diff --git a/bitcoin/src/blockdata/script/owned.rs b/bitcoin/src/blockdata/script/owned.rs
index 1bce8a28d..abfcc2529 100644
--- a/bitcoin/src/blockdata/script/owned.rs
+++ b/bitcoin/src/blockdata/script/owned.rs
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ impl ScriptBuf {
     }
 
     /// Adds a single opcode to the script.
-    pub fn push_opcode(&mut self, data: Opcode) { self.0.push(data.to_u8()); }
+    pub fn push_opcode(&mut self, data: Opcode) { self.as_byte_vec().push(data.to_u8()); }
 
     /// Adds instructions to push some arbitrary data onto the stack.
     pub fn push_slice<T: AsRef<PushBytes>>(&mut self, data: T) {
@@ -153,33 +153,42 @@ impl ScriptBuf {
 }
 
 impl ScriptBuf {
+    /// Pretends to convert `&mut ScriptBuf` to `&mut Vec<u8>` so that it can be modified.
+    ///
+    /// Note: if the returned value leaks the original `ScriptBuf` will become empty.
+    pub(crate) fn as_byte_vec(&mut self) -> ScriptBufAsVec<'_> {
+        let vec = core::mem::take(self).into_bytes();
+        ScriptBufAsVec(self, vec)
+    }
+
     /// Pushes the slice without reserving
     pub(crate) fn push_slice_no_opt(&mut self, data: &PushBytes) {
+        let mut this = self.as_byte_vec();
         // Start with a PUSH opcode
         match data.len().to_u64() {
             n if n < opcodes::Ordinary::OP_PUSHDATA1 as u64 => {
-                self.0.push(n as u8);
+                this.push(n as u8);
             }
             n if n < 0x100 => {
-                self.0.push(opcodes::Ordinary::OP_PUSHDATA1.to_u8());
-                self.0.push(n as u8);
+                this.push(opcodes::Ordinary::OP_PUSHDATA1.to_u8());
+                this.push(n as u8);
             }
             n if n < 0x10000 => {
-                self.0.push(opcodes::Ordinary::OP_PUSHDATA2.to_u8());
-                self.0.push((n % 0x100) as u8);
-                self.0.push((n / 0x100) as u8);
+                this.push(opcodes::Ordinary::OP_PUSHDATA2.to_u8());
+                this.push((n % 0x100) as u8);
+                this.push((n / 0x100) as u8);
             }
             // `PushBytes` enforces len < 0x100000000
             n => {
-                self.0.push(opcodes::Ordinary::OP_PUSHDATA4.to_u8());
-                self.0.push((n % 0x100) as u8);
-                self.0.push(((n / 0x100) % 0x100) as u8);
-                self.0.push(((n / 0x10000) % 0x100) as u8);
-                self.0.push((n / 0x1000000) as u8);
+                this.push(opcodes::Ordinary::OP_PUSHDATA4.to_u8());
+                this.push((n % 0x100) as u8);
+                this.push(((n / 0x100) % 0x100) as u8);
+                this.push(((n / 0x10000) % 0x100) as u8);
+                this.push((n / 0x1000000) as u8);
             }
         }
         // Then push the raw bytes
-        self.0.extend_from_slice(data.as_bytes());
+        this.extend_from_slice(data.as_bytes());
     }
 
     /// Computes the sum of `len` and the length of an appropriate push opcode.
@@ -200,7 +209,7 @@ impl ScriptBuf {
     pub(crate) fn push_verify(&mut self, last_opcode: Option<Opcode>) {
         match opcode_to_verify(last_opcode) {
             Some(opcode) => {
-                self.0.pop();
+                self.as_byte_vec().pop();
                 self.push_opcode(opcode);
             }
             None => self.push_opcode(OP_VERIFY),
@@ -254,3 +263,31 @@ impl<'a> Extend<Instruction<'a>> for ScriptBuf {
         }
     }
 }
+
+/// Pretends that this is a mutable reference to [`ScriptBuf`]'s internal buffer.
+///
+/// In reality the backing `Vec<u8>` is swapped with an empty one and this is holding both the
+/// reference and the vec. The vec is put back when this drops so it also covers paics. (But not
+/// leaks, which is OK since we never leak.)
+pub(crate) struct ScriptBufAsVec<'a>(&'a mut ScriptBuf, Vec<u8>);
+
+impl<'a> core::ops::Deref for ScriptBufAsVec<'a> {
+    type Target = Vec<u8>;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.1
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> core::ops::DerefMut for ScriptBufAsVec<'a> {
+    fn deref_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Self::Target {
+        &mut self.1
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> Drop for ScriptBufAsVec<'a> {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        let vec = core::mem::take(&mut self.1);
+        *(self.0) = ScriptBuf::from_bytes(vec);
+    }
+}