diff --git a/src/goto-symex/goto_symex_state.cpp b/src/goto-symex/goto_symex_state.cpp
index b9dab60e6f6..a3ba83bc5f4 100644
--- a/src/goto-symex/goto_symex_state.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-symex/goto_symex_state.cpp
@@ -261,12 +261,12 @@ goto_symex_statet::rename(exprt expr, const namespacet &ns)
     if(level == L0)
     {
       return renamedt<exprt, level>{
-        std::move(rename_ssa<L0>(std::move(ssa), ns).value)};
+        std::move(rename_ssa<L0>(std::move(ssa), ns).value())};
     }
     else if(level == L1)
     {
       return renamedt<exprt, level>{
-        std::move(rename_ssa<L1>(std::move(ssa), ns).value)};
+        std::move(rename_ssa<L1>(std::move(ssa), ns).value())};
     }
     else if(level==L2)
     {
diff --git a/src/goto-symex/renaming_level.cpp b/src/goto-symex/renaming_level.cpp
index 96c065483dd..fdc1164da62 100644
--- a/src/goto-symex/renaming_level.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-symex/renaming_level.cpp
@@ -50,27 +50,27 @@ operator()(renamedt<ssa_exprt, L0> l0_expr) const
     !l0_expr.get().get_level_1().empty() ||
     !l0_expr.get().get_level_2().empty())
   {
-    return renamedt<ssa_exprt, L1>{std::move(l0_expr.value)};
+    return renamedt<ssa_exprt, L1>{std::move(l0_expr.value())};
   }
 
   const irep_idt l0_name = l0_expr.get().get_l1_object_identifier();
 
   const auto it = current_names.find(l0_name);
   if(it == current_names.end())
-    return renamedt<ssa_exprt, L1>{std::move(l0_expr.value)};
+    return renamedt<ssa_exprt, L1>{std::move(l0_expr.value())};
 
   // rename!
-  l0_expr.value.set_level_1(it->second.second);
-  return renamedt<ssa_exprt, L1>{std::move(l0_expr.value)};
+  l0_expr.value().set_level_1(it->second.second);
+  return renamedt<ssa_exprt, L1>{std::move(l0_expr.value())};
 }
 
 renamedt<ssa_exprt, L2> symex_level2t::
 operator()(renamedt<ssa_exprt, L1> l1_expr) const
 {
   if(!l1_expr.get().get_level_2().empty())
-    return renamedt<ssa_exprt, L2>{std::move(l1_expr.value)};
-  l1_expr.value.set_level_2(current_count(l1_expr.get().get_identifier()));
-  return renamedt<ssa_exprt, L2>{std::move(l1_expr.value)};
+    return renamedt<ssa_exprt, L2>{std::move(l1_expr.value())};
+  l1_expr.value().set_level_2(current_count(l1_expr.get().get_identifier()));
+  return renamedt<ssa_exprt, L2>{std::move(l1_expr.value())};
 }
 
 void symex_level1t::restore_from(const current_namest &other)
diff --git a/src/goto-symex/renaming_level.h b/src/goto-symex/renaming_level.h
index 4ed86353767..2d8b5bfcafb 100644
--- a/src/goto-symex/renaming_level.h
+++ b/src/goto-symex/renaming_level.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ struct symex_renaming_levelt
 /// Wrapper for expressions or types which have been renamed up to a given
 /// \p level
 template <typename underlyingt, levelt level>
-class renamedt
+class renamedt : private underlyingt
 {
 public:
   static_assert(
@@ -79,16 +79,19 @@ class renamedt
 
   const underlyingt &get() const
   {
-    return value;
+    return static_cast<const underlyingt &>(*this);
   }
 
   void simplify(const namespacet &ns)
   {
-    (void)::simplify(value, ns);
+    (void)::simplify(value(), ns);
   }
 
 private:
-  underlyingt value;
+  underlyingt &value()
+  {
+    return static_cast<underlyingt &>(*this);
+  };
 
   friend struct symex_level0t;
   friend struct symex_level1t;
@@ -96,7 +99,7 @@ class renamedt
   friend class goto_symex_statet;
 
   /// Only the friend classes can create renamedt objects
-  explicit renamedt(underlyingt value) : value(std::move(value))
+  explicit renamedt(underlyingt value) : underlyingt(std::move(value))
   {
   }
 };