diff --git a/flang/include/flang/Optimizer/HLFIR/HLFIROps.td b/flang/include/flang/Optimizer/HLFIR/HLFIROps.td
--- a/flang/include/flang/Optimizer/HLFIR/HLFIROps.td
+++ b/flang/include/flang/Optimizer/HLFIR/HLFIROps.td
@@ -328,21 +328,37 @@
 }
 
 def hlfir_AsExprOp : hlfir_Op<"as_expr", []> {
-  let summary = "Take the value of an array, character or derived expression";
+  let summary = "Take the value of an array, character or derived variable";
 
   let description = [{
-    Take the value of an array, character or derived expression.
+    Take the value of an array, character or derived variable.
+    In general, this operation will lead to a copy of the variable
+    in the bufferization pass if it was not transformed.
+
+    However, if it is known that the variable storage will not be used anymore
+    afterwards, the variable storage ownership can be passed to the hlfir.expr
+    by providing the $must_free argument that is a boolean that indicates if
+    the storage must be freed (when it was allocated on the heap).
+    This allows Fortran lowering to build some expression value in memory when
+    there is no adequate hlfir operation, and to promote the result to an
+    hlfir.expr value without paying the price of introducing a copy.
   }];
 
-  let arguments = (ins AnyFortranVariable:$var);
+  let arguments = (ins AnyFortranVariable:$var,
+                       Optional<I1>:$must_free);
   let results = (outs hlfir_ExprType);
 
+  let extraClassDeclaration = [{
+      // Is this a "move" ?
+      bool isMove() { return getMustFree() != mlir::Value{}; }
+  }];
+
   let assemblyFormat = [{
-    $var attr-dict `:` functional-type(operands, results)
+    $var (`move` $must_free^)? attr-dict `:` functional-type(operands, results)
   }];
 
 
-  let builders = [OpBuilder<(ins "mlir::Value":$var)>];
+  let builders = [OpBuilder<(ins "mlir::Value":$var, CArg<"mlir::Value", "{}">:$must_free)>];
 }
 
 def hlfir_NoReassocOp : hlfir_Op<"no_reassoc", [NoMemoryEffect, SameOperandsAndResultType]> {
diff --git a/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/IR/HLFIROps.cpp b/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/IR/HLFIROps.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/IR/HLFIROps.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/IR/HLFIROps.cpp
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
 #include "mlir/IR/Matchers.h"
 #include "mlir/IR/OpImplementation.h"
 #include "llvm/ADT/TypeSwitch.h"
-#include <tuple>
 #include <optional>
+#include <tuple>
 
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 // DeclareOp
@@ -456,7 +456,8 @@
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 
 void hlfir::AsExprOp::build(mlir::OpBuilder &builder,
-                            mlir::OperationState &result, mlir::Value var) {
+                            mlir::OperationState &result, mlir::Value var,
+                            mlir::Value mustFree) {
   hlfir::ExprType::Shape typeShape;
   mlir::Type type = getFortranElementOrSequenceType(var.getType());
   if (auto seqType = type.dyn_cast<fir::SequenceType>()) {
@@ -466,7 +467,7 @@
 
   auto resultType = hlfir::ExprType::get(builder.getContext(), typeShape, type,
                                          /*isPolymorphic: TODO*/ false);
-  return build(builder, result, resultType, var);
+  return build(builder, result, resultType, var, mustFree);
 }
 
