diff --git a/plugins/processor_content_modifier/cm_logs.c b/plugins/processor_content_modifier/cm_logs.c
index 98d2bcfd081..8718cc8d939 100644
--- a/plugins/processor_content_modifier/cm_logs.c
+++ b/plugins/processor_content_modifier/cm_logs.c
@@ -84,9 +84,8 @@ static int hash_transformer(void *context, struct cfl_variant *value)
         return FLB_FALSE;
     }
 
-    if (cfl_sds_len(converted_value->data.as_string) == 0) {
+    if (cfl_variant_size_get(converted_value) == 0) {
         cfl_variant_destroy(converted_value);
-
         return FLB_TRUE;
     }
 
@@ -118,9 +117,12 @@ static int hash_transformer(void *context, struct cfl_variant *value)
         return FLB_FALSE;
     }
 
+    /* NOTE: this part does a manual modification of the variant content */
     if (value->type == CFL_VARIANT_STRING ||
         value->type == CFL_VARIANT_BYTES) {
-        cfl_sds_destroy(value->data.as_string);
+        if (value->referenced == CFL_FALSE) {
+            cfl_sds_destroy(value->data.as_string);
+        }
     }
     else if (value->type == CFL_VARIANT_ARRAY) {
         cfl_array_destroy(value->data.as_array);
@@ -131,6 +133,7 @@ static int hash_transformer(void *context, struct cfl_variant *value)
 
     value->type = CFL_VARIANT_STRING;
     value->data.as_string = encoded_hash;
+    cfl_variant_size_set(value, cfl_sds_len(encoded_hash));
 
     return FLB_TRUE;
 }
@@ -178,7 +181,8 @@ int cfl_variant_convert(struct cfl_variant *input_value,
             output_type == CFL_VARIANT_BYTES) {
 
             tmp = cfl_variant_create_from_string_s(input_value->data.as_string,
-                                                   cfl_sds_len(input_value->data.as_string));
+                                                   cfl_variant_size_get(input_value),
+                                                   CFL_FALSE);
             if (!tmp) {
                 return CFL_FALSE;
             }
@@ -232,7 +236,7 @@ int cfl_variant_convert(struct cfl_variant *input_value,
             if (ret < 0 || ret >= sizeof(buf)) {
                 return CFL_FALSE;
             }
-            tmp = cfl_variant_create_from_string_s(buf, ret);
+            tmp = cfl_variant_create_from_string_s(buf, ret, CFL_FALSE);
         }
         else if (output_type == CFL_VARIANT_BOOL) {
             as_int = CFL_FALSE;
@@ -261,7 +265,7 @@ int cfl_variant_convert(struct cfl_variant *input_value,
             if (ret < 0 || ret >= sizeof(buf)) {
                 return CFL_FALSE;
             }
-            tmp = cfl_variant_create_from_string_s(buf, ret);
+            tmp = cfl_variant_create_from_string_s(buf, ret, CFL_FALSE);
         }
         else if (output_type == CFL_VARIANT_BOOL) {
             as_int = CFL_FALSE;
@@ -288,7 +292,7 @@ int cfl_variant_convert(struct cfl_variant *input_value,
         if (output_type == CFL_VARIANT_STRING ||
             output_type == CFL_VARIANT_BYTES) {
 
-            tmp = cfl_variant_create_from_string_s("null", 4);
+            tmp = cfl_variant_create_from_string_s("null", 4, CFL_FALSE);
         }
         else if (output_type == CFL_VARIANT_BOOL) {
             tmp = cfl_variant_create_from_bool(CFL_FALSE);
@@ -350,7 +354,8 @@ static int run_action_insert(struct content_modifier_ctx *ctx,
 
     /* insert the new value */
     kvlist = obj->variant->data.as_kvlist;
-    ret = cfl_kvlist_insert_string_s(kvlist, key, cfl_sds_len(key), value, cfl_sds_len(value));
+    ret = cfl_kvlist_insert_string_s(kvlist, key, cfl_sds_len(key), value, cfl_sds_len(value),
+                                     CFL_FALSE);
     if (ret != 0) {
         printf("Failed to insert key: %s\n", key);
         return -1;
@@ -376,7 +381,8 @@ static int run_action_upsert(struct content_modifier_ctx *ctx,
     }
 
     /* insert the key with the updated value */
-    ret = cfl_kvlist_insert_string_s(kvlist, key, cfl_sds_len(key), value, cfl_sds_len(value));
+    ret = cfl_kvlist_insert_string_s(kvlist, key, cfl_sds_len(key), value, cfl_sds_len(value),
+                                     CFL_FALSE);
     if (ret != 0) {
         return -1;
     }
@@ -461,7 +467,8 @@ static void cb_extract_regex(const char *name, const char *value, size_t value_l
         cfl_kvlist_remove(kvlist, (char *) name);
     }
 
-    cfl_kvlist_insert_string_s(kvlist, (char *) name, strlen(name), (char *) value, value_length);
+    cfl_kvlist_insert_string_s(kvlist, (char *) name, strlen(name), (char *) value, value_length,
+                               CFL_FALSE);
 }
 
 int run_action_extract(struct content_modifier_ctx *ctx,
@@ -489,7 +496,9 @@ int run_action_extract(struct content_modifier_ctx *ctx,
         return -1;
     }
 
-    match_count = flb_regex_do(regex, v->data.as_string, cfl_sds_len(v->data.as_string), &match_list);
+    match_count = flb_regex_do(regex,
+                               v->data.as_string,
+                               cfl_variant_size_get(v), &match_list);
     if (match_count <= 0) {
         return -1;
     }