diff --git a/cJSON.c b/cJSON.c
index 3d3d5d2..d08cb5b 100644
--- a/cJSON.c
+++ b/cJSON.c
@@ -2210,6 +2210,27 @@ CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateStringReference(const char *string)
     return item;
 }
 
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateObjectReference(const cJSON *child)
+{
+    cJSON *item = cJSON_New_Item(&global_hooks);
+    if (item != NULL) {
+        item->type = cJSON_Object | cJSON_IsReference;
+        item->child = (cJSON*)cast_away_const(child);
+    }
+
+    return item;
+}
+
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateArrayReference(const cJSON *child) {
+    cJSON *item = cJSON_New_Item(&global_hooks);
+    if (item != NULL) {
+        item->type = cJSON_Array | cJSON_IsReference;
+        item->child = (cJSON*)cast_away_const(child);
+    }
+
+    return item;
+}
+
 CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateRaw(const char *raw)
 {
     cJSON *item = cJSON_New_Item(&global_hooks);
diff --git a/cJSON.h b/cJSON.h
index c1ba032..ba0b258 100644
--- a/cJSON.h
+++ b/cJSON.h
@@ -195,6 +195,10 @@ CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateObject(void);
 /* Create a string where valuestring references a string so
  * it will not be freed by cJSON_Delete */
 CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateStringReference(const char *string);
+/* Create an object/arrray that only references it's elements so
+ * they will not be freed by cJSON_Delete */
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateObjectReference(const cJSON *child);
+CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateArrayReference(const cJSON *child);
 
 /* These utilities create an Array of count items. */
 CJSON_PUBLIC(cJSON *) cJSON_CreateIntArray(const int *numbers, int count);
diff --git a/tests/misc_tests.c b/tests/misc_tests.c
index 1b09a87..a900e8f 100644
--- a/tests/misc_tests.c
+++ b/tests/misc_tests.c
@@ -473,6 +473,41 @@ static void cjson_create_string_reference_should_create_a_string_reference(void)
     cJSON_Delete(string_reference);
 }
 
+static void cjson_create_object_reference_should_create_an_object_reference(void) {
+    cJSON *number_reference = NULL;
+    cJSON *number_object = cJSON_CreateObject();
+    cJSON *number = cJSON_CreateNumber(42);
+    const char key[] = "number";
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(cJSON_IsNumber(number));
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(cJSON_IsObject(number_object));
+    cJSON_AddItemToObjectCS(number_object, key, number);
+
+    number_reference = cJSON_CreateObjectReference(number);
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(number_reference->child == number);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(cJSON_Object | cJSON_IsReference, number_reference->type);
+
+    cJSON_Delete(number_object);
+    cJSON_Delete(number_reference);
+}
+
+static void cjson_create_array_reference_should_create_an_array_reference(void) {
+    cJSON *number_reference = NULL;
+    cJSON *number_array = cJSON_CreateArray();
+    cJSON *number = cJSON_CreateNumber(42);
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(cJSON_IsNumber(number));
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(cJSON_IsArray(number_array));
+    cJSON_AddItemToArray(number_array, number);
+
+    number_reference = cJSON_CreateArrayReference(number);
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(number_reference->child == number);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(cJSON_Array | cJSON_IsReference, number_reference->type);
+
+    cJSON_Delete(number_array);
+    cJSON_Delete(number_reference);
+}
+
 int main(void)
 {
     UNITY_BEGIN();
@@ -493,6 +528,8 @@ int main(void)
     RUN_TEST(skip_utf8_bom_should_not_skip_bom_if_not_at_beginning);
     RUN_TEST(cjson_get_string_value_should_get_a_string);
     RUN_TEST(cjson_create_string_reference_should_create_a_string_reference);
+    RUN_TEST(cjson_create_object_reference_should_create_an_object_reference);
+    RUN_TEST(cjson_create_array_reference_should_create_an_array_reference);
 
     return UNITY_END();
 }