diff --git a/parsers/src/util/macro_tests.rs b/parsers/src/util/macro_tests.rs
index 397bdd89d8a5c80700a06dbb537d2faded5cb1a0..0da7e6d2a837fa08364dc174d8641a05b4927148 100644
--- a/parsers/src/util/macro_tests.rs
+++ b/parsers/src/util/macro_tests.rs
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ mod helpers {
             Ok(v) => v,
             Err(e) => panic!("failed to parse from {:?}: {}", s, e),
         };
-        let recovered =
-            transform(structural.clone()).expect("roundtrip did not produce an element");
+        let recovered = transform(&structural).expect("roundtrip did not produce an element");
         assert_eq!(initial, recovered);
         let structural2: T = match try_from_element(recovered) {
             Ok(v) => v,
diff --git a/xso-proc/src/lib.rs b/xso-proc/src/lib.rs
index e2fc530cadeda79fa7f98bab27aead5bf9b3d9ab..28d3ce942dcb030b42e75fccb6770b1153ed3918 100644
--- a/xso-proc/src/lib.rs
+++ b/xso-proc/src/lib.rs
@@ -152,6 +152,12 @@ fn as_xml_impl(input: Item) -> Result<TokenStream> {
     result.extend(quote! {
         impl ::core::convert::From<#ident> for ::xso::exports::minidom::Element {
             fn from(other: #ident) -> Self {
+                ::xso::transform(&other).expect("seamless conversion into minidom::Element")
+            }
+        }
+
+        impl ::core::convert::From<&#ident> for ::xso::exports::minidom::Element {
+            fn from(other: &#ident) -> Self {
                 ::xso::transform(other).expect("seamless conversion into minidom::Element")
             }
         }
@@ -163,6 +169,13 @@ fn as_xml_impl(input: Item) -> Result<TokenStream> {
             type Error = ::xso::error::Error;
 
             fn try_from(other: #ident) -> ::core::result::Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+                ::xso::transform(&other)
+            }
+        }
+        impl ::core::convert::TryFrom<&#ident> for ::xso::exports::minidom::Element {
+            type Error = ::xso::error::Error;
+
+            fn try_from(other: &#ident) -> ::core::result::Result<Self, Self::Error> {
                 ::xso::transform(other)
             }
         }
diff --git a/xso/src/lib.rs b/xso/src/lib.rs
index 808435e699d9ca6f54eae3a8539b4eded1817b8c..568e1cd1ab3c7a1984ee5068c7f20e644ed5ba7b 100644
--- a/xso/src/lib.rs
+++ b/xso/src/lib.rs
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ impl UnknownChildPolicy {
 
 /// Attempt to transform a type implementing [`AsXml`] into another
 /// type which implements [`FromXml`].
-pub fn transform<T: FromXml, F: AsXml>(from: F) -> Result<T, self::error::Error> {
+pub fn transform<T: FromXml, F: AsXml>(from: &F) -> Result<T, self::error::Error> {
     let mut iter = self::rxml_util::ItemToEvent::new(from.as_xml_iter()?);
     let (qname, attrs) = match iter.next() {
         Some(Ok(rxml::Event::StartElement(_, qname, attrs))) => (qname, attrs),
diff --git a/xso/src/minidom_compat.rs b/xso/src/minidom_compat.rs
index e2148fd6ea301fb1915268a7adec0a06f6d970e3..3e998de7e48604214f7a6ee5bf2b3a53000132ad 100644
--- a/xso/src/minidom_compat.rs
+++ b/xso/src/minidom_compat.rs
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn transform_element_is_equivalent() {
         let el: Element = "<foo xmlns='urn:a' a='b' c='d'><child a='x'/><child a='y'>some text</child><child xmlns='urn:b'><nested-child/></child></foo>".parse().unwrap();
-        let transformed: Element = crate::transform(el.clone()).unwrap();
+        let transformed: Element = crate::transform(&el).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(el, transformed);
     }
 }