Index: lldb/include/lldb/API/SBCommandReturnObject.h
===================================================================
--- lldb/include/lldb/API/SBCommandReturnObject.h
+++ lldb/include/lldb/API/SBCommandReturnObject.h
@@ -15,23 +15,27 @@
 
 #include "lldb/API/SBDefines.h"
 
+namespace lldb_private {
+class SBCommandReturnObjectImpl;
+};
+
 namespace lldb {
 
 class LLDB_API SBCommandReturnObject {
 public:
   SBCommandReturnObject();
 
+  SBCommandReturnObject(lldb_private::CommandReturnObject &ref);
+
+  // rvalue ctor+assignment are incompatible with Reproducers.
+
   SBCommandReturnObject(const lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &rhs);
 
   ~SBCommandReturnObject();
 
-  const lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &
+  lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &
   operator=(const lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &rhs);
 
-  SBCommandReturnObject(lldb_private::CommandReturnObject *ptr);
-
-  lldb_private::CommandReturnObject *Release();
-
   explicit operator bool() const;
 
   bool IsValid() const;
@@ -86,6 +90,9 @@
 
   void SetError(const char *error_cstr);
 
+  // ref() is internal for LLDB only.
+  lldb_private::CommandReturnObject &ref() const;
+
 protected:
   friend class SBCommandInterpreter;
   friend class SBOptions;
@@ -96,10 +103,8 @@
 
   lldb_private::CommandReturnObject &operator*() const;
 
-  lldb_private::CommandReturnObject &ref() const;
-
 private:
-  std::unique_ptr<lldb_private::CommandReturnObject> m_opaque_up;
+  std::unique_ptr<lldb_private::SBCommandReturnObjectImpl> m_opaque_up;
 };
 
 } // namespace lldb
Index: lldb/packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/api/command-return-object/Makefile
===================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ lldb/packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/api/command-return-object/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+CXX_SOURCES := main.cpp
+
+include Makefile.rules
Index: lldb/packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/api/command-return-object/TestSBCommandReturnObject.py
===================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ lldb/packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/api/command-return-object/TestSBCommandReturnObject.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+"""Test the lldb public C++ api for returning SBCommandReturnObject."""
+
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+
+from lldbsuite.test.decorators import *
+from lldbsuite.test.lldbtest import *
+from lldbsuite.test import lldbutil
+
+
+class TestSBCommandReturnObject(TestBase):
+
+    mydir = TestBase.compute_mydir(__file__)
+    NO_DEBUG_INFO_TESTCASE = True
+
+    @skipIfNoSBHeaders
+    def test_sb_command_return_object(self):
+        env = {self.dylibPath: self.getLLDBLibraryEnvVal()}
+
+        self.driver_exe = self.getBuildArtifact("command-return-object")
+        self.buildDriver('main.cpp', self.driver_exe)
+        self.addTearDownHook(lambda: os.remove(self.driver_exe))
+        self.signBinary(self.driver_exe)
+
+        if self.TraceOn():
+            print("Running test %s" % self.driver_exe)
+            check_call([self.driver_exe, self.driver_exe], env=env)
+        else:
+            with open(os.devnull, 'w') as fnull:
+                check_call([self.driver_exe, self.driver_exe],
+                           env=env, stdout=fnull, stderr=fnull)
Index: lldb/packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/api/command-return-object/main.cpp
===================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ lldb/packages/Python/lldbsuite/test/api/command-return-object/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#include "lldb/API/SBCommandInterpreter.h"
+#include "lldb/API/SBCommandReturnObject.h"
+#include "lldb/API/SBDebugger.h"
+
+using namespace lldb;
+
+static SBCommandReturnObject subcommand(SBDebugger &dbg, const char *cmd) {
+  SBCommandReturnObject Result;
+  dbg.GetCommandInterpreter().HandleCommand(cmd, Result);
+  return Result;
+}
+
+class CommandCrasher : public SBCommandPluginInterface {
+public:
+  bool DoExecute(SBDebugger dbg, char **command,
+                 SBCommandReturnObject &result) {
+    // Test assignment from a different SBCommandReturnObject instance.
+    result = subcommand(dbg, "help");
+    // Test also whether self-assignment is handled correctly.
+    result = result;
+    if (!result.Succeeded())
+      return false;
+    return true;
+  }
+};
+
+int main() {
+  SBDebugger::Initialize();
+  SBDebugger dbg = SBDebugger::Create(false /*source_init_files*/);
+  SBCommandInterpreter interp = dbg.GetCommandInterpreter();
+  static CommandCrasher crasher;
+  interp.AddCommand("crasher", &crasher, nullptr /*help*/);
+  SBCommandReturnObject Result;
+  dbg.GetCommandInterpreter().HandleCommand("crasher", Result);
+}
Index: lldb/scripts/Python/python-wrapper.swig
===================================================================
--- lldb/scripts/Python/python-wrapper.swig
+++ lldb/scripts/Python/python-wrapper.swig
@@ -650,30 +650,6 @@
     return sb_ptr;
 }
 
