diff --git a/src/sksl/SkSLDehydrator.cpp b/src/sksl/SkSLDehydrator.cpp
index 2b81eaae3a..22071cc2e0 100644
--- a/src/sksl/SkSLDehydrator.cpp
+++ b/src/sksl/SkSLDehydrator.cpp
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ void Dehydrator::write(const ProgramElement& e) {
         case ProgramElement::Kind::kInterfaceBlock: {
             const InterfaceBlock& i = e.as<InterfaceBlock>();
             this->writeU8(Rehydrator::kInterfaceBlock_Command);
-            this->write(i.fVariable);
+            this->write(*i.fVariable);
             this->write(i.fTypeName);
             this->write(i.fInstanceName);
             this->writeU8(i.fSizes.size());
diff --git a/src/sksl/SkSLGLSLCodeGenerator.cpp b/src/sksl/SkSLGLSLCodeGenerator.cpp
index 8eef94241e..e3a5089503 100644
--- a/src/sksl/SkSLGLSLCodeGenerator.cpp
+++ b/src/sksl/SkSLGLSLCodeGenerator.cpp
@@ -1177,10 +1177,10 @@ void GLSLCodeGenerator::writeInterfaceBlock(const InterfaceBlock& intf) {
     if (intf.fTypeName == "sk_PerVertex") {
         return;
     }
-    this->writeModifiers(intf.fVariable.modifiers(), true);
+    this->writeModifiers(intf.fVariable->modifiers(), true);
     this->writeLine(intf.fTypeName + " {");
     fIndentation++;
-    const Type* structType = &intf.fVariable.type();
+    const Type* structType = &intf.fVariable->type();
     while (structType->typeKind() == Type::TypeKind::kArray) {
         structType = &structType->componentType();
     }
diff --git a/src/sksl/SkSLIRGenerator.cpp b/src/sksl/SkSLIRGenerator.cpp
index 78472dcbf4..b5599e4169 100644
--- a/src/sksl/SkSLIRGenerator.cpp
+++ b/src/sksl/SkSLIRGenerator.cpp
@@ -186,9 +186,9 @@ void IRGenerator::start(const Program::Settings* settings,
         for (const auto& e : *inherited) {
             if (e->kind() == ProgramElement::Kind::kInterfaceBlock) {
                 InterfaceBlock& intf = e->as<InterfaceBlock>();
-                if (intf.fVariable.name() == Compiler::PERVERTEX_NAME) {
+                if (intf.fVariable->name() == Compiler::PERVERTEX_NAME) {
                     SkASSERT(!fSkPerVertex);
-                    fSkPerVertex = &intf.fVariable;
+                    fSkPerVertex = intf.fVariable;
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -1433,12 +1433,11 @@ std::unique_ptr<Expression> IRGenerator::convertIdentifier(const ASTNode& identi
         }
         case Symbol::Kind::kField: {
             const Field* field = &result->as<Field>();
-            VariableReference* base = new VariableReference(identifier.fOffset, &field->owner(),
+            auto base = std::make_unique<VariableReference>(identifier.fOffset, &field->owner(),
                                                             VariableReference::kRead_RefKind);
-            return std::unique_ptr<Expression>(new FieldAccess(
-                                                  std::unique_ptr<Expression>(base),
-                                                  field->fieldIndex(),
-                                                  FieldAccess::kAnonymousInterfaceBlock_OwnerKind));
+            return std::make_unique<FieldAccess>(std::move(base),
+                                                 field->fieldIndex(),
+                                                 FieldAccess::kAnonymousInterfaceBlock_OwnerKind);
         }
         case Symbol::Kind::kType: {
             const Type* t = &result->as<Type>();
diff --git a/src/sksl/SkSLMetalCodeGenerator.cpp b/src/sksl/SkSLMetalCodeGenerator.cpp
index 980d499b87..86a4bc2b59 100644
--- a/src/sksl/SkSLMetalCodeGenerator.cpp
+++ b/src/sksl/SkSLMetalCodeGenerator.cpp
