diff --git a/src/chain.h b/src/chain.h
index f28071ff2e0..48bcb8bfddd 100644
--- a/src/chain.h
+++ b/src/chain.h
@@ -48,17 +48,15 @@ public:
     uint64_t nTimeFirst;       //!< earliest time of block in file
     uint64_t nTimeLast;        //!< latest time of block in file
 
-    ADD_SERIALIZE_METHODS;
-
-    template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
-    inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nBlocks));
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nSize));
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nUndoSize));
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nHeightFirst));
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nHeightLast));
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nTimeFirst));
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nTimeLast));
+    SERIALIZE_METHODS(CBlockFileInfo, obj)
+    {
+        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nBlocks));
+        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nSize));
+        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nUndoSize));
+        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nHeightFirst));
+        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nHeightLast));
+        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nTimeFirst));
+        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nTimeLast));
     }
 
      void SetNull() {
@@ -332,31 +330,25 @@ public:
         hashPrev = (pprev ? pprev->GetBlockHash() : uint256());
     }
 
-    ADD_SERIALIZE_METHODS;
-
-    template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
-    inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
+    SERIALIZE_METHODS(CDiskBlockIndex, obj)
+    {
         int _nVersion = s.GetVersion();
-        if (!(s.GetType() & SER_GETHASH))
-            READWRITE(VARINT(_nVersion, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
+        if (!(s.GetType() & SER_GETHASH)) READWRITE(VARINT(_nVersion, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
 
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nHeight, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nStatus));
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nTx));
-        if (nStatus & (BLOCK_HAVE_DATA | BLOCK_HAVE_UNDO))
-            READWRITE(VARINT(nFile, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
-        if (nStatus & BLOCK_HAVE_DATA)
-            READWRITE(VARINT(nDataPos));
-        if (nStatus & BLOCK_HAVE_UNDO)
-            READWRITE(VARINT(nUndoPos));
+        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nHeight, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
+        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nStatus));
+        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nTx));
+        if (obj.nStatus & (BLOCK_HAVE_DATA | BLOCK_HAVE_UNDO)) READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nFile, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
+        if (obj.nStatus & BLOCK_HAVE_DATA) READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nDataPos));
+        if (obj.nStatus & BLOCK_HAVE_UNDO) READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nUndoPos));
 
         // block header
-        READWRITE(this->nVersion);
-        READWRITE(hashPrev);
-        READWRITE(hashMerkleRoot);
-        READWRITE(nTime);
-        READWRITE(nBits);
-        READWRITE(nNonce);
+        READWRITE(obj.nVersion);
+        READWRITE(obj.hashPrev);
+        READWRITE(obj.hashMerkleRoot);
+        READWRITE(obj.nTime);
+        READWRITE(obj.nBits);
+        READWRITE(obj.nNonce);
     }
 
     uint256 GetBlockHash() const
diff --git a/src/serialize.h b/src/serialize.h
index c9e994f8440..56c324c5277 100644
--- a/src/serialize.h
+++ b/src/serialize.h
@@ -442,26 +442,48 @@ I ReadVarInt(Stream& is)
     }
 }
 
-#define VARINT(obj, ...) WrapVarInt<__VA_ARGS__>(REF(obj))
+/** Simple wrapper class to serialize objects using a formatter; used by Using(). */
+template<typename Formatter, typename T>
+class Wrapper
+{
+    static_assert(std::is_lvalue_reference<T>::value, "Wrapper needs an lvalue reference type T");
+protected:
+    T m_object;
+public:
+    explicit Wrapper(T obj) : m_object(obj) {}
+    template<typename Stream> void Serialize(Stream &s) const { Formatter().Ser(s, m_object); }
+    template<typename Stream> void Unserialize(Stream &s) { Formatter().Unser(s, m_object); }
+};
+
+/** Cause serialization/deserialization of an object to be done using a specified formatter class.
+ *
+ * To use this, you need a class Formatter that has public functions Ser(stream, const object&) for
+ * serialization, and Unser(stream, object&) for deserialization. Serialization routines (inside
+ * READWRITE, or directly with << and >> operators), can then use Using<Formatter>(object).
+ *
+ * This works by constructing a Wrapper<Formatter, T>-wrapped version of object, where T is
+ * const during serialization, and non-const during deserialization, which maintains const
+ * correctness.
+ */
+template<typename Formatter, typename T>
+static inline Wrapper<Formatter, T&> Using(T&& t) { return Wrapper<Formatter, T&>(t); }
+
+#define VARINT(obj, ...) Using<VarIntFormatter<__VA_ARGS__>>(obj)
 #define COMPACTSIZE(obj) CCompactSize(REF(obj))
 #define LIMITED_STRING(obj,n) LimitedString< n >(REF(obj))
 
-template<VarIntMode Mode, typename I>
-class CVarInt
+/** Serialization wrapper class for integers in VarInt format. */
+template<VarIntMode Mode=VarIntMode::DEFAULT>
+struct VarIntFormatter
 {
-protected:
-    I &n;
-public:
-    explicit CVarInt(I& nIn) : n(nIn) { }
-
-    template<typename Stream>
-    void Serialize(Stream &s) const {
-        WriteVarInt<Stream,Mode,I>(s, n);
+    template<typename Stream, typename I> void Ser(Stream &s, I v)
+    {
+        WriteVarInt<Stream,Mode,typename std::remove_cv<I>::type>(s, v);
     }
 
-    template<typename Stream>
-    void Unserialize(Stream& s) {
-        n = ReadVarInt<Stream,Mode,I>(s);
+    template<typename Stream, typename I> void Unser(Stream& s, I& v)
+    {
+        v = ReadVarInt<Stream,Mode,typename std::remove_cv<I>::type>(s);
     }
 };
 
@@ -546,9 +568,6 @@ public:
     }
 };
 
-template<VarIntMode Mode=VarIntMode::DEFAULT, typename I>
-CVarInt<Mode, I> WrapVarInt(I& n) { return CVarInt<Mode, I>{n}; }
-
 template<typename I>
 BigEndian<I> WrapBigEndian(I& n) { return BigEndian<I>(n); }