diff --git a/core/fpdfapi/edit/cpdf_pagecontentmanager.cpp b/core/fpdfapi/edit/cpdf_pagecontentmanager.cpp
index 0191f47..f4d51c6 100644
--- a/core/fpdfapi/edit/cpdf_pagecontentmanager.cpp
+++ b/core/fpdfapi/edit/cpdf_pagecontentmanager.cpp
@@ -66,8 +66,10 @@
   // create an array with the old and the new one. The new one's index is 1.
   if (contents_stream_) {
     CPDF_Array* new_contents_array = doc_->NewIndirect<CPDF_Array>();
-    new_contents_array->Add(contents_stream_->MakeReference(doc_.Get()));
-    new_contents_array->Add(new_stream->MakeReference(doc_.Get()));
+    new_contents_array->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(doc_.Get(),
+                                               contents_stream_->GetObjNum());
+    new_contents_array->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(doc_.Get(),
+                                               new_stream->GetObjNum());
 
     CPDF_Dictionary* page_dict = obj_holder_->GetDict();
     page_dict->SetNewFor<CPDF_Reference>("Contents", doc_.Get(),
@@ -79,7 +81,8 @@
 
   // If there is an array, just add the new stream to it, at the last position.
   if (contents_array_) {
-    contents_array_->Add(new_stream->MakeReference(doc_.Get()));
+    contents_array_->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(doc_.Get(),
+                                            new_stream->GetObjNum());
     return contents_array_->size() - 1;
   }
 
diff --git a/core/fpdfapi/page/cpdf_image.cpp b/core/fpdfapi/page/cpdf_image.cpp
index 2a44215..1d01edb 100644
--- a/core/fpdfapi/page/cpdf_image.cpp
+++ b/core/fpdfapi/page/cpdf_image.cpp
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@
       auto pNewDict = m_pDocument->New<CPDF_Dictionary>();
       CPDF_Stream* pCTS = m_pDocument->NewIndirect<CPDF_Stream>(
           std::move(pColorTable), iPalette * 3, std::move(pNewDict));
-      pCS->Add(pCTS->MakeReference(m_pDocument.Get()));
+      pCS->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(m_pDocument.Get(), pCTS->GetObjNum());
       pDict->SetNewFor<CPDF_Reference>("ColorSpace", m_pDocument.Get(),
                                        pCS->GetObjNum());
     } else {
diff --git a/core/fpdfapi/parser/cpdf_array.h b/core/fpdfapi/parser/cpdf_array.h
index 55d4cd6..7922e83 100644
--- a/core/fpdfapi/parser/cpdf_array.h
+++ b/core/fpdfapi/parser/cpdf_array.h
@@ -54,14 +54,11 @@
   CFX_Matrix GetMatrix() const;
   CFX_FloatRect GetRect() const;
 
-  // Takes ownership of |pObj|, returns unowned pointer to it.
-  CPDF_Object* Add(RetainPtr<CPDF_Object> pObj);
-  CPDF_Object* SetAt(size_t index, RetainPtr<CPDF_Object> pObj);
-  CPDF_Object* InsertAt(size_t index, RetainPtr<CPDF_Object> pObj);
-
   // Creates object owned by the array, returns unowned pointer to it.
   // We have special cases for objects that can intern strings from
-  // a ByteStringPool.
+  // a ByteStringPool. Prefer using these templates over direct calls
+  // to Add()/SetAt()/InsertAt() since by creating a new object with no
+  // previous references, they ensure cycles can not be introduced.
   template <typename T, typename... Args>
   typename std::enable_if<!CanInternStrings<T>::value, T*>::type AddNew(
       Args&&... args) {
@@ -103,6 +100,11 @@
         index, pdfium::MakeRetain<T>(m_pPool, std::forward<Args>(args)...)));
   }
 
+  // Takes ownership of |pObj|, returns unowned pointer to it.
+  CPDF_Object* Add(RetainPtr<CPDF_Object> pObj);
+  CPDF_Object* SetAt(size_t index, RetainPtr<CPDF_Object> pObj);
+  CPDF_Object* InsertAt(size_t index, RetainPtr<CPDF_Object> pObj);
+
   void Clear();
   void RemoveAt(size_t index);
   void ConvertToIndirectObjectAt(size_t index, CPDF_IndirectObjectHolder* pDoc);
diff --git a/core/fpdfapi/parser/cpdf_document.cpp b/core/fpdfapi/parser/cpdf_document.cpp
index 835b086..be04432 100644
--- a/core/fpdfapi/parser/cpdf_document.cpp
+++ b/core/fpdfapi/parser/cpdf_document.cpp
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@
         continue;
       }
       if (bInsert) {
-        pKidList->InsertAt(i, pPageDict->MakeReference(this));
+        pKidList->InsertNewAt<CPDF_Reference>(i, this, pPageDict->GetObjNum());
         pPageDict->SetNewFor<CPDF_Reference>("Parent", this,
                                              pPages->GetObjNum());
       } else {
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@
     CPDF_Array* pPagesList = pPages->GetArrayFor("Kids");
     if (!pPagesList)
       pPagesList = pPages->SetNewFor<CPDF_Array>("Kids");
-    pPagesList->Add(pPageDict->MakeReference(this));
+    pPagesList->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(this, pPageDict->GetObjNum());
     pPages->SetNewFor<CPDF_Number>("Count", nPages + 1);
     pPageDict->SetNewFor<CPDF_Reference>("Parent", this, pPages->GetObjNum());
     ResetTraversal();
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@
   pCIDSysInfo->SetNewFor<CPDF_Number>("Supplement", supplement);
 
