diff --git a/src/automaton.rs b/src/automaton.rs
index c41dc6e..040d1d9 100644
--- a/src/automaton.rs
+++ b/src/automaton.rs
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ impl<'a, T: private::Sealed + ?Sized> private::Sealed for &'a T {}
 /// // seen according to the automaton's match semantics. This returns an error
 /// // if the given automaton does not support unanchored searches.
 /// fn find<A: Automaton>(
-///     aut: A,
+///     aut: &A,
 ///     haystack: &[u8],
 /// ) -> Result<Option<Match>, MatchError> {
 ///     let mut sid = aut.start_state(Anchored::No)?;
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ pub unsafe trait Automaton: private::Sealed {
         &self,
         input: &Input<'_>,
     ) -> Result<Option<Match>, MatchError> {
-        try_find_fwd(&self, input)
+        try_find_fwd(self, input)
     }
 
     /// Executes a overlapping search with this automaton using the given
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ pub unsafe trait Automaton: private::Sealed {
         input: &Input<'_>,
         state: &mut OverlappingState,
     ) -> Result<(), MatchError> {
-        try_find_overlapping_fwd(&self, input, state)
+        try_find_overlapping_fwd(self, input, state)
     }
 
     /// Returns an iterator of non-overlapping matches with this automaton
@@ -636,90 +636,6 @@ pub unsafe trait Automaton: private::Sealed {
     }
 }
 
-// SAFETY: This just defers to the underlying 'AcAutomaton' and thus inherits
-// its safety properties.
-unsafe impl<'a, A: Automaton + ?Sized> Automaton for &'a A {
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn start_state(&self, anchored: Anchored) -> Result<StateID, MatchError> {
-        (**self).start_state(anchored)
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn next_state(
-        &self,
-        anchored: Anchored,
-        sid: StateID,
-        byte: u8,
-    ) -> StateID {
-        (**self).next_state(anchored, sid, byte)
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn is_special(&self, sid: StateID) -> bool {
-        (**self).is_special(sid)
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn is_dead(&self, sid: StateID) -> bool {
-        (**self).is_dead(sid)
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn is_match(&self, sid: StateID) -> bool {
-        (**self).is_match(sid)
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn is_start(&self, sid: StateID) -> bool {
-        (**self).is_start(sid)
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn match_kind(&self) -> MatchKind {
-        (**self).match_kind()
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn match_len(&self, sid: StateID) -> usize {
-        (**self).match_len(sid)
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn match_pattern(&self, sid: StateID, index: usize) -> PatternID {
-        (**self).match_pattern(sid, index)
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn patterns_len(&self) -> usize {
-        (**self).patterns_len()
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn pattern_len(&self, pid: PatternID) -> usize {
-        (**self).pattern_len(pid)
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn min_pattern_len(&self) -> usize {
-        (**self).min_pattern_len()
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn max_pattern_len(&self) -> usize {
-        (**self).max_pattern_len()
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn memory_usage(&self) -> usize {
-        (**self).memory_usage()
-    }
-
-    #[inline(always)]
-    fn prefilter(&self) -> Option<&Prefilter> {
-        (**self).prefilter()
-    }
-}
-
 /// Represents the current state of an overlapping search.
 ///
 /// This is used for overlapping searches since they need to know something
@@ -1557,7 +1473,7 @@ fn get_match<A: Automaton + ?Sized>(
 /// overlapping is that of match and start states.)
 pub(crate) fn fmt_state_indicator<A: Automaton>(
     f: &mut core::fmt::Formatter<'_>,
-    aut: A,
+    aut: &A,
     id: StateID,
 ) -> core::fmt::Result {
     if aut.is_dead(id) {