diff --git a/src/ptr.zig b/src/ptr.zig
index 608b0efc50..4df6fac14c 100644
--- a/src/ptr.zig
+++ b/src/ptr.zig
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ pub const DynamicOwned = owned.Dynamic; // owned pointer allocated with any `std
 pub const shared = @import("./ptr/shared.zig");
 pub const Shared = shared.Shared;
 pub const AtomicShared = shared.AtomicShared;
+pub const ExternalShared = @import("./ptr/external_shared.zig").ExternalShared;
 
 pub const ref_count = @import("./ptr/ref_count.zig");
 /// Deprecated; use `Shared(*T)`.
@@ -22,6 +23,9 @@ pub const ThreadSafeRefCount = ref_count.ThreadSafeRefCount;
 /// Deprecated; use `Shared(*T)`.
 pub const RefPtr = ref_count.RefPtr;
 
+pub const raw_ref_count = @import("./ptr/raw_ref_count.zig");
+pub const RawRefCount = raw_ref_count.RawRefCount;
+
 pub const TaggedPointer = @import("./ptr/tagged_pointer.zig").TaggedPointer;
 pub const TaggedPointerUnion = @import("./ptr/tagged_pointer.zig").TaggedPointerUnion;
 
diff --git a/src/ptr/external_shared.zig b/src/ptr/external_shared.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..de59780b7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ptr/external_shared.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+/// A shared pointer whose reference count is managed externally; e.g., by extern functions.
+///
+/// `T.external_shared_descriptor` must be a struct of the following form:
+///
+///     pub const external_shared_descriptor = struct {
+///         pub fn ref(T*) void;
+///         pub fn deref(T*) void;
+///     };
+pub fn ExternalShared(comptime T: type) type {
+    _ = T.external_shared_descriptor.ref; // must define a `ref` function
+    _ = T.external_shared_descriptor.deref; // must define a `deref` function
+    return struct {
+        const Self = @This();
+
+        #impl: *T,
+
+        /// `incremented_raw` should have already had its ref count incremented by 1.
+        pub fn adopt(incremented_raw: *T) Self {
+            return .{ .#impl = incremented_raw };
+        }
+
+        /// Deinitializes the shared pointer, decrementing the ref count.
+        pub fn deinit(self: *Self) void {
+            T.external_shared_descriptor.deref(self.#impl);
+            self.* = undefined;
+        }
+
+        /// Gets the underlying pointer. This pointer may not be valid after `self` is
+        /// deinitialized.
+        pub fn get(self: Self) *T {
+            return self.#impl;
+        }
+
+        /// Clones the shared pointer, incrementing the ref count.
+        pub fn clone(self: Self) Self {
+            T.external_shared_descriptor.ref(self.#impl);
+            return self;
+        }
+
+        pub fn cloneFromRaw(raw: *T) Self {
+            T.external_shared_descriptor.ref(raw);
+            return .{ .#impl = raw };
+        }
+
+        /// Returns the raw pointer without decrementing the ref count. Invalidates `self`.
+        pub fn leak(self: *Self) *T {
+            defer self.* = undefined;
+            return self.#impl;
+        }
+
+        const NonOptional = Self;
+
+        pub const Optional = struct {
+            #impl: ?*T = null,
+
+            pub fn initNull() Optional {
+                return .{};
+            }
+
+            /// `incremented_raw`, if non-null, should have already had its ref count incremented
+            /// by 1.
+            pub fn adopt(incremented_raw: ?*T) Optional {
+                return .{ .#impl = incremented_raw };
+            }
+
+            pub fn deinit(self: *Optional) void {
+                if (self.#impl) |impl| {
+                    T.external_shared_descriptor.deref(impl);
+                }
+                self.* = undefined;
+            }
+
+            pub fn get(self: Optional) ?*T {
+                return self.#impl;
+            }
+
+            /// Sets `self` to null.
+            pub fn take(self: *Optional) ?NonOptional {
+                const result: NonOptional = .{ .#impl = self.#impl orelse return null };
+                self.#impl = null;
+                return result;
+            }
+
+            pub fn clone(self: Optional) Optional {
+                if (self.#impl) |impl| {
+                    T.external_shared_descriptor.ref(impl);
+                }
+                return self;
+            }
+
+            pub fn cloneFromRaw(raw: ?*T) Optional {