   CPDF_Array* pArray = pBaseDict->SetNewFor<CPDF_Array>("DescendantFonts");
-  pArray->Add(pFontDict->MakeReference(this));
+  pArray->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(this, pFontDict->GetObjNum());
   return pFontDict;
 }
 
diff --git a/fpdfsdk/fpdf_edittext.cpp b/fpdfsdk/fpdf_edittext.cpp
index e39da48..ddb0ee7 100644
--- a/fpdfsdk/fpdf_edittext.cpp
+++ b/fpdfsdk/fpdf_edittext.cpp
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@
   // TODO(npm): Support vertical writing
 
   auto* pDescendant = pFontDict->SetNewFor<CPDF_Array>("DescendantFonts");
-  pDescendant->Add(pCIDFont->MakeReference(pDoc));
+  pDescendant->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(pDoc, pCIDFont->GetObjNum());
 
   CPDF_Stream* toUnicodeStream = LoadUnicode(pDoc, to_unicode);
   pFontDict->SetNewFor<CPDF_Reference>("ToUnicode", pDoc,
diff --git a/fpdfsdk/fpdf_flatten.cpp b/fpdfsdk/fpdf_flatten.cpp
index 94cc288..d6dbe9a 100644
--- a/fpdfsdk/fpdf_flatten.cpp
+++ b/fpdfsdk/fpdf_flatten.cpp
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@
     }
     pContentsStream->SetDataAndRemoveFilter(sStream.AsRawSpan());
     pContentsArray = pDocument->NewIndirect<CPDF_Array>();
-    pContentsArray->Add(pContentsStream->MakeReference(pDocument));
+    pContentsArray->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(pDocument,
+                                           pContentsStream->GetObjNum());
     pPage->SetNewFor<CPDF_Reference>(pdfium::page_object::kContents, pDocument,
                                      pContentsArray->GetObjNum());
   }
diff --git a/fpdfsdk/fpdf_save.cpp b/fpdfsdk/fpdf_save.cpp
index 76a434d..22af561 100644
--- a/fpdfsdk/fpdf_save.cpp
+++ b/fpdfsdk/fpdf_save.cpp
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@
         pData->InitStreamFromFile(pDsfileWrite, std::move(pDataDict));
         int iLast = pArray->size() - 2;
         pArray->InsertNewAt<CPDF_String>(iLast, "datasets", false);
-        pArray->InsertAt(iLast + 1, pData->MakeReference(pPDFDocument));
+        pArray->InsertNewAt<CPDF_Reference>(iLast + 1, pPDFDocument,
+                                            pData->GetObjNum());
       }
       fileList->push_back(std::move(pDsfileWrite));
     }
@@ -164,7 +165,8 @@
         pData->InitStreamFromFile(pfileWrite, std::move(pDataDict));
         int iLast = pArray->size() - 2;
         pArray->InsertNewAt<CPDF_String>(iLast, "form", false);
-        pArray->InsertAt(iLast + 1, pData->MakeReference(pPDFDocument));
+        pArray->InsertNewAt<CPDF_Reference>(iLast + 1, pPDFDocument,
+                                            pData->GetObjNum());
       }
       fileList->push_back(std::move(pfileWrite));
     }
diff --git a/fpdfsdk/fpdf_transformpage.cpp b/fpdfsdk/fpdf_transformpage.cpp
index 3ffbb3b..80101ae 100644
--- a/fpdfsdk/fpdf_transformpage.cpp
+++ b/fpdfsdk/fpdf_transformpage.cpp
@@ -203,13 +203,13 @@
   pEndStream->SetData(ByteStringView(" Q").raw_span());
 
   if (CPDF_Array* pContentArray = ToArray(pContentObj)) {
-    pContentArray->InsertAt(0, pStream->MakeReference(pDoc));
-    pContentArray->Add(pEndStream->MakeReference(pDoc));
+    pContentArray->InsertNewAt<CPDF_Reference>(0, pDoc, pStream->GetObjNum());
+    pContentArray->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(pDoc, pEndStream->GetObjNum());
   } else if (pContentObj->IsStream() && !pContentObj->IsInline()) {
     pContentArray = pDoc->NewIndirect<CPDF_Array>();
-    pContentArray->Add(pStream->MakeReference(pDoc));
-    pContentArray->Add(pContentObj->MakeReference(pDoc));
-    pContentArray->Add(pEndStream->MakeReference(pDoc));
+    pContentArray->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(pDoc, pStream->GetObjNum());
+    pContentArray->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(pDoc, pContentObj->GetObjNum());
+    pContentArray->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(pDoc, pEndStream->GetObjNum());
     pPageDict->SetNewFor<CPDF_Reference>(pdfium::page_object::kContents, pDoc,
                                          pContentArray->GetObjNum());
   }
@@ -359,11 +359,11 @@
   pStream->SetDataFromStringstream(&strClip);
 
   if (CPDF_Array* pArray = ToArray(pContentObj)) {
-    pArray->InsertAt(0, pStream->MakeReference(pDoc));
+    pArray->InsertNewAt<CPDF_Reference>(0, pDoc, pStream->GetObjNum());
   } else if (pContentObj->IsStream() && !pContentObj->IsInline()) {
     CPDF_Array* pContentArray = pDoc->NewIndirect<CPDF_Array>();
-    pContentArray->Add(pStream->MakeReference(pDoc));
-    pContentArray->Add(pContentObj->MakeReference(pDoc));
+    pContentArray->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(pDoc, pStream->GetObjNum());
+    pContentArray->AddNew<CPDF_Reference>(pDoc, pContentObj->GetObjNum());
     pPageDict->SetNewFor<CPDF_Reference>(pdfium::page_object::kContents, pDoc,
                                          pContentArray->GetObjNum());
   }