diff --git a/src/distributions/mod.rs b/src/distributions/mod.rs
index ada0c1ebece..dddcfc20045 100644
--- a/src/distributions/mod.rs
+++ b/src/distributions/mod.rs
@@ -182,29 +182,35 @@ pub trait Distribution<T> {
     /// Create an iterator that generates random values of `T`, using `rng` as
     /// the source of randomness.
     ///
+    /// Note that this function takes `self` by value. This works since
+    /// `Distribution<T>` is impl'd for `&D` where `D: Distribution<T>`,
+    /// however borrowing is not automatic hence `distr.sample_iter(...)` may
+    /// need to be replaced with `(&distr).sample_iter(...)` to borrow or
+    /// `(&*distr).sample_iter(...)` to reborrow an existing reference.
+    ///
     /// # Example
     ///
     /// ```
     /// use rand::thread_rng;
     /// use rand::distributions::{Distribution, Alphanumeric, Uniform, Standard};
     ///
-    /// let mut rng = thread_rng();
+    /// let rng = thread_rng();
     ///
     /// // Vec of 16 x f32:
-    /// let v: Vec<f32> = Standard.sample_iter(&mut rng).take(16).collect();
+    /// let v: Vec<f32> = Standard.sample_iter(rng).take(16).collect();
     ///
     /// // String:
-    /// let s: String = Alphanumeric.sample_iter(&mut rng).take(7).collect();
+    /// let s: String = Alphanumeric.sample_iter(rng).take(7).collect();
     ///
     /// // Dice-rolling:
     /// let die_range = Uniform::new_inclusive(1, 6);
-    /// let mut roll_die = die_range.sample_iter(&mut rng);
+    /// let mut roll_die = die_range.sample_iter(rng);
     /// while roll_die.next().unwrap() != 6 {
     ///     println!("Not a 6; rolling again!");
     /// }
     /// ```
-    fn sample_iter<'a, R>(&'a self, rng: &'a mut R) -> DistIter<'a, Self, R, T>
-        where Self: Sized, R: Rng
+    fn sample_iter<R>(self, rng: R) -> DistIter<Self, R, T>
+    where R: Rng, Self: Sized
     {
         DistIter {
             distr: self,
@@ -229,20 +235,23 @@ impl<'a, T, D: Distribution<T>> Distribution<T> for &'a D {
 ///
 /// [`sample_iter`]: Distribution::sample_iter
 #[derive(Debug)]
-pub struct DistIter<'a, D: 'a, R: 'a, T> {
-    distr: &'a D,
-    rng: &'a mut R,
+pub struct DistIter<D, R, T> {
+    distr: D,
+    rng: R,
     phantom: ::core::marker::PhantomData<T>,
 }
 
-impl<'a, D, R, T> Iterator for DistIter<'a, D, R, T>
-    where D: Distribution<T>, R: Rng + 'a
+impl<D, R, T> Iterator for DistIter<D, R, T>
+    where D: Distribution<T>, R: Rng
 {
     type Item = T;
 
     #[inline(always)]
     fn next(&mut self) -> Option<T> {
-        Some(self.distr.sample(self.rng))
+        // Here, self.rng may be a reference, but we must take &mut anyway.
+        // Even if sample could take an R: Rng by value, we would need to do this
+        // since Rng is not copyable and we cannot enforce that this is "reborrowable".
+        Some(self.distr.sample(&mut self.rng))
     }
 
     fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
@@ -251,12 +260,12 @@ impl<'a, D, R, T> Iterator for DistIter<'a, D, R, T>
 }
 
 #[cfg(rustc_1_26)]
-impl<'a, D, R, T> iter::FusedIterator for DistIter<'a, D, R, T>
-    where D: Distribution<T>, R: Rng + 'a {}
+impl<D, R, T> iter::FusedIterator for DistIter<D, R, T>
+    where D: Distribution<T>, R: Rng {}
 
 #[cfg(features = "nightly")]
-impl<'a, D, R, T> iter::TrustedLen for DistIter<'a, D, R, T>
-    where D: Distribution<T>, R: Rng + 'a {}
+impl<D, R, T> iter::TrustedLen for DistIter<D, R, T>
+    where D: Distribution<T>, R: Rng {}
 
