diff --git a/src/library/vm/vm.cpp b/src/library/vm/vm.cpp
index 695d9b1164..2aae4ac143 100644
--- a/src/library/vm/vm.cpp
+++ b/src/library/vm/vm.cpp
@@ -3298,7 +3298,7 @@ public:
         return static_cast<unsigned>(m_idx2name.size());
     }
 
-    name const & get_name(unsigned idx) {
+    name get_name(unsigned idx) {
         shared_lock lock(m_mutex);
         lean_assert(idx < m_idx2name.size());
         return m_idx2name.at(idx);
@@ -3321,7 +3321,7 @@ unsigned get_vm_index(name const & n) {
 unsigned get_vm_index_bound() {
     return g_vm_index_manager->get_index_bound();
 }
-name const & get_vm_name(unsigned idx) {
+name get_vm_name(unsigned idx) {
     return g_vm_index_manager->get_name(idx);
 }
 optional<name> find_vm_name(unsigned idx) {
diff --git a/src/library/vm/vm.h b/src/library/vm/vm.h
index a435a3ba80..5982accc74 100644
--- a/src/library/vm/vm.h
+++ b/src/library/vm/vm.h
@@ -828,7 +828,7 @@ environment add_native(environment const & env, name const & n, unsigned arity,
 
 unsigned get_vm_index(name const & n);
 unsigned get_vm_index_bound();
-name const & get_vm_name(unsigned idx);
+name get_vm_name(unsigned idx);
 optional<name> find_vm_name(unsigned idx);
 
 /** \brief Reserve an index for the given function in the VM, the expression