diff --git a/thrust/testing/device_ptr.cu b/thrust/testing/device_ptr.cu
index 65e4021f94d..6ace3a2aa7d 100644
--- a/thrust/testing/device_ptr.cu
+++ b/thrust/testing/device_ptr.cu
@@ -1,8 +1,17 @@
 #include <thrust/device_ptr.h>
 #include <thrust/device_vector.h>
 
+#include <cuda/std/iterator>
+
+#include <iterator>
+
 #include <unittest/unittest.h>
 
+#ifdef __cpp_lib_concepts
+static_assert(std::indirectly_writable<thrust::device_ptr<uint8_t>, uint8_t>);
+#endif // __cpp_lib_concepts
+static_assert(cuda::std::indirectly_writable<thrust::device_ptr<uint8_t>, uint8_t>);
+
 void TestDevicePointerManipulation()
 {
   thrust::device_vector<int> data(5);
diff --git a/thrust/testing/device_reference.cu b/thrust/testing/device_reference.cu
index 24cb5d7e3c9..4d2c88fa4f9 100644
--- a/thrust/testing/device_reference.cu
+++ b/thrust/testing/device_reference.cu
@@ -58,29 +58,47 @@ void TestDeviceReferenceAssignmentFromDeviceReference()
 {
   // test same types
   using T0 = int;
-  thrust::device_vector<T0> v0(2, 0);
+  thrust::device_vector<T0> v0{0, 0};
   thrust::device_reference<T0> ref0 = v0[0];
   thrust::device_reference<T0> ref1 = v0[1];
 
   ref0 = 13;
-
   ref1 = ref0;
 
   // ref1 equals 13
   ASSERT_EQUAL(13, ref1);
   ASSERT_EQUAL(ref0, ref1);
 
+  // test const references
+  const thrust::device_reference<T0> cref0 = v0[0];
+  const thrust::device_reference<T0> cref1 = v0[1];
+
+  cref0 = 13;
+  cref1 = cref0;
+
+  // cref1 equals 13
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(13, cref1);
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(cref0, cref1);
+
+  // mix const and non-const references
+  ref0  = 12;
+  cref0 = ref0;
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(12, cref0);
+
+  cref0 = 11;
+  ref0  = cref0;
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(11, cref0);
+
   // test different types
   using T1 = float;
-  thrust::device_vector<T1> v1(1, 0.0f);
+  thrust::device_vector<T1> v1{0.0f};
   thrust::device_reference<T1> ref2 = v1[0];
 
-  ref2 = ref1;
+  ref2 = ref0;
 
-  // ref2 equals 13.0f
-  ASSERT_EQUAL(13.0f, ref2);
+  // ref2 equals 11.0f
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(11.0f, ref2);
   ASSERT_EQUAL(ref0, ref2);
-  ASSERT_EQUAL(ref1, ref2);
 }
 DECLARE_UNITTEST(TestDeviceReferenceAssignmentFromDeviceReference);
 
diff --git a/thrust/thrust/detail/reference.h b/thrust/thrust/detail/reference.h
index 057f0229bbd..0163afaedca 100644
--- a/thrust/thrust/detail/reference.h
+++ b/thrust/thrust/detail/reference.h
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class reference
    *
    *  \return <tt>*this</tt>.
    */
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE derived_type& operator=(reference const& other)
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE const derived_type& operator=(reference const& other) const
   {
     assign_from(&other);
     return derived();
@@ -124,21 +124,14 @@ class reference
    *
    *  \return <tt>*this</tt>.
    */
-  template <typename OtherElement, typename OtherPointer, typename OtherDerived>
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE
-  /*! \cond
-   */
-  typename std::enable_if<
-    std::is_convertible<typename reference<OtherElement, OtherPointer, OtherDerived>::pointer, pointer>::value,
-    /*! \endcond
-     */
-    derived_type&
-    /*! \cond
-     */
-    >::type
-  /*! \endcond
-   */
-  operator=(reference<OtherElement, OtherPointer, OtherDerived> const& other)
+  template <
+    typename OtherElement,
+    typename OtherPointer,
+    typename OtherDerived,
+    ::cuda::std::enable_if_t<
+      ::cuda::std::is_convertible_v<typename reference<OtherElement, OtherPointer, OtherDerived>::pointer, pointer>,
+      int> = 0>
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE const derived_type& operator=(reference<OtherElement, OtherPointer, OtherDerived> const& other) const
   {
     assign_from(&other);
     return derived();
@@ -150,7 +143,7 @@ class reference
    *
    *  \return <tt>*this</tt>.
    */
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE derived_type& operator=(value_type const& rhs)
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE const derived_type& operator=(value_type const& rhs) const
   {
     assign_from(&rhs);
     return derived();
@@ -323,6 +316,11 @@ class reference
     return static_cast<derived_type&>(*this);
   }
 