 
 /// A generic random value distribution, implemented for many primitive types.
@@ -340,7 +349,8 @@ pub struct Standard;
 
 #[cfg(all(test, feature = "std"))]
 mod tests {
-    use super::Distribution;
+    use ::Rng;
+    use super::{Distribution, Uniform};
 
     #[test]
     fn test_distributions_iter() {
@@ -350,4 +360,22 @@ mod tests {
         let results: Vec<f32> = distr.sample_iter(&mut rng).take(100).collect();
         println!("{:?}", results);
     }
+    
+    #[test]
+    fn test_make_an_iter() {
+        fn ten_dice_rolls_other_than_five<'a, R: Rng>(rng: &'a mut R) -> impl Iterator<Item = i32> + 'a {
+            Uniform::new_inclusive(1, 6)
+                .sample_iter(rng)
+                .filter(|x| *x != 5)
+                .take(10)
+        }
+        
+        let mut rng = ::test::rng(211);
+        let mut count = 0;
+        for val in ten_dice_rolls_other_than_five(&mut rng) {
+            assert!(val >= 1 && val <= 6 && val != 5);
+            count += 1;
+        }
+        assert_eq!(count, 10);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 3b59f25086d..1abe3049cf8 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -206,35 +206,39 @@ pub trait Rng: RngCore {
 
     /// Create an iterator that generates values using the given distribution.
     ///
+    /// Note that this function takes its arguments by value. This works since
+    /// `(&mut R): Rng where R: Rng` and
+    /// `(&D): Distribution where D: Distribution`,
+    /// however borrowing is not automatic hence `rng.sample_iter(...)` may
+    /// need to be replaced with `(&mut rng).sample_iter(...)`.
+    ///
     /// # Example
     ///
     /// ```
     /// use rand::{thread_rng, Rng};
     /// use rand::distributions::{Alphanumeric, Uniform, Standard};
     ///
-    /// let mut rng = thread_rng();
+    /// let rng = thread_rng();
     ///
     /// // Vec of 16 x f32:
-    /// let v: Vec<f32> = thread_rng().sample_iter(&Standard).take(16).collect();
+    /// let v: Vec<f32> = rng.sample_iter(Standard).take(16).collect();
     ///
     /// // String:
-    /// let s: String = rng.sample_iter(&Alphanumeric).take(7).collect();
+    /// let s: String = rng.sample_iter(Alphanumeric).take(7).collect();
     ///
     /// // Combined values
-    /// println!("{:?}", thread_rng().sample_iter(&Standard).take(5)
+    /// println!("{:?}", rng.sample_iter(Standard).take(5)
     ///                              .collect::<Vec<(f64, bool)>>());
     ///
     /// // Dice-rolling:
     /// let die_range = Uniform::new_inclusive(1, 6);
-    /// let mut roll_die = rng.sample_iter(&die_range);
+    /// let mut roll_die = rng.sample_iter(die_range);
     /// while roll_die.next().unwrap() != 6 {
     ///     println!("Not a 6; rolling again!");
     /// }
     /// ```
-    fn sample_iter<'a, T, D: Distribution<T>>(
-        &'a mut self, distr: &'a D,
-    ) -> distributions::DistIter<'a, D, Self, T>
-    where Self: Sized {
+    fn sample_iter<T, D>(self, distr: D) -> distributions::DistIter<D, Self, T>
+    where D: Distribution<T>, Self: Sized {
         distr.sample_iter(self)
     }
 
diff --git a/src/rngs/thread.rs b/src/rngs/thread.rs
index 8b86ed843fe..f2312e4cbbe 100644
--- a/src/rngs/thread.rs
+++ b/src/rngs/thread.rs
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ const THREAD_RNG_RESEED_THRESHOLD: u64 = 32*1024*1024; // 32 MiB
 /// [`ReseedingRng`]: crate::rngs::adapter::ReseedingRng
 /// [`StdRng`]: crate::rngs::StdRng
 /// [HC-128]: rand_hc::Hc128Rng
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct ThreadRng {
     // use of raw pointer implies type is neither Send nor Sync
     rng: *mut ReseedingRng<Hc128Core, OsRng>,