-// Currently, SBCommandReturnObjectReleaser wraps a unique pointer to an
-// lldb_private::CommandReturnObject. This means that the destructor for the
-// SB object will deallocate its contained CommandReturnObject. Because that
-// object is used as the real return object for Python-based commands, we want
-// it to stay around. Thus, we release the unique pointer before returning from
-// LLDBSwigPythonCallCommand, and to guarantee that the release will occur no
-// matter how we exit from the function, we have a releaser object whose
-// destructor does the right thing for us
-class SBCommandReturnObjectReleaser
-{
-public:
-    SBCommandReturnObjectReleaser (lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &obj) :
-        m_command_return_object_ref (obj)
-    {
-    }
-
-    ~SBCommandReturnObjectReleaser ()
-    {
-        m_command_return_object_ref.Release();
-    }
-private:
-    lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &m_command_return_object_ref;
-};
-
 SWIGEXPORT bool
 LLDBSwigPythonCallCommand
 (
@@ -686,8 +662,7 @@
 )
 {
     using namespace lldb_private;
-    lldb::SBCommandReturnObject cmd_retobj_sb(&cmd_retobj);
-    SBCommandReturnObjectReleaser cmd_retobj_sb_releaser(cmd_retobj_sb);
+    lldb::SBCommandReturnObject cmd_retobj_sb(cmd_retobj);
     lldb::SBDebugger debugger_sb(debugger);
     lldb::SBExecutionContext exe_ctx_sb(exe_ctx_ref_sp);
 
@@ -724,8 +699,7 @@
 )
 {
     using namespace lldb_private;
-    lldb::SBCommandReturnObject cmd_retobj_sb(&cmd_retobj);
-    SBCommandReturnObjectReleaser cmd_retobj_sb_releaser(cmd_retobj_sb);
+    lldb::SBCommandReturnObject cmd_retobj_sb(cmd_retobj);
     lldb::SBDebugger debugger_sb(debugger);
     lldb::SBExecutionContext exe_ctx_sb(exe_ctx_ref_sp);
 
Index: lldb/source/API/SBCommandInterpreter.cpp
===================================================================
--- lldb/source/API/SBCommandInterpreter.cpp
+++ lldb/source/API/SBCommandInterpreter.cpp
@@ -162,12 +162,11 @@
 
 protected:
   bool DoExecute(Args &command, CommandReturnObject &result) override {
-    SBCommandReturnObject sb_return(&result);
+    SBCommandReturnObject sb_return(result);
     SBCommandInterpreter sb_interpreter(&m_interpreter);
     SBDebugger debugger_sb(m_interpreter.GetDebugger().shared_from_this());
     bool ret = m_backend->DoExecute(
         debugger_sb, (char **)command.GetArgumentVector(), sb_return);
-    sb_return.Release();
     return ret;
   }
   std::shared_ptr<lldb::SBCommandPluginInterface> m_backend;
Index: lldb/source/API/SBCommandReturnObject.cpp
===================================================================
--- lldb/source/API/SBCommandReturnObject.cpp
+++ lldb/source/API/SBCommandReturnObject.cpp
@@ -18,11 +18,43 @@
 using namespace lldb;
 using namespace lldb_private;
 