@@ -983,11 +983,11 @@ void MetalCodeGenerator::writeFunction(const FunctionDefinition& f) {
                     continue;
                 }
                 this->write(", constant ");
-                this->writeType(intf.fVariable.type());
+                this->writeType(intf.fVariable->type());
                 this->write("& " );
                 this->write(fInterfaceBlockNameMap[&intf]);
                 this->write(" [[buffer(");
-                this->write(to_string(intf.fVariable.modifiers().fLayout.fBinding));
+                this->write(to_string(intf.fVariable->modifiers().fLayout.fBinding));
                 this->write(")]]");
             }
         }
@@ -1113,10 +1113,10 @@ void MetalCodeGenerator::writeInterfaceBlock(const InterfaceBlock& intf) {
     if ("sk_PerVertex" == intf.fTypeName) {
         return;
     }
-    this->writeModifiers(intf.fVariable.modifiers(), true);
+    this->writeModifiers(intf.fVariable->modifiers(), true);
     this->write("struct ");
     this->writeLine(intf.fTypeName + " {");
-    const Type* structType = &intf.fVariable.type();
+    const Type* structType = &intf.fVariable->type();
     fWrittenStructs.push_back(structType);
     while (structType->typeKind() == Type::TypeKind::kArray) {
         structType = &structType->componentType();
diff --git a/src/sksl/SkSLSPIRVCodeGenerator.cpp b/src/sksl/SkSLSPIRVCodeGenerator.cpp
index 63a354338a..32d110820c 100644
--- a/src/sksl/SkSLSPIRVCodeGenerator.cpp
+++ b/src/sksl/SkSLSPIRVCodeGenerator.cpp
@@ -2693,14 +2693,14 @@ static void update_sk_in_count(const Modifiers& m, int* outSkInCount) {
 }
 
 SpvId SPIRVCodeGenerator::writeInterfaceBlock(const InterfaceBlock& intf, bool appendRTHeight) {
-    bool isBuffer = (0 != (intf.fVariable.modifiers().fFlags & Modifiers::kBuffer_Flag));
-    bool pushConstant = (0 != (intf.fVariable.modifiers().fLayout.fFlags &
+    bool isBuffer = (0 != (intf.fVariable->modifiers().fFlags & Modifiers::kBuffer_Flag));
+    bool pushConstant = (0 != (intf.fVariable->modifiers().fLayout.fFlags &
                                Layout::kPushConstant_Flag));
     MemoryLayout memoryLayout = (pushConstant || isBuffer) ?
                                 MemoryLayout(MemoryLayout::k430_Standard) :
                                 fDefaultLayout;
     SpvId result = this->nextId();
-    const Type* type = &intf.fVariable.type();
+    const Type* type = &intf.fVariable->type();
     if (fProgram.fInputs.fRTHeight && appendRTHeight) {
         SkASSERT(fRTHeightStructId == (SpvId) -1);
         SkASSERT(fRTHeightFieldIndex == (SpvId) -1);
@@ -2711,7 +2711,7 @@ SpvId SPIRVCodeGenerator::writeInterfaceBlock(const InterfaceBlock& intf, bool a
         type = new Type(type->fOffset, type->name(), fields);
     }
     SpvId typeId;
-    Modifiers intfModifiers = intf.fVariable.modifiers();
+    Modifiers intfModifiers = intf.fVariable->modifiers();
     if (intfModifiers.fLayout.fBuiltin == SK_IN_BUILTIN) {
         for (const auto& e : fProgram) {
             if (e.kind() == ProgramElement::Kind::kModifiers) {
@@ -2720,7 +2720,7 @@ SpvId SPIRVCodeGenerator::writeInterfaceBlock(const InterfaceBlock& intf, bool a
             }
         }
         typeId = this->getType(Type("sk_in", Type::TypeKind::kArray,
-                                    intf.fVariable.type().componentType(),
+                                    intf.fVariable->type().componentType(),
                                     fSkInCount),
                                memoryLayout);
     } else {
@@ -2740,7 +2740,7 @@ SpvId SPIRVCodeGenerator::writeInterfaceBlock(const InterfaceBlock& intf, bool a
