diff --git a/experiments/placer/layout.h b/experiments/placer/layout.h
index a440d6274e1..7dd08b3cc4b 100644
--- a/experiments/placer/layout.h
+++ b/experiments/placer/layout.h
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ class ArenaContainer : public Container {
     }
   }
 
-
   // Allocation function.
   void* Place(int size) {
     ArenaContainerHeader* header = reinterpret_cast<ArenaContainerHeader*>(header_);
@@ -132,7 +131,8 @@ class ArenaContainer : public Container {
   ObjHeader* PlaceObject(const TypeInfo* type_info);
 
   // Places an array of certain type in this container. Note that array_type_info
-  // is type infor for an array, not for an individual element.
+  // is type info for an array, not for an individual element. Also note that exactly
+  // same operation could be used to place strings.
   ArrayHeader* PlaceArray(const TypeInfo* array_type_info, int count);
 
   // Dispose whole container ignoring non-zero refcount. Use with care.
@@ -247,10 +247,6 @@ class ObjRef : public AnyObjRef {
   ObjRef(const ObjRef& other) : AnyObjRef(nullptr) {
     Assign(other);
   }
-  ObjRef& operator=(const ObjRef& other) {
-    Assign(other);
-    return *this;
-  }
   void Assign(const ObjRef<T>& other) {
     AnyObjRef::Assign(other);
   }
diff --git a/experiments/placer/placer.cc b/experiments/placer/placer.cc
index 308539f919f..6a47c12ebd5 100644
--- a/experiments/placer/placer.cc
+++ b/experiments/placer/placer.cc
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ void ReturnByValue(ObjRef<List> value) {
 }
 
 ObjRef<List> ReturnByRef(ArenaContainer* container) {
-  auto result = ObjRef<List>::Alloc(container);
+  ObjRef<List> result(ObjRef<List>::Alloc(container));
   result.at<int, data_offset>().set(30);
   return result;
 }
@@ -88,18 +88,18 @@ void test_placer() {
     // Pass by reference.
     while (!cur.null()) {
       UpdateElement(cur);
-      cur = cur.at<ObjRef<List>, next_offset>().get();
+      cur.Assign(cur.at<ObjRef<List>, next_offset>().get());
     }
      // Pass by value.
     while (!cur.null()) {
       // We could place clone on stack as well.
       DoNotUpdateElement(cur.Clone(&heap));
-      cur = cur.at<ObjRef<List>, next_offset>().get();
+      cur.Assign(cur.at<ObjRef<List>, next_offset>().get());
     }
     cur = head;
     while (!cur.null()) {
       printf("next is %d\n", cur.at<int, data_offset>().get());
-      cur = cur.at<ObjRef<List>, next_offset>().get();
+      cur.Assign(cur.at<ObjRef<List>, next_offset>().get());
     }
   }
   heap.Dispose();