diff --git a/cow_edgecases_test.go b/cow_edgecases_test.go
index 3f30ac3f..3ab79421 100644
--- a/cow_edgecases_test.go
+++ b/cow_edgecases_test.go
@@ -398,3 +398,28 @@ func TestCOWAndNotResultReusedByXor(t *testing.T) {
 	require.True(t, c.Equals(BitmapOf(939524096, 939524097, 939524098, 939524099)))
 	require.NoError(t, c.Validate())
 }
+
+// Clear resets the bitmap to a new one, so copy-on-write is turned off.
+// Xor and AndNot of a bitmap with itself also empty it, but keep the setting.
+func TestClearResetsCopyOnWrite(t *testing.T) {
+	rb := BitmapOf(1, 2, 3)
+	rb.SetCopyOnWrite(true)
+	rb.Clear()
+	require.False(t, rb.GetCopyOnWrite())
+	rb.Add(4)
+	require.NoError(t, rb.Validate())
+
+	for _, op := range []func(*Bitmap){
+		func(b *Bitmap) { b.Xor(b) },
+		func(b *Bitmap) { b.AndNot(b) },
+	} {
+		b := BitmapOf(1, 2, 3, 100000)
+		b.SetCopyOnWrite(true)
+		op(b)
+		require.True(t, b.IsEmpty())
+		require.True(t, b.GetCopyOnWrite())
+		b.Add(5)
+		require.NoError(t, b.Validate())
+		require.True(t, b.Contains(5))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/roaring.go b/roaring.go
index 0e35660a..83c5cc97 100644
--- a/roaring.go
+++ b/roaring.go
@@ -441,7 +441,12 @@ func New() *Bitmap {
 }
 
 // Clear resets the Bitmap to be logically empty, but may retain
-// some memory allocations that may speed up future operations
+// some memory allocations that may speed up future operations.
+//
+// Clear also turns copy-on-write off: after Clear, the bitmap behaves like
+// a new Bitmap and GetCopyOnWrite returns false, whether copy-on-write was
+// enabled with SetCopyOnWrite or set internally by FromBuffer. Call
+// SetCopyOnWrite(true) after Clear to keep using copy-on-write.
 func (rb *Bitmap) Clear() {
 	rb.highlowcontainer.clear()
 }
@@ -1608,7 +1613,8 @@ main:
 // Xor computes the symmetric difference between two bitmaps and stores the result in the current bitmap
 func (rb *Bitmap) Xor(x2 *Bitmap) {
 	if rb == x2 {
-		rb.Clear()
+		// the result is empty; keep the copy-on-write setting, unlike Clear
+		rb.highlowcontainer.resize(0)
 		return
 	}
 	pos1 := 0
@@ -1702,7 +1708,8 @@ main:
 // AndNot computes the difference between two bitmaps and stores the result in the current bitmap
 func (rb *Bitmap) AndNot(x2 *Bitmap) {
 	if rb == x2 {
-		rb.Clear()
+		// the result is empty; keep the copy-on-write setting, unlike Clear
+		rb.highlowcontainer.resize(0)
 		return
 	}
 	pos1 := 0
diff --git a/roaring64/roaring64.go b/roaring64/roaring64.go
index 84444534..113a65d2 100644
--- a/roaring64/roaring64.go
+++ b/roaring64/roaring64.go
@@ -199,7 +199,11 @@ func New() *Bitmap {
 }
 
 // Clear resets the Bitmap to be logically empty, but may retain
-// some memory allocations that may speed up future operations
+// some memory allocations that may speed up future operations.
+//
+// Clear also turns copy-on-write off: after Clear, the bitmap behaves like
+// a new Bitmap and GetCopyOnWrite returns false. Call SetCopyOnWrite(true)
+// after Clear to keep using copy-on-write.
 func (rb *Bitmap) Clear() {
 	rb.highlowcontainer.clear()
 }
diff --git a/roaring64/roaring64cow_test.go b/roaring64/roaring64cow_test.go
index ac7010cd..cec8fb62 100644
--- a/roaring64/roaring64cow_test.go
+++ b/roaring64/roaring64cow_test.go
@@ -1797,3 +1797,24 @@ func TestOrCOWSharedContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.False(t, rb2.Contains(1500),
 		"rb2 was corrupted: contains a value that was only added to rb1")
 }
+
+// Clear resets the bitmap to a new one, so copy-on-write is turned off.
+func TestClearResetsCopyOnWrite64(t *testing.T) {
+	rb := BitmapOf(1, 2, 3, 1<<40)
+	rb.SetCopyOnWrite(true)
+	rb.Clear()
+	assert.False(t, rb.GetCopyOnWrite())
+	rb.Add(4)
+	assert.NoError(t, rb.Validate())
+
+	for _, op := range []func(*Bitmap){
+		func(b *Bitmap) { b.Xor(b) },
+		func(b *Bitmap) { b.AndNot(b) },
+	} {
+		b := BitmapOf(1, 2, 3, 1<<40)
+		b.SetCopyOnWrite(true)
+		op(b)
+		assert.True(t, b.IsEmpty())
+		assert.True(t, b.GetCopyOnWrite())
+	}
+}