diff --git a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/lsm_update.cc b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/lsm_update.cc
index 532d2802d5b9d..a9980fa866bcb 100644
--- a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/lsm_update.cc
+++ b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/lsm_update.cc
@@ -67,15 +67,15 @@ apply_write_batch_update::apply(lsm_state& state, model::offset base_offset) {
     return std::monostate{};
 }
 
-apply_write_batch_update apply_write_batch_update::copy() const {
+apply_write_batch_update apply_write_batch_update::share() {
     apply_write_batch_update ret{
       .expected_uuid = expected_uuid,
     };
-    for (const auto& r : rows) {
+    for (auto& r : rows) {
         ret.rows.push_back(
           write_batch_row{
             .key = r.key,
-            .value = r.value.copy(),
+            .value = r.value.share(),
           });
     }
     return ret;
diff --git a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/lsm_update.h b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/lsm_update.h
index 6b2a7f8890ec8..0735d897e21b5 100644
--- a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/lsm_update.h
+++ b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/lsm_update.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ struct apply_write_batch_update
     std::expected<std::monostate, lsm_update_error>
     apply(lsm_state&, model::offset);
 
-    apply_write_batch_update copy() const;
+    apply_write_batch_update share();
 
     domain_uuid expected_uuid;
     chunked_vector<write_batch_row> rows;
diff --git a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/replicated_db.cc b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/replicated_db.cc
index d81d9db2d3df2..1c5d95e179cbb 100644
--- a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/replicated_db.cc
+++ b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/replicated_db.cc
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ replicated_database::write(chunked_vector<write_batch_row> rows) {
     builder.set_batch_type(model::record_batch_type::l1_stm);
     builder.add_record(
       {.key = serde::to_iobuf(lsm_update_key::apply_write_batch),
-       .value = serde::to_iobuf(update.value().copy())});
+       .value = serde::to_iobuf(update.value().share())});
     auto batch = co_await std::move(builder).build();
 
     auto replicate_result = co_await stm_->replicate_and_wait(
diff --git a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/replicated_persistence.cc b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/replicated_persistence.cc
index 866b8fd316b19..0e9f2b7284a56 100644
--- a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/replicated_persistence.cc
+++ b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/replicated_persistence.cc
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class replicated_metadata_persistence : public lsm::io::metadata_persistence {
             // There is no persisted manifest.
             co_return std::nullopt;
         }
-        co_return _stm->state().persisted_manifest->buf.copy();
+        co_return _stm->mutable_state().persisted_manifest->buf.share();
     }
 
     ss::future<>
diff --git a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/state.cc b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/state.cc
index 16b874295608f..32bedf96421ac 100644
--- a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/state.cc
+++ b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/state.cc
@@ -22,37 +22,37 @@
 namespace cloud_topics::l1 {
 
 namespace {
-std::deque<volatile_row> copy_rows(const std::deque<volatile_row>& rows) {
+std::deque<volatile_row> share_rows(std::deque<volatile_row>& rows) {
     std::deque<volatile_row> copy;
-    for (const auto& r : rows) {
+    for (auto& r : rows) {
         copy.push_back(
           volatile_row{
             .seqno = r.seqno,
             .row = write_batch_row{
-              .key = r.row.key, .value = r.row.value.copy()}});
+              .key = r.row.key, .value = r.row.value.share()}});
     }
     return copy;
 }
 } // namespace
 
-lsm_state::serialized_manifest lsm_state::serialized_manifest::copy() const {
+lsm_state::serialized_manifest lsm_state::serialized_manifest::share() {
     return serialized_manifest{
-      .buf = buf.copy(),
+      .buf = buf.share(),
       .last_seqno = last_seqno,
       .database_epoch = database_epoch,
     };
 }
 
-lsm_state lsm_state::copy() const {
+lsm_state lsm_state::share() {
     std::optional<serialized_manifest> manifest_copy;
     if (persisted_manifest.has_value()) {
-        manifest_copy = persisted_manifest->copy();
+        manifest_copy = persisted_manifest->share();
     }
     return lsm_state{
       .domain_uuid = domain_uuid,
       .seqno_delta = seqno_delta,
       .db_epoch_delta = db_epoch_delta,
-      .volatile_buffer = copy_rows(volatile_buffer),
+      .volatile_buffer = share_rows(volatile_buffer),
       .persisted_manifest = std::move(manifest_copy),
     };
 }
diff --git a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/state.h b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/state.h
index 1f3fe7bdbf6da..5b3104c8ead49 100644
--- a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/state.h
+++ b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/state.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct lsm_state
           volatile_buffer,
           persisted_manifest);
     }
-    lsm_state copy() const;
+    lsm_state share();
 
     // Conversion between Redpanda space and LSM DB space.
     model::term_id to_term(lsm::internal::database_epoch) const;
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ struct lsm_state
         friend bool
         operator==(const serialized_manifest&, const serialized_manifest&)
           = default;
-        serialized_manifest copy() const;
+        serialized_manifest share();
         lsm::sequence_number get_last_seqno() const { return last_seqno; }
         lsm::internal::database_epoch get_database_epoch() const {
             return database_epoch;
diff --git a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/stm.cc b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/stm.cc
index c8b0f0cd33c20..cdb49d2e0ee8b 100644
--- a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/stm.cc
+++ b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/stm.cc
@@ -198,9 +198,9 @@ ss::future<iobuf> stm::take_raft_snapshot() {
     co_return std::move(snapshot_buf);
 }
 
-ss::future<lsm_stm_snapshot> stm::make_snapshot() const {
+ss::future<lsm_stm_snapshot> stm::make_snapshot() {
     lsm_stm_snapshot snapshot;
-    snapshot.state = state_.copy();
+    snapshot.state = state_.share();
     co_return snapshot;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/stm.h b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/stm.h
index 8ae4920080fe4..4084dcc49422f 100644
--- a/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/stm.h
+++ b/src/v/cloud_topics/level_one/metastore/lsm/stm.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ class stm final : public metastore_stm_base {
       model::term_id, model::record_batch batch, ss::abort_source&);
 
     const lsm_state& state() const { return state_; }
+    lsm_state& mutable_state() { return state_; }
 
     raft::stm_initial_recovery_policy
     get_initial_recovery_policy() const final {
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ class stm final : public metastore_stm_base {
 protected:
     ss::future<> stop() override;
 
-    ss::future<lsm_stm_snapshot> make_snapshot() const;
+    ss::future<lsm_stm_snapshot> make_snapshot();
 
     ss::future<> do_apply(const model::record_batch&) override;