diff --git a/pandas/core/apply.py b/pandas/core/apply.py
index bb3cc3a03760f..169a44accf066 100644
--- a/pandas/core/apply.py
+++ b/pandas/core/apply.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 from pandas._config import option_context
 
 from pandas._libs import lib
+from pandas._libs.internals import BlockValuesRefs
 from pandas._typing import (
     AggFuncType,
     AggFuncTypeBase,
@@ -1254,6 +1255,8 @@ def series_generator(self) -> Generator[Series, None, None]:
         ser = self.obj._ixs(0, axis=0)
         mgr = ser._mgr
 
+        is_view = mgr.blocks[0].refs.has_reference()  # type: ignore[union-attr]
+
         if isinstance(ser.dtype, ExtensionDtype):
             # values will be incorrect for this block
             # TODO(EA2D): special case would be unnecessary with 2D EAs
@@ -1267,6 +1270,14 @@ def series_generator(self) -> Generator[Series, None, None]:
                 ser._mgr = mgr
                 mgr.set_values(arr)
                 object.__setattr__(ser, "_name", name)
+                if not is_view:
+                    # In apply_series_generator we store the a shallow copy of the
+                    # result, which potentially increases the ref count of this reused
+                    # `ser` object (depending on the result of the applied function)
+                    # -> if that happened and `ser` is already a copy, then we reset
+                    # the refs here to avoid triggering a unnecessary CoW inside the
+                    # applied function (https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/56212)
+                    mgr.blocks[0].refs = BlockValuesRefs(mgr.blocks[0])  # type: ignore[union-attr]
                 yield ser
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/pandas/core/internals/managers.py b/pandas/core/internals/managers.py
index a02f31d4483b2..9d2a1e634eea2 100644
--- a/pandas/core/internals/managers.py
+++ b/pandas/core/internals/managers.py
@@ -2071,11 +2071,11 @@ def set_values(self, values: ArrayLike) -> None:
         Set the values of the single block in place.
 
         Use at your own risk! This does not check if the passed values are
-        valid for the current Block/SingleBlockManager (length, dtype, etc).
+        valid for the current Block/SingleBlockManager (length, dtype, etc),
+        and this does not properly keep track of references.
         """
-        # TODO(CoW) do we need to handle copy on write here? Currently this is
-        # only used for FrameColumnApply.series_generator (what if apply is
-        # mutating inplace?)
+        # NOTE(CoW) Currently this is only used for FrameColumnApply.series_generator
+        # which handles CoW by setting the refs manually if necessary
         self.blocks[0].values = values
         self.blocks[0]._mgr_locs = BlockPlacement(slice(len(values)))
 
diff --git a/pandas/tests/apply/test_invalid_arg.py b/pandas/tests/apply/test_invalid_arg.py
index 48dde6d42f743..b5ad1094f5bf5 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/apply/test_invalid_arg.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/apply/test_invalid_arg.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
     DataFrame,
     Series,
     date_range,
-    notna,
 )
 import pandas._testing as tm
 
@@ -150,9 +149,7 @@ def test_transform_axis_1_raises():
         Series([1]).transform("sum", axis=1)
 
 
-# TODO(CoW-warn) should not need to warn
-@pytest.mark.filterwarnings("ignore:Setting a value on a view:FutureWarning")
-def test_apply_modify_traceback(warn_copy_on_write):
+def test_apply_modify_traceback():
     data = DataFrame(
         {
             "A": [
@@ -207,15 +204,9 @@ def transform(row):
             row["D"] = 7
         return row
 
-    def transform2(row):
-        if notna(row["C"]) and row["C"].startswith("shin") and row["A"] == "foo":
-            row["D"] = 7
-        return row
-
     msg = "'float' object has no attribute 'startswith'"
     with pytest.raises(AttributeError, match=msg):
-        with tm.assert_cow_warning(warn_copy_on_write):
-            data.apply(transform, axis=1)
+        data.apply(transform, axis=1)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
diff --git a/pandas/tests/copy_view/test_methods.py b/pandas/tests/copy_view/test_methods.py
index ba8e4bd684198..84b2c59bda5d9 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/copy_view/test_methods.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/copy_view/test_methods.py
@@ -2013,3 +2013,31 @@ def test_eval_inplace(using_copy_on_write, warn_copy_on_write):
         df.iloc[0, 0] = 100
     if using_copy_on_write:
         tm.assert_frame_equal(df_view, df_orig)
+
+
+def test_apply_modify_row(using_copy_on_write, warn_copy_on_write):
+    # Case: applying a function on each row as a Series object, where the
+    # function mutates the row object (which needs to trigger CoW if row is a view)
+    df = DataFrame({"A": [1, 2], "B": [3, 4]})
+    df_orig = df.copy()
+
+    def transform(row):
+        row["B"] = 100
+        return row
+
+    with tm.assert_cow_warning(warn_copy_on_write):
+        df.apply(transform, axis=1)
+
+    if using_copy_on_write:
+        tm.assert_frame_equal(df, df_orig)
+    else:
+        assert df.loc[0, "B"] == 100
+
+    # row Series is a copy
+    df = DataFrame({"A": [1, 2], "B": ["b", "c"]})
+    df_orig = df.copy()
+
+    with tm.assert_produces_warning(None):
+        df.apply(transform, axis=1)
+
+    tm.assert_frame_equal(df, df_orig)