diff --git a/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/bridge/descs.rs b/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/bridge/descs.rs
index c17e91e66..2dcb7ee4c 100644
--- a/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/bridge/descs.rs
+++ b/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/bridge/descs.rs
@@ -137,20 +137,20 @@ pub type BridgeDescList = HashMap<Arc<BridgeConfig>, Result<BridgeDesc, Box<dyn
 //
 // TODO pt-client: I doubt that this type is in its final form.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
-pub(crate) struct BridgeSet<'a> {
+pub(crate) struct BridgeSet {
     /// When did this BridgeSet last change its listed bridges?
     config_last_changed: SystemTime,
     /// The configured bridges.
-    config: &'a [BridgeConfig],
+    config: Arc<[BridgeConfig]>,
     /// A map from those bridges to their descriptors.  It may contain elements
     /// that are not in `config`.
-    descs: Option<&'a BridgeDescList>,
+    descs: Option<Arc<BridgeDescList>>,
 }
 
-impl<'a> BridgeSet<'a> {
+impl BridgeSet {
     /// Create a new `BridgeSet` from its configuration.
     #[allow(dead_code)] // TODO pt-client remove
-    pub(crate) fn new(config: &'a [BridgeConfig], descs: Option<&'a BridgeDescList>) -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn new(config: Arc<[BridgeConfig]>, descs: Option<Arc<BridgeDescList>>) -> Self {
         Self {
             config_last_changed: SystemTime::now(), // TODO pt-client wrong.
             config,
@@ -177,8 +177,8 @@ impl<'a> BridgeSet<'a> {
 
     /// Return a BridgeRelay wrapping the provided configuration, plus any known
     /// descriptor for that configuration.
-    fn relay_by_bridge(&self, bridge: &'a BridgeConfig) -> BridgeRelay<'a> {
-        let desc = match self.descs.and_then(|d| d.get(bridge)) {
+    fn relay_by_bridge<'a>(&'a self, bridge: &'a BridgeConfig) -> BridgeRelay<'a> {
+        let desc = match self.descs.as_ref().and_then(|d| d.get(bridge)) {
             Some(Ok(b)) => Some(b.clone()),
             _ => None,
         };
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ impl<'a> BridgeSet<'a> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<'a> Universe for BridgeSet<'a> {
+impl Universe for BridgeSet {
     fn contains<T: tor_linkspec::ChanTarget>(&self, guard: &T) -> Option<bool> {
         match self.bridge_relay_by_guard(guard) {
             CandidateStatus::Present(_) => Some(true),
diff --git a/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/lib.rs b/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/lib.rs
index a223340a2..8330879f8 100644
--- a/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/lib.rs
@@ -772,34 +772,38 @@ impl GuardMgrInner {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Return the latest `BridgeSet` based on our `BridgeDescProvider` and our
+    /// configured bridges.
+    #[cfg(feature = "bridge-client")]
+    fn latest_bridge_set(&self) -> bridge::BridgeSet {
+        let bridge_descs = self.latest_bridge_desc_list();
+        let bridge_config = self.configured_bridges.clone();
+        bridge::BridgeSet::new(bridge_config, bridge_descs)
+    }
+
     /// Run a function that takes `&mut self` and an optional [`UniverseRef`].
     ///
     /// We try to get a universe from the appropriate source for the current
     /// active guard set.
     fn with_opt_universe<F, T>(&mut self, func: F) -> T
     where
-        F: for<'a> FnOnce(&mut Self, Option<UniverseRef<'a>>) -> T,
+        F: FnOnce(&mut Self, Option<&UniverseRef>) -> T,
     {
         // TODO pt-client: soon, make the function take an GuardSet and a set
         // of parameters, so we can't get the active set wrong.
         match self.guards.active_set.universe_type() {
             UniverseType::NetDir => {
                 if let Some(nd) = self.timely_netdir() {
-                    func(self, Some(UniverseRef::NetDir(nd.as_ref())))
+                    func(self, Some(&UniverseRef::NetDir(nd)))
                 } else {
                     func(self, None)
                 }
             }
             #[cfg(feature = "bridge-client")]
-            UniverseType::BridgeSet => {
-                let bridge_descs = self.latest_bridge_desc_list();
-                let bridge_config = self.configured_bridges.clone();
-                let bridge_set = bridge::BridgeSet::new(
-                    bridge_config.as_ref(),
-                    bridge_descs.as_ref().map(|b| b.as_ref()),
-                );
-                func(self, Some(UniverseRef::BridgeSet(bridge_set)))
-            }
+            UniverseType::BridgeSet => func(
+                self,
+                Some(&UniverseRef::BridgeSet(self.latest_bridge_set())),
+            ),
         }
     }
 
@@ -818,7 +822,7 @@ impl GuardMgrInner {
                 &this.params,
                 now,
                 this.guards.active_guards_mut(),
-                univ.as_ref(),
+                univ,
             );
         });
     }
@@ -1290,12 +1294,12 @@ impl GuardMgrInner {
                 &this.params,
                 wallclock,
                 this.guards.active_guards_mut(),
-                Some(&univ),
+                Some(univ),
             );
             if this.guards.active_guards_mut().extend_sample_as_needed(
                 wallclock,
                 &this.params,
-                &univ,
+                univ,
             ) {
                 this.guards
                     .active_guards_mut()
diff --git a/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/sample/candidate.rs b/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/sample/candidate.rs
index b9d164c5e..d3b2dc513 100644
--- a/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/sample/candidate.rs
+++ b/crates/tor-guardmgr/src/sample/candidate.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 //! This module defines and implements traits used to create a guard sample from
 //! either bridges or relays.
 
-use std::time::SystemTime;
+use std::{sync::Arc, time::SystemTime};
 
 use tor_linkspec::{ByRelayIds, ChanTarget, HasRelayIds, OwnedChanTarget};
 use tor_netdir::{NetDir, Relay, RelayWeight};
@@ -189,15 +189,15 @@ impl Universe for NetDir {
 ///
 /// This enum exists because `Universe` is not dyn-compatible.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
-pub(crate) enum UniverseRef<'a> {
+pub(crate) enum UniverseRef {
     /// A reference to a netdir.
-    NetDir(&'a NetDir),
+    NetDir(Arc<NetDir>),
     /// A BridgeSet (which is always references internally)
     #[cfg(feature = "bridge-client")]
-    BridgeSet(crate::bridge::BridgeSet<'a>),
+    BridgeSet(crate::bridge::BridgeSet),
 }
 
-impl<'a> Universe for UniverseRef<'a> {
+impl Universe for UniverseRef {
     fn contains<T: ChanTarget>(&self, guard: &T) -> Option<bool> {
         match self {
             UniverseRef::NetDir(r) => r.contains(guard),