diff --git a/jax/_src/core.py b/jax/_src/core.py
index 9ca86f00730e..e1b63821aba0 100644
--- a/jax/_src/core.py
+++ b/jax/_src/core.py
@@ -2068,6 +2068,7 @@ def __init__(self, aval, buf):
   aval = property(lambda self: self._aval)
   shape = property(lambda self: self._aval.shape)
   dtype = property(lambda self: self._aval.dtype)
+  sharding = property(lambda self: self._buf.sharding)
   def __getitem__(self, idx): return self._aval._getitem(self, idx)
   def __setitem__(self, idx, x): return self._aval._setitem(self, idx, x)
   def __repr__(self) -> str: return 'Mutable' + repr(self[...])
@@ -2091,10 +2092,8 @@ def mutable_array_abstract_eval(init_aval):
 @mutable_array_p.def_impl
 def _mutable_array_impl(init_val):
   from jax._src.state.types import AbstractRef  # pytype: disable=import-error
-  aval = get_aval(init_val)
-  # TODO(mattjj): improve spelling of 'defensive copy' here, avoid circular dep
-  init_val = init_val.copy() if hasattr(init_val, 'copy') else init_val
-  return MutableArray(AbstractRef(aval), init_val)
+  from jax._src.lax.lax import _array_copy  # pytype: disable=import-error
+  return MutableArray(AbstractRef(get_aval(init_val)), _array_copy(init_val))
 
 def freeze(ref):
   return freeze_p.bind(ref)
diff --git a/jax/_src/interpreters/pxla.py b/jax/_src/interpreters/pxla.py
index 544bf1a07e6e..7cbeeb080d90 100644
--- a/jax/_src/interpreters/pxla.py
+++ b/jax/_src/interpreters/pxla.py
@@ -65,9 +65,8 @@
 from jax._src.sharding import Sharding as JSharding
 from jax._src.mesh import AbstractMesh, Mesh
 from jax._src.sharding_impls import (
-    ArrayMapping, ArrayMappingOrAutoOrUnspecified, AUTO, UNSPECIFIED,
-    UnspecifiedValue, get_array_mapping as _get_array_mapping,
-    array_mapping_to_axis_resources,
+    ArrayMapping, ArrayMappingOrAutoOrUnspecified, AUTO, UnspecifiedValue,
+    get_array_mapping as _get_array_mapping, array_mapping_to_axis_resources,
     SingleDeviceSharding, GSPMDSharding, NamedSharding, PositionalSharding)
 from jax._src.util import (safe_map, safe_zip, partition_list, wrap_name,
                            tuple_update, tuple_delete, distributed_debug_log,
@@ -2140,8 +2139,8 @@ def _discharge_refs_jaxpr(closed_jaxpr, in_shardings, in_layouts,
                           donated_invars, out_shardings, out_layouts):
   if any(isinstance(e, RefEffect) for e in closed_jaxpr.effects):
     closed_jaxpr, inout_aliases, mut = _discharge_refs(closed_jaxpr)
-    in_shardings = (*in_shardings,) + (UNSPECIFIED,) * len(mut.in_mut)
-    in_layouts = (*in_layouts,) + (None,) * len(mut.in_mut)
+    in_shardings = (*in_shardings, *(c.sharding for c in mut.in_mut))
+    in_layouts = (*in_layouts,) + (None,) * len(mut.in_mut)  # TODO(mattjj)
     donated_invars = (*donated_invars,) + (False,) * len(mut.in_mut)
     out_layouts_ = iter(zip(out_shardings, out_layouts))
     out_shardings, out_layouts = unzip2(
diff --git a/tests/mutable_array_test.py b/tests/mutable_array_test.py
index 81f846ec63d3..7a1d36317c5b 100644
--- a/tests/mutable_array_test.py
+++ b/tests/mutable_array_test.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from jax._src import core
 from jax._src import config
 from jax._src import test_util as jtu
+from jax.sharding import NamedSharding, PartitionSpec as P
 import jax.numpy as jnp
 
 from jax._src.state.types import (RefEffect)
@@ -241,6 +242,18 @@ def test_defensive_copy(self):
     _ = jax.jit(lambda x_ref: x_ref[...])(core.mutable_array(x))
     x + 1  # don't crash
 
+  def test_sharding_persists(self):
+    mesh = jax.make_mesh((1,), ('i',))
+    x = jax.device_put(jnp.arange(2), NamedSharding(mesh, P('i')))
+    s = x.sharding
+    a = core.mutable_array(x)
+    self.assertEqual(s, a.sharding)
+    self.assertEqual(s, a[...].sharding)
+    f = jax.jit(lambda: a[...])
+    y = f()
+    self.assertEqual(s, a.sharding)
+    self.assertEqual(s, y.sharding)
+
 
 @jtu.with_config(jax_mutable_array_checks=True)
 class MutableArrayErrorsTest(jtu.JaxTestCase):