diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1a91d0b..313c840 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 **/target
 Cargo.lock
 wasm3-sys/wrapper.h
+.vscode
diff --git a/src/function.rs b/src/function.rs
index c5534a3..df1d20d 100644
--- a/src/function.rs
+++ b/src/function.rs
@@ -60,27 +60,27 @@ pub(crate) type NNM3Function = NonNull<ffi::M3Function>;
 /// A callable wasm3 function.
 /// This has a generic `call` function for up to 26 parameters emulating an overloading behaviour without having to resort to tuples.
 /// These are hidden to not pollute the documentation.
-#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
-pub struct Function<'rt, Args, Ret> {
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct Function<Args, Ret> {
     raw: NNM3Function,
-    rt: &'rt Runtime,
+    rt: Runtime,
     _pd: PhantomData<*const (Args, Ret)>,
 }
 
-impl<'rt, Args, Ret> Eq for Function<'rt, Args, Ret> {}
-impl<'rt, Args, Ret> PartialEq for Function<'rt, Args, Ret> {
+impl<Args, Ret> Eq for Function<Args, Ret> {}
+impl<Args, Ret> PartialEq for Function<Args, Ret> {
     fn eq(&self, other: &Self) -> bool {
         self.raw == other.raw
     }
 }
 
-impl<'rt, Args, Ret> Hash for Function<'rt, Args, Ret> {
+impl<Args, Ret> Hash for Function<Args, Ret> {
     fn hash<H: Hasher>(&self, state: &mut H) {
         self.raw.hash(state);
     }
 }
 
-impl<'rt, Args, Ret> Function<'rt, Args, Ret>
+impl<Args, Ret> Function<Args, Ret>
 where
     Args: WasmArgs,
     Ret: WasmType,
@@ -91,17 +91,17 @@ where
     }
 
     /// The module containing this function.
-    pub fn module(&self) -> Option<Module<'rt>> {
+    pub fn module(&self) -> Option<Module> {
         let module = unsafe { ffi::m3_GetFunctionModule(self.raw.as_ptr()) };
         if !module.is_null() {
-            Some(Module::from_raw(self.rt, module))
+            Some(Module::from_raw(&self.rt, module))
         } else {
             None
         }
     }
 }
 
-impl<'rt, Args, Ret> Function<'rt, Args, Ret>
+impl<Args, Ret> Function<Args, Ret>
 where
     Args: WasmArgs,
     Ret: WasmType,
@@ -125,13 +125,13 @@ where
     }
 
     #[inline]
-    pub(crate) fn from_raw(rt: &'rt Runtime, raw: NNM3Function) -> Result<Self> {
+    pub(crate) fn from_raw(rt: &Runtime, raw: NNM3Function) -> Result<Self> {
         if !Self::validate_sig(raw) {
             return Err(Error::InvalidFunctionSignature);
         }
         Ok(Function {
             raw,
-            rt,
+            rt: rt.clone(),
             _pd: PhantomData,
         })
     }
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ macro_rules! func_call_impl {
     (@do_impl) => {};
     (@do_impl $($types:ident,)*) => {
     #[doc(hidden)] // this really pollutes the documentation
-        impl<'rt, $($types,)* Ret> Function<'rt, ($($types,)*), Ret>
+        impl<$($types,)* Ret> Function<($($types,)*), Ret>
         where
             Ret: WasmType,
             ($($types,)*): WasmArgs,
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ macro_rules! func_call_impl {
 }
 func_call_impl!(A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q);
 
-impl<'rt, ARG, Ret> Function<'rt, ARG, Ret>
+impl<ARG, Ret> Function<ARG, Ret>
 where
     Ret: WasmType,
     ARG: WasmArg,
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-impl<'rt, Ret> Function<'rt, (), Ret>
+impl<Ret> Function<(), Ret>
 where
     Ret: WasmType,
 {
diff --git a/src/module.rs b/src/module.rs
index 43f36b9..48a8ce5 100644
--- a/src/module.rs
+++ b/src/module.rs
@@ -67,12 +67,12 @@ impl ParsedModule {
 
 /// A loaded module belonging to a specific runtime. Allows for linking and looking up functions.
 // needs no drop as loaded modules will be cleaned up by the runtime
-pub struct Module<'rt> {
+pub struct Module {
     raw: ffi::IM3Module,
-    rt: &'rt Runtime,
+    rt: Runtime,
 }
 
