diff --git a/tvix/castore/src/import.rs b/tvix/castore/src/import.rs
index 1b8c4ec5a..4545f35fc 100644
--- a/tvix/castore/src/import.rs
+++ b/tvix/castore/src/import.rs
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ where
 /// It's up to the caller to possibly register it somewhere (and potentially
 /// rename it based on some naming scheme)
 #[instrument(skip(blob_service, directory_service), fields(path=?p), err)]
-pub async fn ingest_path<BS, DS, P>(
+pub async fn ingest_path<'a, BS, DS, P>(
     blob_service: BS,
     directory_service: DS,
     p: P,
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ pub async fn ingest_path<BS, DS, P>(
 where
     P: AsRef<Path> + Debug,
     BS: Deref<Target = dyn BlobService> + Clone,
-    DS: Deref<Target = dyn DirectoryService>,
+    DS: Deref<Target = &'a dyn DirectoryService>,
 {
     let mut directories: HashMap<PathBuf, Directory> = HashMap::default();
 
diff --git a/tvix/castore/src/tests/import.rs b/tvix/castore/src/tests/import.rs
index 75c632799..333254706 100644
--- a/tvix/castore/src/tests/import.rs
+++ b/tvix/castore/src/tests/import.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use crate::fixtures::*;
 use crate::import::ingest_path;
 use crate::proto;
 use crate::utils::{gen_blob_service, gen_directory_service};
+use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use tempfile::TempDir;
 
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ async fn symlink() {
 
     let root_node = ingest_path(
         blob_service,
-        directory_service,
+        &directory_service.deref(),
         tmpdir.path().join("doesntmatter"),
     )
     .await
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ async fn single_file() {
 
     let root_node = ingest_path(
         blob_service.clone(),
-        directory_service,
+        &directory_service.deref(),
         tmpdir.path().join("root"),
     )
     .await
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ async fn complicated() {
 
     let root_node = ingest_path(
         blob_service.clone(),
-        directory_service.clone(),
+        &directory_service.deref(),
         tmpdir.path(),
     )
     .await
diff --git a/tvix/store/src/utils.rs b/tvix/store/src/utils.rs
index 05d4f79b1..6edbf94ee 100644
--- a/tvix/store/src/utils.rs
+++ b/tvix/store/src/utils.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ pub async fn import_path<BS, DS, PS, P>(
 where
     P: AsRef<Path> + std::fmt::Debug,
     BS: Deref<Target = dyn BlobService> + Clone,
-    DS: Deref<Target = dyn DirectoryService> + Clone,
+    DS: Deref<Target = dyn DirectoryService>,
     PS: Deref<Target = dyn PathInfoService>,
 {
     // calculate the name
@@ -71,9 +71,10 @@ where
         })?;
 
     // Ingest the path into blob and directory service.
-    let root_node = tvix_castore::import::ingest_path(blob_service, directory_service, &path)
-        .await
-        .expect("failed to ingest path");
+    let root_node =
+        tvix_castore::import::ingest_path(blob_service, &directory_service.deref(), &path)
+            .await
+            .expect("failed to ingest path");
 
     debug!(root_node =?root_node, "import successful");