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE const derived_type& derived() const
+  {
+    return static_cast<const derived_type&>(*this);
+  }
+
   template <typename System>
   _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE value_type convert_to_value_type(System* system) const
   {
@@ -340,14 +338,14 @@ class reference
   }
 
   template <typename System0, typename System1, typename OtherPointer>
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE void assign_from(System0* system0, System1* system1, OtherPointer src)
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE void assign_from(System0* system0, System1* system1, OtherPointer src) const
   {
     using thrust::system::detail::generic::select_system;
     strip_const_assign_value(select_system(*system0, *system1), src);
   }
 
   template <typename OtherPointer>
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE void assign_from(OtherPointer src)
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE void assign_from(OtherPointer src) const
   {
     // Avoid default-constructing systems; instead, just use a null pointer
     // for dispatch. This assumes that `get_value` will not access any system
@@ -358,7 +356,7 @@ class reference
   }
 
   template <typename System, typename OtherPointer>
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE void strip_const_assign_value(System const& system, OtherPointer src)
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE void strip_const_assign_value(System const& system, OtherPointer src) const
   {
     System& non_const_system = const_cast<System&>(system);
 
@@ -445,7 +443,7 @@ class tagged_reference
    *
    *  \return <tt>*this</tt>.
    */
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE tagged_reference& operator=(tagged_reference const& other)
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE const tagged_reference& operator=(tagged_reference const& other) const
   {
     return base_type::operator=(other);
   }
@@ -461,7 +459,7 @@ class tagged_reference
    *  \return <tt>*this</tt>.
    */
   template <typename OtherElement, typename OtherTag>
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE tagged_reference& operator=(tagged_reference<OtherElement, OtherTag> const& other)
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE const tagged_reference& operator=(tagged_reference<OtherElement, OtherTag> const& other) const
   {
     return base_type::operator=(other);
   }
@@ -472,7 +470,7 @@ class tagged_reference
    *
    *  \return <tt>*this</tt>.
    */
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE tagged_reference& operator=(value_type const& rhs)
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE const tagged_reference& operator=(value_type const& rhs) const
   {
     return base_type::operator=(rhs);
   }
diff --git a/thrust/thrust/device_reference.h b/thrust/thrust/device_reference.h
index 7d457b20bfa..14b2c991809 100644
--- a/thrust/thrust/device_reference.h
+++ b/thrust/thrust/device_reference.h
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@ class device_reference : public thrust::reference<T, thrust::device_ptr<T>, thru
    */
   using pointer = typename super_t::pointer;
 
+  device_reference(const device_reference& other) = default;
+
   /*! This copy constructor accepts a const reference to another
    *  \p device_reference. After this \p device_reference is constructed,
    *  it shall refer to the same object as \p other.
@@ -273,6 +275,11 @@ class device_reference : public thrust::reference<T, thrust::device_ptr<T>, thru
       : super_t(ptr)
   {}
 
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE const device_reference& operator=(const device_reference& other) const
+  {
+    return super_t::operator=(other);
+  }
+
   /*! This assignment operator assigns the value of the object referenced by
    *  the given \p device_reference to the object referenced by this
    *  \p device_reference.
@@ -281,7 +288,7 @@ class device_reference : public thrust::reference<T, thrust::device_ptr<T>, thru
    *  \return <tt>*this</tt>
    */
   template <typename OtherT>
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE device_reference& operator=(const device_reference<OtherT>& other)
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE const device_reference& operator=(const device_reference<OtherT>& other) const
   {
     return super_t::operator=(other);
   }
@@ -292,7 +299,7 @@ class device_reference : public thrust::reference<T, thrust::device_ptr<T>, thru
    *  \param x The value to assign from.
    *  \return <tt>*this</tt>
    */
-  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE device_reference& operator=(const value_type& x)
+  _CCCL_HOST_DEVICE const device_reference& operator=(const value_type& x) const
   {
     return super_t::operator=(x);
   }