diff --git a/response/response.go b/response/response.go
index 170d863..91ac50f 100644
--- a/response/response.go
+++ b/response/response.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"time"
 
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/protojson"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/durationpb"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/structpb"
@@ -37,13 +38,23 @@ const DefaultTTL = 1 * time.Minute
 // To bootstraps a response to the supplied request. It automatically copies the
 // desired state from the request.
 func To(req *v1.RunFunctionRequest, ttl time.Duration) *v1.RunFunctionResponse {
+	var desired *v1.State
+	if d := req.GetDesired(); d != nil {
+		desired = proto.Clone(d).(*v1.State)
+	}
+
+	var ctx *structpb.Struct
+	if c := req.GetContext(); c != nil {
+		ctx = proto.Clone(c).(*structpb.Struct)
+	}
+
 	return &v1.RunFunctionResponse{
 		Meta: &v1.ResponseMeta{
 			Tag: req.GetMeta().GetTag(),
 			Ttl: durationpb.New(ttl),
 		},
-		Desired: req.GetDesired(),
-		Context: req.GetContext(),
+		Desired: desired,
+		Context: ctx,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/response/response_test.go b/response/response_test.go
index 2187072..b87bd14 100644
--- a/response/response_test.go
+++ b/response/response_test.go
@@ -19,16 +19,57 @@ package response
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp/cmpopts"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/testing/protocmp"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/structpb"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 
 	v1 "github.com/crossplane/function-sdk-go/proto/v1"
 	"github.com/crossplane/function-sdk-go/resource"
 )
 
+func TestToClonesRequestState(t *testing.T) {
+	req := &v1.RunFunctionRequest{
+		Meta: &v1.RequestMeta{Tag: "original"},
+		Desired: &v1.State{
+			Resources: map[string]*v1.Resource{
+				"existing": {
+					Resource: resource.MustStructJSON(`{
+						"apiVersion": "example.org/v1",
+						"kind": "Widget"
+					}`),
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		Context: &structpb.Struct{
+			Fields: map[string]*structpb.Value{
+				"existing": structpb.NewStringValue("value"),
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	rsp := To(req, time.Minute)
+
+	SetContextKey(rsp, "new", structpb.NewStringValue("response-only"))
+	rsp.Desired.Resources["response-only"] = &v1.Resource{
+		Resource: resource.MustStructJSON(`{
+			"apiVersion": "example.org/v1",
+			"kind": "ExtraWidget"
+		}`),
+	}
+
+	if got, ok := req.GetContext().GetFields()["new"]; ok {
+		t.Fatalf("To(...) aliased request context: unexpected field %q", got.GetStringValue())
+	}
+
+	if _, ok := req.GetDesired().GetResources()["response-only"]; ok {
+		t.Fatal("To(...) aliased desired resources from the request")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSetDesiredResources(t *testing.T) {
 	type args struct {
 		rsp *v1.RunFunctionResponse