diff --git a/src/array/attribute.rs b/src/array/attribute.rs
index 7e84a4a7..ccb892a9 100644
--- a/src/array/attribute.rs
+++ b/src/array/attribute.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 extern crate tiledb_sys as ffi;
 
+use std::convert::From;
 use std::ops::Deref;
 
 pub use tiledb_sys::Datatype;
@@ -9,50 +10,48 @@ use crate::error::Error;
 use crate::filter_list::FilterList;
 use crate::Result as TileDBResult;
 
-pub(crate) struct RawAttribute {
-    ffi: *mut ffi::tiledb_attribute_t,
-}
-
-impl RawAttribute {
-    pub fn new(ffi: *mut ffi::tiledb_attribute_t) -> Self {
-        RawAttribute { ffi }
-    }
+pub(crate) enum RawAttribute {
+    Owned(*mut ffi::tiledb_attribute_t),
 }
 
 impl Deref for RawAttribute {
     type Target = *mut ffi::tiledb_attribute_t;
     fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
-        &self.ffi
+        let RawAttribute::Owned(ref ffi) = *self;
+        ffi
     }
 }
 
 impl Drop for RawAttribute {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        let RawAttribute::Owned(ref mut ffi) = *self;
         unsafe {
-            ffi::tiledb_attribute_free(&mut self.ffi);
+            ffi::tiledb_attribute_free(ffi);
         }
     }
 }
 
-pub struct Attribute {
+pub struct Attribute<'ctx> {
+    context: &'ctx Context,
     raw: RawAttribute,
 }
 
-impl Attribute {
+impl<'ctx> Attribute<'ctx> {
     pub(crate) fn as_mut_ptr(&self) -> *mut ffi::tiledb_attribute_t {
         *self.raw
     }
 
     pub fn new(
-        ctx: &Context,
+        context: &'ctx Context,
         name: &str,
         datatype: Datatype,
-    ) -> TileDBResult<Attribute> {
+    ) -> TileDBResult<Self> {
+        let c_context = context.as_mut_ptr();
         let mut c_attr: *mut ffi::tiledb_attribute_t = out_ptr!();
         let c_name = cstring!(name);
         let res = unsafe {
             ffi::tiledb_attribute_alloc(
-                ctx.as_mut_ptr(),
+                c_context,
                 c_name.as_c_str().as_ptr(),
                 datatype as u32,
                 &mut c_attr,
@@ -60,10 +59,11 @@ impl Attribute {
         };
         if res == ffi::TILEDB_OK {
             Ok(Attribute {
-                raw: RawAttribute::new(c_attr),
+                context,
+                raw: RawAttribute::Owned(c_attr),
             })
         } else {
-            Err(ctx.expect_last_error())
+            Err(context.expect_last_error())
         }
     }
 
@@ -236,6 +236,15 @@ impl Attribute {
     }
 }
 
+impl<'ctx> From<(&'ctx Context, RawAttribute)> for Attribute<'ctx> {
+    fn from(value: (&'ctx Context, RawAttribute)) -> Self {
+        Attribute {
+            context: value.0,
+            raw: value.1,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use super::*;