+                if (raw) |some_raw| {
+                    T.external_shared_descriptor.ref(some_raw);
+                }
+                return .{ .#impl = raw };
+            }
+
+            /// Returns the raw pointer without decrementing the ref count. Invalidates `self`.
+            pub fn leak(self: *Optional) ?*T {
+                defer self.* = undefined;
+                return self.#impl;
+            }
+        };
+
+        /// Invalidates `self`.
+        pub fn intoOptional(self: *Self) Optional {
+            defer self.* = undefined;
+            return .{ .#impl = self.#impl };
+        }
+    };
+}
diff --git a/src/ptr/raw_ref_count.zig b/src/ptr/raw_ref_count.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7d65d98fb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ptr/raw_ref_count.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+pub const ThreadSafety = enum {
+    single_threaded,
+    thread_safe,
+};
+
+pub const DecrementResult = enum {
+    keep_alive,
+    should_destroy,
+};
+
+/// A simple wrapper around an integer reference count. This type doesn't do any memory management
+/// itself.
+///
+/// This type may be useful for implementing the interface required by `bun.ptr.ExternalShared`.
+pub fn RawRefCount(comptime Int: type, comptime thread_safety: ThreadSafety) type {
+    return struct {
+        const Self = @This();
+
+        raw_value: if (thread_safety == .thread_safe) std.atomic.Value(Int) else Int,
+        #thread_lock: if (thread_safety == .single_threaded) bun.safety.ThreadLock else void,
+
+        /// Usually the initial count should be 1.
+        pub fn init(initial_count: Int) Self {
+            return .{
+                .raw_value = switch (comptime thread_safety) {
+                    .single_threaded => initial_count,
+                    .thread_safe => .init(initial_count),
+                },
+                .#thread_lock = switch (comptime thread_safety) {
+                    .single_threaded => .initLockedIfNonComptime(),
+                    .thread_safe => {},
+                },
+            };
+        }
+
+        pub fn increment(self: *Self) void {
+            switch (comptime thread_safety) {
+                .single_threaded => {
+                    self.#thread_lock.lockOrAssert();
+                    self.raw_value += 1;
+                },
+                .thread_safe => {
+                    const old = self.raw_value.fetchAdd(1, .monotonic);
+                    bun.assertf(
+                        old != std.math.maxInt(Int),
+                        "overflow of thread-safe ref count",
+                        .{},
+                    );
+                },
+            }
+        }
+
+        pub fn decrement(self: *Self) DecrementResult {
+            const new_count = blk: switch (comptime thread_safety) {
+                .single_threaded => {
+                    self.#thread_lock.lockOrAssert();
+                    self.raw_value -= 1;
+                    break :blk self.raw_value;
+                },
+                .thread_safe => {
+                    const old = self.raw_value.fetchSub(1, .acq_rel);
+                    bun.assertf(old != 0, "underflow of thread-safe ref count", .{});
+                    break :blk old - 1;
+                },
+            };
+            return if (new_count == 0) .should_destroy else .keep_alive;
+        }
+
+        pub const deinit = void;
+    };
+}
+
+const bun = @import("bun");
+const std = @import("std");
diff --git a/src/string/WTFStringImpl.zig b/src/string/WTFStringImpl.zig
index 48810d2a3e..c0afcbed5d 100644
--- a/src/string/WTFStringImpl.zig
+++ b/src/string/WTFStringImpl.zig
@@ -217,8 +217,16 @@ pub const WTFStringImplStruct = extern struct {
     pub fn hasPrefix(self: WTFStringImpl, text: []const u8) bool {
         return bun.cpp.Bun__WTFStringImpl__hasPrefix(self, text.ptr, text.len);
     }
+
+    pub const external_shared_descriptor = struct {
+        pub const ref = WTFStringImplStruct.ref;
+        pub const deref = WTFStringImplStruct.deref;
+    };
 };
 
+/// Behaves like `WTF::Ref<WTF::StringImpl>`.
+pub const WTFString = bun.ptr.ExternalShared(WTFStringImplStruct);
+
 pub const StringImplAllocator = struct {
     fn alloc(ptr: *anyopaque, len: usize, _: std.mem.Alignment, _: usize) ?[*]u8 {
         var this = bun.cast(WTFStringImpl, ptr);