+class lldb_private::SBCommandReturnObjectImpl {
+public:
+  SBCommandReturnObjectImpl()
+      : m_ptr(new CommandReturnObject()), m_owned(true) {}
+  SBCommandReturnObjectImpl(CommandReturnObject &ref)
+      : m_ptr(&ref), m_owned(false) {}
+  SBCommandReturnObjectImpl(const SBCommandReturnObjectImpl &rhs)
+      : m_ptr(new CommandReturnObject(*rhs.m_ptr)), m_owned(rhs.m_owned) {}
+  SBCommandReturnObjectImpl &operator=(const SBCommandReturnObjectImpl &rhs) {
+    SBCommandReturnObjectImpl copy(rhs);
+    std::swap(*this, copy);
+    return *this;
+  }
+  // rvalue ctor+assignment are not used by SBCommandReturnObject.
+  ~SBCommandReturnObjectImpl() {
+    if (m_owned)
+      delete m_ptr;
+  }
+
+  CommandReturnObject &operator*() const { return *m_ptr; }
+
+private:
+  CommandReturnObject *m_ptr;
+  bool m_owned;
+};
+
 SBCommandReturnObject::SBCommandReturnObject()
-    : m_opaque_up(new CommandReturnObject()) {
+    : m_opaque_up(new SBCommandReturnObjectImpl()) {
   LLDB_RECORD_CONSTRUCTOR_NO_ARGS(SBCommandReturnObject);
 }
 
+SBCommandReturnObject::SBCommandReturnObject(CommandReturnObject &ref)
+    : m_opaque_up(new SBCommandReturnObjectImpl(ref)) {
+  LLDB_RECORD_CONSTRUCTOR(SBCommandReturnObject,
+                          (lldb_private::CommandReturnObject &), ref);
+}
+
 SBCommandReturnObject::SBCommandReturnObject(const SBCommandReturnObject &rhs)
     : m_opaque_up() {
   LLDB_RECORD_CONSTRUCTOR(SBCommandReturnObject,
@@ -31,26 +63,10 @@
   m_opaque_up = clone(rhs.m_opaque_up);
 }
 
-SBCommandReturnObject::SBCommandReturnObject(CommandReturnObject *ptr)
-    : m_opaque_up(ptr) {
-  LLDB_RECORD_CONSTRUCTOR(SBCommandReturnObject,
-                          (lldb_private::CommandReturnObject *), ptr);
-  assert(ptr != nullptr);
-}
-
-SBCommandReturnObject::~SBCommandReturnObject() = default;
-
-CommandReturnObject *SBCommandReturnObject::Release() {
-  LLDB_RECORD_METHOD_NO_ARGS(lldb_private::CommandReturnObject *,
-                             SBCommandReturnObject, Release);
-
-  return LLDB_RECORD_RESULT(m_opaque_up.release());
-}
-
-const SBCommandReturnObject &SBCommandReturnObject::
+SBCommandReturnObject &SBCommandReturnObject::
 operator=(const SBCommandReturnObject &rhs) {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD(
-      const lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &,
+      lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &,
       SBCommandReturnObject, operator=,(const lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &),
       rhs);
 
@@ -59,6 +75,8 @@
   return LLDB_RECORD_RESULT(*this);
 }
 
+SBCommandReturnObject::~SBCommandReturnObject() = default;
+
 bool SBCommandReturnObject::IsValid() const {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD_CONST_NO_ARGS(bool, SBCommandReturnObject, IsValid);
   return this->operator bool();
@@ -73,27 +91,27 @@
 const char *SBCommandReturnObject::GetOutput() {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD_NO_ARGS(const char *, SBCommandReturnObject, GetOutput);
 
-  ConstString output(m_opaque_up->GetOutputData());
+  ConstString output(ref().GetOutputData());
   return output.AsCString(/*value_if_empty*/ "");
 }
 
 const char *SBCommandReturnObject::GetError() {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD_NO_ARGS(const char *, SBCommandReturnObject, GetError);
 
