diff --git a/examples/client_test.cpp b/examples/client_test.cpp
index 65d1fda7b..a53936c29 100644
--- a/examples/client_test.cpp
+++ b/examples/client_test.cpp
@@ -1752,7 +1752,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 					cache_size = (cache_size == 0) ? -1 : 0;
 					settings_pack p;
 					p.set_int(settings_pack::cache_size, cache_size);
-					ses.apply_settings(p);
+					ses.apply_settings(std::move(p));
 				}
 				if (c == 'h')
 				{
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/session.hpp b/include/libtorrent/session.hpp
index cc93b95f2..786dc572f 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/session.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/session.hpp
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// nat-pmp) and default plugins (ut_metadata, ut_pex and smart_ban). The
 		// default is to start those features. If you do not want them to start,
 		// pass 0 as the flags parameter.
-		session(settings_pack const& pack = settings_pack()
+		session(settings_pack pack = settings_pack()
 			, int flags = start_default_features | add_default_plugins)
 			: session_handle(nullptr)
 		{
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// 	call session::abort() and save the session_proxy first, then
 		// 	destruct the session object, then sync with the io_service, then
 		// 	destruct the session_proxy object.
-		session(settings_pack const& pack
+		session(settings_pack pack
 			, io_service& ios
 			, int flags = start_default_features | add_default_plugins)
 			: session_handle(nullptr)
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 				pack.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_dht, false);
 			}
 
-			start(flags, pack, nullptr);
+			start(flags, std::move(pack), nullptr);
 		}
 
 		TORRENT_DEPRECATED
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 				pack.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_lsd, false);
 				pack.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_dht, false);
 			}
-			start(flags, pack, nullptr);
+			start(flags, std::move(pack), nullptr);
 		}
 #endif // TORRENT_NO_DEPRECATE
 
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 	private:
 
-		void start(int flags, settings_pack const& pack, io_service* ios);
+		void start(int flags, settings_pack pack, io_service* ios);
 
 		// data shared between the main thread
 		// and the working thread
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/session_handle.hpp b/include/libtorrent/session_handle.hpp
index 92d5f4eb7..20576d38f 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/session_handle.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/session_handle.hpp
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// Applies the settings specified by the settings_pack ``s``. This is an
 		// asynchronous operation that will return immediately and actually apply
 		// the settings to the main thread of libtorrent some time later.
-		void apply_settings(settings_pack const& s);
+		void apply_settings(settings_pack s);
 		settings_pack get_settings() const;
 
 #ifndef TORRENT_NO_DEPRECATE
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/settings_pack.hpp b/include/libtorrent/settings_pack.hpp
index 2ab58804b..1ad29f5a1 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/settings_pack.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/settings_pack.hpp
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	{
 		friend TORRENT_EXTRA_EXPORT void apply_pack(settings_pack const* pack, aux::session_settings& sett, aux::session_impl* ses);
 
+		settings_pack() = default;
+		settings_pack(settings_pack const&) = default;
+		settings_pack(settings_pack&&) = default;
+		settings_pack& operator=(settings_pack const&) = default;
+		settings_pack& operator=(settings_pack&&) = default;
+
 		void set_str(int name, std::string val);
 		void set_int(int name, int val);
 		void set_bool(int name, bool val);
diff --git a/src/session.cpp b/src/session.cpp
index cd3734b3d..6fb9edfae 100644
--- a/src/session.cpp
+++ b/src/session.cpp
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	// configurations this will give a link error
 	void TORRENT_EXPORT TORRENT_CFG() {}
 
-	void session::start(int flags, settings_pack const& pack, io_service* ios)
+	void session::start(int flags, settings_pack pack, io_service* ios)
 	{
 		bool const internal_executor = ios == nullptr;
 
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		TORRENT_UNUSED(flags);
 #endif
 
-		m_impl->start_session(pack);
+		m_impl->start_session(std::move(pack));
 
 		if (internal_executor)
 		{
diff --git a/src/session_handle.cpp b/src/session_handle.cpp
index 380e4b66e..5a786ed9e 100644
--- a/src/session_handle.cpp
+++ b/src/session_handle.cpp
@@ -436,14 +436,14 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	{
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_dht, true);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	void session_handle::stop_dht()
 	{
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_dht, false);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 #endif // TORRENT_NO_DEPRECATE
 
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	{
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_str(settings_pack::peer_fingerprint, id.to_string());
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 #endif
 