         layout.fSet = 0;
     }
     this->writeLayout(layout, result);
-    fVariableMap[&intf.fVariable] = result;
+    fVariableMap[intf.fVariable] = result;
     if (fProgram.fInputs.fRTHeight && appendRTHeight) {
         delete type;
     }
@@ -3194,7 +3194,7 @@ void SPIRVCodeGenerator::writeInstructions(const Program& program, OutputStream&
     for (const auto& e : program) {
         if (e.kind() == ProgramElement::Kind::kInterfaceBlock) {
             InterfaceBlock& intf = (InterfaceBlock&) e;
-            const Modifiers& modifiers = intf.fVariable.modifiers();
+            const Modifiers& modifiers = intf.fVariable->modifiers();
             if (SK_IN_BUILTIN == modifiers.fLayout.fBuiltin) {
                 SkASSERT(skInSize != -1);
                 intf.fSizes.emplace_back(new IntLiteral(fContext, -1, skInSize));
@@ -3203,7 +3203,7 @@ void SPIRVCodeGenerator::writeInstructions(const Program& program, OutputStream&
             if (((modifiers.fFlags & Modifiers::kIn_Flag) ||
                 (modifiers.fFlags & Modifiers::kOut_Flag)) &&
                 modifiers.fLayout.fBuiltin == -1 &&
-                !is_dead(intf.fVariable)) {
+                !is_dead(*intf.fVariable)) {
                 interfaceVars.insert(id);
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/sksl/ir/SkSLInterfaceBlock.h b/src/sksl/ir/SkSLInterfaceBlock.h
index cee0a22d61..532a9afdab 100644
--- a/src/sksl/ir/SkSLInterfaceBlock.h
+++ b/src/sksl/ir/SkSLInterfaceBlock.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ struct InterfaceBlock : public ProgramElement {
                    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Expression>> sizes,
                    std::shared_ptr<SymbolTable> typeOwner)
     : INHERITED(offset, kProgramElementKind)
-    , fVariable(*var)
+    , fVariable(var)
     , fTypeName(std::move(typeName))
     , fInstanceName(std::move(instanceName))
     , fSizes(std::move(sizes))
@@ -39,18 +39,19 @@ struct InterfaceBlock : public ProgramElement {
 
     std::unique_ptr<ProgramElement> clone() const override {
         std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Expression>> sizesClone;
+        sizesClone.reserve(fSizes.size());
         for (const auto& s : fSizes) {
             sizesClone.push_back(s ? s->clone() : nullptr);
         }
-        return std::unique_ptr<ProgramElement>(new InterfaceBlock(fOffset, &fVariable, fTypeName,
+        return std::unique_ptr<ProgramElement>(new InterfaceBlock(fOffset, fVariable, fTypeName,
                                                                   fInstanceName,
                                                                   std::move(sizesClone),
                                                                   fTypeOwner));
     }
 
     String description() const override {
-        String result = fVariable.modifiers().description() + fTypeName + " {\n";
-        const Type* structType = &fVariable.type();
+        String result = fVariable->modifiers().description() + fTypeName + " {\n";
+        const Type* structType = &fVariable->type();
         while (structType->typeKind() == Type::TypeKind::kArray) {
             structType = &structType->componentType();
         }
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ struct InterfaceBlock : public ProgramElement {
         return result + ";";
     }
 
-    const Variable& fVariable;
+    const Variable* fVariable;
     const String fTypeName;
     const String fInstanceName;
     std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Expression>> fSizes;