder : client::detail::CommonBuilder<TestBuilder, client::detail::
 
     template<typename T>
     TestBuilder& set(const std::string& name, const T& val, bool required=true) {
-        typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t norm(val);
+        const typename impl::StoreAs<T>::store_t& norm(impl::StoreTransform<T>::in(val));
         _set(name, &norm, impl::StoreAs<T>::code, required);
         return *this;
     }
diff --git a/test/testxcode.cpp b/test/testxcode.cpp
index 0047a92..1c80cc1 100644
--- a/test/testxcode.cpp
+++ b/test/testxcode.cpp
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ void testDeserialize2()
         });
         testOk1(!!val["value"].isMarked());
         testOk1(!val["arbitrary.sarr"].isMarked());
-        testArrEq(val["value"].as<shared_array<const void>>().castTo<const uint64_t>(),
+        testArrEq(val["value"].as<shared_array<const uint64_t>>(),
                   shared_array<const uint64_t>({1u, 0xdeadbeef, 2u}));
     }
 
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ void testArrayXCodeT(const char(&encoded)[N], std::initializer_list<E> values)
 
     testToBytes(true, [&expected, &def](Buffer& buf) {
         auto val = def.create();
-        val["value"] = expected.template castTo<const void>();
+        val["value"] = expected;
         to_wire_valid(buf, val);
     }, encoded);
 
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ void testArrayXCodeT(const char(&encoded)[N], std::initializer_list<E> values)
         from_wire_valid(buf, ctxt, val2);
     });
 
-    testArrEq(expected, val2["value"].as<shared_array<const void>>().castTo<const E>());
+    testArrEq(expected, val2["value"].as<shared_array<const E>>());
 }
 
 void testArrayXCode()