-  ConstString output(m_opaque_up->GetErrorData());
+  ConstString output(ref().GetErrorData());
   return output.AsCString(/*value_if_empty*/ "");
 }
 
 size_t SBCommandReturnObject::GetOutputSize() {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD_NO_ARGS(size_t, SBCommandReturnObject, GetOutputSize);
 
-  return m_opaque_up->GetOutputData().size();
+  return ref().GetOutputData().size();
 }
 
 size_t SBCommandReturnObject::GetErrorSize() {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD_NO_ARGS(size_t, SBCommandReturnObject, GetErrorSize);
 
-  return m_opaque_up->GetErrorData().size();
+  return ref().GetErrorData().size();
 }
 
 size_t SBCommandReturnObject::PutOutput(FILE *fh) {
@@ -121,65 +139,63 @@
 void SBCommandReturnObject::Clear() {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD_NO_ARGS(void, SBCommandReturnObject, Clear);
 
-  m_opaque_up->Clear();
+  ref().Clear();
 }
 
 lldb::ReturnStatus SBCommandReturnObject::GetStatus() {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD_NO_ARGS(lldb::ReturnStatus, SBCommandReturnObject,
                              GetStatus);
 
-  return m_opaque_up->GetStatus();
+  return ref().GetStatus();
 }
 
 void SBCommandReturnObject::SetStatus(lldb::ReturnStatus status) {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD(void, SBCommandReturnObject, SetStatus,
                      (lldb::ReturnStatus), status);
 
-  m_opaque_up->SetStatus(status);
+  ref().SetStatus(status);
 }
 
 bool SBCommandReturnObject::Succeeded() {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD_NO_ARGS(bool, SBCommandReturnObject, Succeeded);
 
-  return m_opaque_up->Succeeded();
+  return ref().Succeeded();
 }
 
 bool SBCommandReturnObject::HasResult() {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD_NO_ARGS(bool, SBCommandReturnObject, HasResult);
 
-  return m_opaque_up->HasResult();
+  return ref().HasResult();
 }
 
 void SBCommandReturnObject::AppendMessage(const char *message) {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD(void, SBCommandReturnObject, AppendMessage, (const char *),
                      message);
 
-  m_opaque_up->AppendMessage(message);
+  ref().AppendMessage(message);
 }
 
 void SBCommandReturnObject::AppendWarning(const char *message) {
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD(void, SBCommandReturnObject, AppendWarning, (const char *),
                      message);
 
-  m_opaque_up->AppendWarning(message);
+  ref().AppendWarning(message);
 }
 
 CommandReturnObject *SBCommandReturnObject::operator->() const {
-  return m_opaque_up.get();
+  return &**m_opaque_up;
 }
 
 CommandReturnObject *SBCommandReturnObject::get() const {
-  return m_opaque_up.get();
+  return &**m_opaque_up;
 }
 
 CommandReturnObject &SBCommandReturnObject::operator*() const {
-  assert(m_opaque_up.get());
-  return *(m_opaque_up.get());
+  return **m_opaque_up;
 }
 
 CommandReturnObject &SBCommandReturnObject::ref() const {
-  assert(m_opaque_up.get());
-  return *(m_opaque_up.get());
+  return **m_opaque_up;
 }
 
 bool SBCommandReturnObject::GetDescription(SBStream &description) {
@@ -189,12 +205,12 @@
   Stream &strm = description.ref();
 
   description.Printf("Error:  ");
-  lldb::ReturnStatus status = m_opaque_up->GetStatus();
+  lldb::ReturnStatus status = ref().GetStatus();
   if (status == lldb::eReturnStatusStarted)
     strm.PutCString("Started");
   else if (status == lldb::eReturnStatusInvalid)
     strm.PutCString("Invalid");
-  else if (m_opaque_up->Succeeded())
+  else if (ref().Succeeded())
     strm.PutCString("Success");
   else
     strm.PutCString("Fail");
@@ -227,7 +243,7 @@
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD(void, SBCommandReturnObject, SetImmediateOutputFile,
                      (FILE *, bool), fh, transfer_ownership);
 
