diff --git a/src/bcf/header.rs b/src/bcf/header.rs
index e1f29381c..c5121600d 100644
--- a/src/bcf/header.rs
+++ b/src/bcf/header.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,15 @@ impl Header {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Get a pointer to the raw header.
+    ///
+    /// # Safety
+    /// The caller must ensure that the pointer is not used after this `Header`
+    /// is dropped
+    pub unsafe fn inner_ptr(&self) -> *mut htslib::bcf_hdr_t {
+        self.inner
+    }
+
     /// Create a new `Header` using the given `HeaderView` as the template.
     ///
     /// After construction, you can modify the header independently from the template `header`.
@@ -276,10 +285,23 @@ unsafe impl Send for HeaderView {}
 unsafe impl Sync for HeaderView {}
 
 impl HeaderView {
-    pub(crate) fn new(inner: *mut htslib::bcf_hdr_t) -> Self {
+    /// Create a view from a raw pointer to a header.
+    ///
+    /// # Safety
+    /// The caller must ensure that the header is initialized.
+    pub unsafe fn from_ptr(inner: *mut htslib::bcf_hdr_t) -> Self {
         HeaderView { inner }
     }
 
+    /// Get a pointer to the underlying raw header.
+    ///
+    /// # Safety
+    /// The caller must ensure that the pointer is not used after this
+    /// `HeaderView` is dropped
+    pub unsafe fn as_ptr(&self) -> *mut htslib::bcf_hdr_t {
+        self.inner
+    }
+
     #[inline]
     fn inner(&self) -> htslib::bcf_hdr_t {
         unsafe { *self.inner }
@@ -559,7 +581,9 @@ pub enum TagLength {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    use super::*;
     use crate::bcf::Reader;
+    use crate::htslib;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_header_view_empty_record() {
@@ -576,4 +600,39 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(record.pos(), 0); // No position set
         assert_eq!(record.qual(), 0.0); // No quality score set
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_header_add_sample_via_raw_pointer() {
+        let sample_name = b"test-sample";
+
+        let header = Header::new();
+        let sample = std::ffi::CString::new(sample_name).unwrap();
+
+        let view = unsafe {
+            let ptr = header.inner_ptr();
+            // to avoid double free, as we will wrap this later in a HeaderView
+            std::mem::forget(header);
+            htslib::bcf_hdr_add_sample(ptr, sample.as_ptr());
+            htslib::bcf_hdr_sync(ptr);
+            // When the HeaderView is dropped, the bcf_hdr is freed
+            HeaderView::from_ptr(ptr)
+        };
+
+        assert_eq!(view.samples(), vec![sample_name]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_header_view_version_via_raw_pointer() {
+        let vcf = Reader::from_path("test/test_string.vcf").expect("Error opening file");
+        let hv = vcf.header.clone();
+
+        let version = unsafe {
+            // the header view will outlive this pointer
+            let ptr = hv.as_ptr();
+            let version_charptr = htslib::bcf_hdr_get_version(ptr);
+            std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(version_charptr).to_str().unwrap()
+        };
+
+        assert_eq!(version, "VCFv4.1");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/bcf/mod.rs b/src/bcf/mod.rs
index c21a2771b..0a13a2ae6 100644
--- a/src/bcf/mod.rs
+++ b/src/bcf/mod.rs
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ impl Reader {
         let header = unsafe { htslib::bcf_hdr_read(htsfile) };
         Ok(Reader {
             inner: htsfile,
-            header: Arc::new(HeaderView::new(header)),
+            header: Arc::new(unsafe { HeaderView::from_ptr(header) }),
         })
     }
 }
@@ -299,9 +299,11 @@ impl IndexedReader {
         } // 0: BCF_SR_REQUIRE_IDX
           // Attach a file with the path from the arguments.
         if unsafe { htslib::bcf_sr_add_reader(ser_reader, path.as_ptr()) } >= 0 {
-            let header = Arc::new(HeaderView::new(unsafe {
-                htslib::bcf_hdr_dup((*(*ser_reader).readers.offset(0)).header)
-            }));
+            let header = Arc::new(unsafe {
+                HeaderView::from_ptr(htslib::bcf_hdr_dup(
+                    (*(*ser_reader).readers.offset(0)).header,
+                ))
+            });
             Ok(IndexedReader {
                 inner: ser_reader,
                 header,
@@ -501,9 +503,11 @@ pub mod synced {
                     }
 
                     let i = (self.reader_count() - 1) as isize;
-                    let header = Arc::new(HeaderView::new(unsafe {
-                        crate::htslib::bcf_hdr_dup((*(*self.inner).readers.offset(i)).header)
-                    }));
+                    let header = Arc::new(unsafe {
+                        HeaderView::from_ptr(crate::htslib::bcf_hdr_dup(
+                            (*(*self.inner).readers.offset(i)).header,
+                        ))
+                    });
                     self.headers.push(header);
                     Ok(())
                 }
@@ -708,9 +712,7 @@ impl Writer {
         unsafe { htslib::bcf_hdr_write(htsfile, header.inner) };
         Ok(Writer {
             inner: htsfile,
-            header: Arc::new(HeaderView::new(unsafe {
-                htslib::bcf_hdr_dup(header.inner)
-            })),
+            header: Arc::new(unsafe { HeaderView::from_ptr(htslib::bcf_hdr_dup(header.inner)) }),
             subset: header.subset.clone(),
         })
     }