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
diff --git a/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/Transforms/BufferizeHLFIR.cpp b/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/Transforms/BufferizeHLFIR.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/Transforms/BufferizeHLFIR.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/Transforms/BufferizeHLFIR.cpp
@@ -147,6 +147,14 @@
     mlir::Location loc = asExpr->getLoc();
     auto module = asExpr->getParentOfType<mlir::ModuleOp>();
     fir::FirOpBuilder builder(rewriter, fir::getKindMapping(module));
+    if (asExpr.isMove()) {
+      // Move variable storage for the hlfir.expr buffer.
+      mlir::Value bufferizedExpr = packageBufferizedExpr(
+          loc, builder, adaptor.getVar(), adaptor.getMustFree());
+      rewriter.replaceOp(asExpr, bufferizedExpr);
+      return mlir::success();
+    }
+    // Otherwise, create a copy in a new buffer.
     hlfir::Entity source = hlfir::Entity{adaptor.getVar()};
     auto [temp, cleanup] = createTempFromMold(loc, builder, source);
     builder.create<hlfir::AssignOp>(loc, source, temp);
diff --git a/flang/test/HLFIR/as_expr-codegen.fir b/flang/test/HLFIR/as_expr-codegen.fir
--- a/flang/test/HLFIR/as_expr-codegen.fir
+++ b/flang/test/HLFIR/as_expr-codegen.fir
@@ -71,3 +71,14 @@
 // CHECK:    %[[VAL_8:.*]] = fir.undefined tuple<!fir.box<!fir.array<10x?xi32>>, i1>
 // CHECK:    %[[VAL_9:.*]] = fir.insert_value %[[VAL_8]], %[[VAL_6]], [1 : index] : (tuple<!fir.box<!fir.array<10x?xi32>>, i1>, i1) -> tuple<!fir.box<!fir.array<10x?xi32>>, i1>
 // CHECK:    %[[VAL_10:.*]] = fir.insert_value %[[VAL_9]], %[[VAL_7]]#0, [0 : index] : (tuple<!fir.box<!fir.array<10x?xi32>>, i1>, !fir.box<!fir.array<10x?xi32>>) -> tuple<!fir.box<!fir.array<10x?xi32>>, i1>
+
+func.func @test_move(%arg0 : !fir.ref<!fir.array<10x20xi32>>, %must_free: i1) {
+  %expr = hlfir.as_expr %arg0 move %must_free: (!fir.ref<!fir.array<10x20xi32>>, i1) -> !hlfir.expr<10x20xi32>
+  return
+}
+// CHECK-LABEL:   func.func @test_move(
+// CHECK-SAME:    %[[VAL_0:.*]]: !fir.ref<!fir.array<10x20xi32>>,
+// CHECK-SAME:    %[[VAL_1:.*]]: i1) {
+// CHECK:    %[[VAL_2:.*]] = fir.undefined tuple<!fir.ref<!fir.array<10x20xi32>>, i1>
+// CHECK:    %[[VAL_3:.*]] = fir.insert_value %[[VAL_2]], %[[VAL_1]], [1 : index] : (tuple<!fir.ref<!fir.array<10x20xi32>>, i1>, i1) -> tuple<!fir.ref<!fir.array<10x20xi32>>, i1>
+// CHECK:    %[[VAL_4:.*]] = fir.insert_value %[[VAL_3]], %[[VAL_0]], [0 : index] : (tuple<!fir.ref<!fir.array<10x20xi32>>, i1>, !fir.ref<!fir.array<10x20xi32>>) -> tuple<!fir.ref<!fir.array<10x20xi32>>, i1>
diff --git a/flang/test/HLFIR/as_expr.fir b/flang/test/HLFIR/as_expr.fir
--- a/flang/test/HLFIR/as_expr.fir
+++ b/flang/test/HLFIR/as_expr.fir
@@ -33,3 +33,12 @@
 // CHECK-LABEL: func.func @array_expr_2(
 // CHECK-SAME:    %[[VAL_0:.*]]: !fir.ref<!fir.array<10xi32>>) {
 // CHECK:   hlfir.as_expr %[[VAL_0]] : (!fir.ref<!fir.array<10xi32>>) -> !hlfir.expr<10xi32>
+
+func.func @array_expr_move(%arg0: !fir.ref<!fir.array<10xi32>>, %must_free: i1) {
+  %0 = hlfir.as_expr %arg0 move %must_free : (!fir.ref<!fir.array<10xi32>>, i1) -> !hlfir.expr<10xi32>
+  return
+}
+// CHECK-LABEL: func.func @array_expr_move(
+// CHECK-SAME:    %[[VAL_0:.*]]: !fir.ref<!fir.array<10xi32>>,
+// CHECK-SAME:    %[[VAL_1:.*]]: i1) {
+// CHECK:   hlfir.as_expr %[[VAL_0]] move %[[VAL_1]] : (!fir.ref<!fir.array<10xi32>>, i1) -> !hlfir.expr<10xi32>