diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_attribute.h b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_attribute.h
index 81d57ddcd5a..40596bc38e1 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_attribute.h
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_attribute.h
@@ -79,10 +79,15 @@ struct CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_find(const struct ID *id,
                                               eCustomDataType type,
                                               eAttrDomain domain);
 
-struct CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_search(struct ID *id,
-                                                const char *name,
-                                                eCustomDataMask type,
-                                                eAttrDomainMask domain_mask);
+const struct CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_search(const struct ID *id,
+                                                      const char *name,
+                                                      eCustomDataMask type,
+                                                      eAttrDomainMask domain_mask);
+
+struct CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_search_for_write(struct ID *id,
+                                                          const char *name,
+                                                          eCustomDataMask type,
+                                                          eAttrDomainMask domain_mask);
 
 eAttrDomain BKE_id_attribute_domain(const struct ID *id, const struct CustomDataLayer *layer);
 int BKE_id_attribute_data_length(struct ID *id, struct CustomDataLayer *layer);
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/attribute.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/attribute.cc
index 1cb3e2b3b64..68c20c91d4e 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/attribute.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/attribute.cc
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ static bool bke_id_attribute_rename_if_exists(ID *id,
                                               const char *new_name,
                                               ReportList *reports)
 {
-  CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search(
+  CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search_for_write(
       id, old_name, CD_MASK_PROP_ALL, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_ALL);
   if (layer == nullptr) {
     return false;
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ bool BKE_id_attribute_rename(ID *id,
     }
   }
 
-  CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search(
+  CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search_for_write(
       id, old_name, CD_MASK_PROP_ALL, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_ALL);
   if (layer == nullptr) {
     BKE_report(reports, RPT_ERROR, "Attribute is not part of this geometry");
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_duplicate(ID *id, const char *name, ReportList
                                     BKE_uv_map_pin_name_get(uniquename, buffer_dst));
   }
 
-  return BKE_id_attribute_search(id, uniquename, CD_MASK_PROP_ALL, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_ALL);
+  return BKE_id_attribute_search_for_write(id, uniquename, CD_MASK_PROP_ALL, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_ALL);
 }
 
 static int color_name_to_index(ID *id, const char *name)
@@ -540,10 +540,10 @@ CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_find(const ID *id,
   return nullptr;
 }
 
-CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_search(ID *id,
-                                         const char *name,
-                                         const eCustomDataMask type_mask,
-                                         const eAttrDomainMask domain_mask)
+const CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_search(const ID *id,
+                                               const char *name,
+                                               const eCustomDataMask type_mask,
+                                               const eAttrDomainMask domain_mask)
 {
   if (!name) {
     return nullptr;
@@ -574,6 +574,28 @@ CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_search(ID *id,
   return nullptr;
 }
 
+CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_search_for_write(ID *id,
+                                                   const char *name,
+                                                   const eCustomDataMask type_mask,
+                                                   const eAttrDomainMask domain_mask)
+{
+  /* Reuse the implementation of the const version.
+   * Implicit sharing for the layer's data is handled below. */
+  CustomDataLayer *layer = const_cast<CustomDataLayer *>(
+      BKE_id_attribute_search(id, name, type_mask, domain_mask));
+  if (!layer) {
+    return nullptr;
+  }
+
+  DomainInfo info[ATTR_DOMAIN_NUM];
+  get_domains(id, info);
+
+  const eAttrDomain domain = BKE_id_attribute_domain(id, layer);
+  CustomData_ensure_data_is_mutable(layer, info[domain].length);
+
+  return layer;
+}
+
 int BKE_id_attributes_length(const ID *id, eAttrDomainMask domain_mask, eCustomDataMask mask)
 {
   DomainInfo info[ATTR_DOMAIN_NUM];
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/pbvh.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/pbvh.cc
index 1e2eb2902ef..e7d5e772078 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/pbvh.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/pbvh.cc
@@ -1430,7 +1430,7 @@ static void pbvh_update_BB_redraw(PBVH *pbvh, Span<PBVHNode *> nodes, int flag)
 
 bool BKE_pbvh_get_color_layer(Mesh *me, CustomDataLayer **r_layer, eAttrDomain *r_domain)
 {
-  *r_layer = BKE_id_attribute_search(
+  *r_layer = BKE_id_attribute_search_for_write(
       &me->id, me->active_color_attribute, CD_MASK_COLOR_ALL, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_COLOR);
   *r_domain = *r_layer ? BKE_id_attribute_domain(&me->id, *r_layer) : ATTR_DOMAIN_POINT;
   return *r_layer != nullptr;
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/sculpt_paint/sculpt_undo.cc b/source/blender/editors/sculpt_paint/sculpt_undo.cc
index 270e840737a..f9eb45f201c 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/sculpt_paint/sculpt_undo.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/sculpt_paint/sculpt_undo.cc
@@ -1766,7 +1766,7 @@ static void sculpt_undo_set_active_layer(bContext *C, SculptAttrRef *attr)
    * domain and just unconvert it.
    */
   if (!layer) {
-    layer = BKE_id_attribute_search(&me->id, attr->name, CD_MASK_PROP_ALL, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_ALL);
+    layer = BKE_id_attribute_search_for_write(&me->id, attr->name, CD_MASK_PROP_ALL, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_ALL);
     if (layer) {
       if (ED_geometry_attribute_convert(
               me, attr->name, eCustomDataType(attr->type), attr->domain, nullptr))
diff --git a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_attribute.cc b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_attribute.cc
index 62304d2937f..dbd846e1851 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_attribute.cc
+++ b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_attribute.cc
@@ -590,10 +590,11 @@ static void rna_AttributeGroup_update_active(Main *bmain, Scene *scene, PointerR
 static PointerRNA rna_AttributeGroup_active_color_get(PointerRNA *ptr)
 {
   ID *id = ptr->owner_id;
-  CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search(ptr->owner_id,
-                                                   BKE_id_attributes_active_color_name(id),
-                                                   CD_MASK_COLOR_ALL,
-                                                   ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_COLOR);
+  CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search_for_write(
+      ptr->owner_id,
+      BKE_id_attributes_active_color_name(id),
+      CD_MASK_COLOR_ALL,
+      ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_COLOR);
 
   PointerRNA attribute_ptr = RNA_pointer_create(id, &RNA_Attribute, layer);
   return attribute_ptr;
diff --git a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_mesh.cc b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_mesh.cc
index 7b4a8a45fa2..6624570d2ff 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_mesh.cc
+++ b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_mesh.cc
@@ -1080,7 +1080,7 @@ DEFINE_CUSTOMDATA_LAYER_COLLECTION(vertex_color, ldata, CD_PROP_BYTE_COLOR)
 static PointerRNA rna_Mesh_vertex_color_active_get(PointerRNA *ptr)
 {
   Mesh *mesh = (Mesh *)ptr->data;
-  CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search(
+  CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search_for_write(
       &mesh->id, mesh->active_color_attribute, CD_MASK_PROP_BYTE_COLOR, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_CORNER);
   return rna_pointer_inherit_refine(ptr, &RNA_MeshLoopColorLayer, layer);
 }
@@ -1102,7 +1102,7 @@ static void rna_Mesh_vertex_color_active_set(PointerRNA *ptr,
 static int rna_Mesh_vertex_color_active_index_get(PointerRNA *ptr)
 {
   Mesh *mesh = (Mesh *)ptr->data;
-  CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search(
+  const CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search(
       &mesh->id, mesh->active_color_attribute, CD_MASK_PROP_BYTE_COLOR, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_CORNER);
   if (!layer) {
     return 0;