-  m_opaque_up->SetImmediateOutputFile(fh, transfer_ownership);
+  ref().SetImmediateOutputFile(fh, transfer_ownership);
 }
 
 void SBCommandReturnObject::SetImmediateErrorFile(FILE *fh,
@@ -235,7 +251,7 @@
   LLDB_RECORD_METHOD(void, SBCommandReturnObject, SetImmediateErrorFile,
                      (FILE *, bool), fh, transfer_ownership);
 
-  m_opaque_up->SetImmediateErrorFile(fh, transfer_ownership);
+  ref().SetImmediateErrorFile(fh, transfer_ownership);
 }
 
 void SBCommandReturnObject::PutCString(const char *string, int len) {
@@ -246,9 +262,9 @@
     return;
   } else if (len > 0) {
     std::string buffer(string, len);
-    m_opaque_up->AppendMessage(buffer.c_str());
+    ref().AppendMessage(buffer.c_str());
   } else
-    m_opaque_up->AppendMessage(string);
+    ref().AppendMessage(string);
 }
 
 const char *SBCommandReturnObject::GetOutput(bool only_if_no_immediate) {
@@ -256,7 +272,7 @@
                      only_if_no_immediate);
 
   if (!only_if_no_immediate ||
-      m_opaque_up->GetImmediateOutputStream().get() == nullptr)
+      ref().GetImmediateOutputStream().get() == nullptr)
     return GetOutput();
   return nullptr;
 }
@@ -266,7 +282,7 @@
                      only_if_no_immediate);
 
   if (!only_if_no_immediate ||
-      m_opaque_up->GetImmediateErrorStream().get() == nullptr)
+      ref().GetImmediateErrorStream().get() == nullptr)
     return GetError();
   return nullptr;
 }
@@ -274,7 +290,7 @@
 size_t SBCommandReturnObject::Printf(const char *format, ...) {
   va_list args;
   va_start(args, format);
-  size_t result = m_opaque_up->GetOutputStream().PrintfVarArg(format, args);
+  size_t result = ref().GetOutputStream().PrintfVarArg(format, args);
   va_end(args);
   return result;
 }
@@ -286,9 +302,9 @@
                      fallback_error_cstr);
 
   if (error.IsValid())
-    m_opaque_up->SetError(error.ref(), fallback_error_cstr);
+    ref().SetError(error.ref(), fallback_error_cstr);
   else if (fallback_error_cstr)
-    m_opaque_up->SetError(Status(), fallback_error_cstr);
+    ref().SetError(Status(), fallback_error_cstr);
 }
 
 void SBCommandReturnObject::SetError(const char *error_cstr) {
@@ -296,7 +312,7 @@
                      error_cstr);
 
   if (error_cstr)
-    m_opaque_up->SetError(error_cstr);
+    ref().SetError(error_cstr);
 }
 
 namespace lldb_private {
@@ -306,13 +322,11 @@
 void RegisterMethods<SBCommandReturnObject>(Registry &R) {
   LLDB_REGISTER_CONSTRUCTOR(SBCommandReturnObject, ());
   LLDB_REGISTER_CONSTRUCTOR(SBCommandReturnObject,
-                            (const lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &));
+                            (lldb_private::CommandReturnObject &));
   LLDB_REGISTER_CONSTRUCTOR(SBCommandReturnObject,
-                            (lldb_private::CommandReturnObject *));
-  LLDB_REGISTER_METHOD(lldb_private::CommandReturnObject *,
-                       SBCommandReturnObject, Release, ());
+                            (const lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &));
   LLDB_REGISTER_METHOD(
-      const lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &,
+      lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &,
       SBCommandReturnObject, operator=,(const lldb::SBCommandReturnObject &));
   LLDB_REGISTER_METHOD_CONST(bool, SBCommandReturnObject, IsValid, ());
   LLDB_REGISTER_METHOD_CONST(bool, SBCommandReturnObject, operator bool, ());