diff --git a/libutils/Android.bp b/libutils/Android.bp
index 62015693c..df761a8dc 100644
--- a/libutils/Android.bp
+++ b/libutils/Android.bp
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ cc_defaults {
         "-Wall",
         "-Werror",
         "-Wno-exit-time-destructors",
+        "-DANDROID_UTILS_REF_BASE_DISABLE_IMPLICIT_CONSTRUCTION",
     ],
     header_libs: [
         "libbase_headers",
diff --git a/libutils/Looper.cpp b/libutils/Looper.cpp
index 14e3e35c7..4b01e5c2b 100644
--- a/libutils/Looper.cpp
+++ b/libutils/Looper.cpp
@@ -107,14 +107,15 @@ sp<Looper> Looper::getForThread() {
     int result = pthread_once(& gTLSOnce, initTLSKey);
     LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(result != 0, "pthread_once failed");
 
-    return (Looper*)pthread_getspecific(gTLSKey);
+    Looper* looper = (Looper*)pthread_getspecific(gTLSKey);
+    return sp<Looper>::fromExisting(looper);
 }
 
 sp<Looper> Looper::prepare(int opts) {
     bool allowNonCallbacks = opts & PREPARE_ALLOW_NON_CALLBACKS;
     sp<Looper> looper = Looper::getForThread();
     if (looper == nullptr) {
-        looper = new Looper(allowNonCallbacks);
+        looper = sp<Looper>::make(allowNonCallbacks);
         Looper::setForThread(looper);
     }
     if (looper->getAllowNonCallbacks() != allowNonCallbacks) {
@@ -424,7 +425,11 @@ void Looper::pushResponse(int events, const Request& request) {
 }
 
 int Looper::addFd(int fd, int ident, int events, Looper_callbackFunc callback, void* data) {
-    return addFd(fd, ident, events, callback ? new SimpleLooperCallback(callback) : nullptr, data);
+    sp<SimpleLooperCallback> looperCallback;
+    if (callback) {
+        looperCallback = sp<SimpleLooperCallback>::make(callback);
+    }
+    return addFd(fd, ident, events, looperCallback, data);
 }
 
 int Looper::addFd(int fd, int ident, int events, const sp<LooperCallback>& callback, void* data) {
diff --git a/libutils/NativeHandle.cpp b/libutils/NativeHandle.cpp
index d437a9fc9..819a60352 100644
--- a/libutils/NativeHandle.cpp
+++ b/libutils/NativeHandle.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 namespace android {
 
 sp<NativeHandle> NativeHandle::create(native_handle_t* handle, bool ownsHandle) {
-    return handle ? new NativeHandle(handle, ownsHandle) : nullptr;
+    return handle ? sp<NativeHandle>::make(handle, ownsHandle) : nullptr;
 }
 
 NativeHandle::NativeHandle(native_handle_t* handle, bool ownsHandle)
diff --git a/libutils/Threads.cpp b/libutils/Threads.cpp
index 540dcf49d..1c8f81011 100644
--- a/libutils/Threads.cpp
+++ b/libutils/Threads.cpp
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ status_t Thread::run(const char* name, int32_t priority, size_t stack)
     mThread = thread_id_t(-1);
 
     // hold a strong reference on ourself
-    mHoldSelf = this;
+    mHoldSelf = sp<Thread>::fromExisting(this);
 
     mRunning = true;
 
diff --git a/libutils/include/utils/NativeHandle.h b/libutils/include/utils/NativeHandle.h
index 73fe804cc..f26a1a4d9 100644
--- a/libutils/include/utils/NativeHandle.h
+++ b/libutils/include/utils/NativeHandle.h
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ public:
 private:
     // for access to the destructor
     friend class LightRefBase<NativeHandle>;
+    // for access to the constructor
+    friend class sp<NativeHandle>;
 
     NativeHandle(native_handle_t* handle, bool ownsHandle);
     ~NativeHandle();