@@ -762,9 +762,9 @@ namespace libtorrent
 #ifndef TORRENT_NO_DEPRECATE
 	void session_handle::use_interfaces(char const* interfaces)
 	{
-		settings_pack pack;
-		pack.set_str(settings_pack::outgoing_interfaces, interfaces);
-		apply_settings(pack);
+		settings_pack p;
+		p.set_str(settings_pack::outgoing_interfaces, interfaces);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	void session_handle::listen_on(
@@ -783,7 +783,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		p.set_str(settings_pack::listen_interfaces, interfaces_str);
 		p.set_int(settings_pack::max_retry_port_bind, port_range.second - port_range.first);
 		p.set_bool(settings_pack::listen_system_port_fallback, (flags & session::listen_no_system_port) == 0);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 #endif
 
@@ -811,13 +811,13 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 	void session_handle::set_pe_settings(pe_settings const& r)
 	{
-		settings_pack pack;
-		pack.set_bool(settings_pack::prefer_rc4, r.prefer_rc4);
-		pack.set_int(settings_pack::out_enc_policy, r.out_enc_policy);
-		pack.set_int(settings_pack::in_enc_policy, r.in_enc_policy);
-		pack.set_int(settings_pack::allowed_enc_level, r.allowed_enc_level);
+		settings_pack p;
+		p.set_bool(settings_pack::prefer_rc4, r.prefer_rc4);
+		p.set_int(settings_pack::out_enc_policy, r.out_enc_policy);
+		p.set_int(settings_pack::in_enc_policy, r.in_enc_policy);
+		p.set_int(settings_pack::allowed_enc_level, r.allowed_enc_level);
 
-		apply_settings(pack);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	pe_settings session_handle::get_pe_settings() const
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	}
 #endif
 
-	void session_handle::apply_settings(settings_pack const& s)
+	void session_handle::apply_settings(settings_pack s)
 	{
 		TORRENT_ASSERT_PRECOND(!s.has_val(settings_pack::out_enc_policy)
 			|| s.get_int(settings_pack::out_enc_policy)
@@ -845,7 +845,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			|| s.get_int(settings_pack::allowed_enc_level)
 				<= settings_pack::pe_both);
 
-		boost::shared_ptr<settings_pack> copy = boost::make_shared<settings_pack>(s);
+		boost::shared_ptr<settings_pack> copy = boost::make_shared<settings_pack>(std::move(s));
 		async_call(&session_impl::apply_settings_pack, copy);
 	}
 
@@ -875,16 +875,16 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 	void session_handle::set_proxy(proxy_settings const& s)
 	{
-		settings_pack pack;
-		pack.set_str(settings_pack::proxy_hostname, s.hostname);
-		pack.set_str(settings_pack::proxy_username, s.username);
-		pack.set_str(settings_pack::proxy_password, s.password);
-		pack.set_int(settings_pack::proxy_type, s.type);
-		pack.set_int(settings_pack::proxy_port, s.port);
-		pack.set_bool(settings_pack::proxy_hostnames,s.proxy_hostnames);
-		pack.set_bool(settings_pack::proxy_peer_connections, s.proxy_peer_connections);
+		settings_pack p;
+		p.set_str(settings_pack::proxy_hostname, s.hostname);
+		p.set_str(settings_pack::proxy_username, s.username);
+		p.set_str(settings_pack::proxy_password, s.password);
+		p.set_int(settings_pack::proxy_type, s.type);
+		p.set_int(settings_pack::proxy_port, s.port);
+		p.set_bool(settings_pack::proxy_hostnames,s.proxy_hostnames);
+		p.set_bool(settings_pack::proxy_peer_connections, s.proxy_peer_connections);
 
-		apply_settings(pack);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	proxy_settings session_handle::proxy() const
@@ -1044,7 +1044,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_int(settings_pack::alert_mask, m);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	size_t session_handle::set_alert_queue_size_limit(size_t queue_size_limit_)
@@ -1056,7 +1056,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	{
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_int(settings_pack::alert_mask, m);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	std::uint32_t session_handle::get_alert_mask() const
@@ -1068,42 +1068,42 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	{
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_lsd, true);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	void session_handle::stop_lsd()
 	{
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_lsd, false);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	void session_handle::start_upnp()
 	{
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_upnp, true);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	void session_handle::stop_upnp()
 	{
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_upnp, false);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	void session_handle::start_natpmp()
 	{
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_natpmp, true);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 
 	void session_handle::stop_natpmp()
 	{
 		settings_pack p;
 		p.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_natpmp, false);
-		apply_settings(p);
+		apply_settings(std::move(p));
 	}
 #endif // TORRENT_NO_DEPRECATE