-impl<'rt> Module<'rt> {
+impl Module {
     /// Parses a wasm module from raw bytes.
     #[inline]
     pub fn parse<TData: Into<Box<[u8]>>>(
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ impl<'rt> Module<'rt> {
     /// * a memory allocation failed
     /// * no function by the given name in the given module could be found
     /// * the function has been found but the signature did not match
-    pub fn find_function<Args, Ret>(&self, function_name: &str) -> Result<Function<'rt, Args, Ret>>
+    pub fn find_function<Args, Ret>(&self, function_name: &str) -> Result<Function<Args, Ret>>
     where
         Args: crate::WasmArgs,
         Ret: crate::WasmType,
@@ -228,9 +228,9 @@ impl<'rt> Module<'rt> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<'rt> Module<'rt> {
-    pub(crate) fn from_raw(rt: &'rt Runtime, raw: ffi::IM3Module) -> Self {
-        Module { raw, rt }
+impl Module {
+    pub(crate) fn from_raw(rt: &Runtime, raw: ffi::IM3Module) -> Self {
+        Module { raw, rt: rt.clone() }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runtime.rs b/src/runtime.rs
index 2617a9f..fb176d2 100644
--- a/src/runtime.rs
+++ b/src/runtime.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use alloc::boxed::Box;
+use alloc::rc::Rc;
 use alloc::vec::Vec;
 use core::cell::UnsafeCell;
 use core::pin::Pin;
@@ -13,8 +14,14 @@ use crate::utils::str_to_cstr_owned;
 type PinnedAnyClosure = Pin<Box<dyn core::any::Any + 'static>>;
 
 /// A runtime context for wasm3 modules.
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct Runtime {
+    inner: Rc<RuntimeInner>,
+}
+
+/// A runtime context for wasm3 modules.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct RuntimeInner {
     raw: NonNull<ffi::M3Runtime>,
     environment: Environment,
     // holds all linked closures so that they properly get disposed of when runtime drops
@@ -38,17 +45,18 @@ impl Runtime {
             ))
         }
         .ok_or_else(Error::malloc_error)
-        .map(|raw| Runtime {
+        .map(|raw| RuntimeInner {
             raw,
             environment: environment.clone(),
             closure_store: UnsafeCell::new(Vec::new()),
             module_data: UnsafeCell::new(Vec::new()),
         })
+        .map(|inner| Runtime { inner: Rc::new(inner) })
     }
 
     /// Parses and loads a module from bytes.
     pub fn parse_and_load_module<TData: Into<Box<[u8]>>>(&self, bytes: TData) -> Result<Module> {
-        Module::parse(&self.environment, bytes).and_then(|module| self.load_module(module))
+        Module::parse(&self.inner.environment, bytes).and_then(|module| self.load_module(module))
     }
 
     /// Loads a parsed module returning the module if unsuccessful.
@@ -57,14 +65,14 @@ impl Runtime {
     ///
     /// This function will error if the module's environment differs from the one this runtime uses.
     pub fn load_module(&self, module: ParsedModule) -> Result<Module> {
-        if &self.environment != module.environment() {
+        if &self.inner.environment != module.environment() {
             Err(Error::ModuleLoadEnvMismatch)
         } else {
             let raw_mod = module.as_ptr();
-            Error::from_ffi_res(unsafe { ffi::m3_LoadModule(self.raw.as_ptr(), raw_mod) })?;
+            Error::from_ffi_res(unsafe { ffi::m3_LoadModule(self.inner.raw.as_ptr(), raw_mod) })?;
             // SAFETY: Runtime isn't Send, therefor this access is single-threaded and kept alive only for the Vec::push call
             // as such this can not alias.
-            unsafe { (*self.module_data.get()).push(module.take_data()) };
+            unsafe { (*self.inner.module_data.get()).push(module.take_data()) };
 
             Ok(Module::from_raw(self, raw_mod))
         }
@@ -118,15 +126,15 @@ impl Runtime {
 
 impl Runtime {
     pub(crate) fn push_closure(&self, closure: PinnedAnyClosure) {
-        unsafe { (*self.closure_store.get()).push(closure) };
+        unsafe { (*self.inner.closure_store.get()).push(closure) };
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn as_ptr(&self) -> ffi::IM3Runtime {
-        self.raw.as_ptr()
+        self.inner.raw.as_ptr()
     }
 }
 
-impl Drop for Runtime {
+impl Drop for RuntimeInner {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
         unsafe { ffi::m3_FreeRuntime(self.raw.as_ptr()) };
     }