diff --git a/src/Navaids/NavDataCache.cxx b/src/Navaids/NavDataCache.cxx
index efe600e76..e40894246 100644
--- a/src/Navaids/NavDataCache.cxx
+++ b/src/Navaids/NavDataCache.cxx
@@ -1706,7 +1706,7 @@ FGPositionedRef NavDataCache::loadById(PositionedID rowid)
   }
 
   sqlite3_int64 aptId;
-  FGPositioned* pos = d->loadById(rowid, aptId);
+  FGPositionedRef pos = d->loadById(rowid, aptId);
   d->cache.insert(it, PositionedCache::value_type(rowid, pos));
   d->cacheMisses++;
 
@@ -1933,7 +1933,7 @@ FGPositionedRef NavDataCache::findClosestWithIdent( const string& aIdent,
   FGPositionedRef result;
 
   while (d->stepSelect(d->findClosestWithIdent)) {
-    FGPositioned* pos = loadById(sqlite3_column_int64(d->findClosestWithIdent, 0));
+    FGPositionedRef pos = loadById(sqlite3_column_int64(d->findClosestWithIdent, 0));
     if (aFilter && !aFilter->pass(pos)) {
       continue;
     }
@@ -2073,7 +2073,7 @@ NavDataCache::findCommByFreq(int freqKhz, const SGGeod& aPos, FGPositioned::Filt
   FGPositionedRef result;
 
   while (d->execSelect(d->findCommByFreq)) {
-    FGPositioned* p = loadById(sqlite3_column_int64(d->findCommByFreq, 0));
+    FGPositionedRef p = loadById(sqlite3_column_int64(d->findCommByFreq, 0));
     if (aFilter && !aFilter->pass(p)) {
       continue;
     }
diff --git a/src/Navaids/positioned.cxx b/src/Navaids/positioned.cxx
index 689259e89..acfcedf42 100644
--- a/src/Navaids/positioned.cxx
+++ b/src/Navaids/positioned.cxx
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ FGPositioned::~FGPositioned()
 {
 }
 
-FGPositioned*
+FGPositionedRef
 FGPositioned::createUserWaypoint(const std::string& aIdent, const SGGeod& aPos)
 {
   NavDataCache* cache = NavDataCache::instance();
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ FGPositioned::createUserWaypoint(const std::string& aIdent, const SGGeod& aPos)
   FGPositionedList existing = cache->findAllWithIdent(aIdent, &filter, true);
   if (!existing.empty()) {
     SG_LOG(SG_NAVAID, SG_WARN, "attempt to insert duplicate WAYPOINT:" << aIdent);
-    return existing.front().ptr();
+    return existing.front();
   }
   
   PositionedID id = cache->createPOI(WAYPOINT, aIdent, aPos);
diff --git a/src/Navaids/positioned.hxx b/src/Navaids/positioned.hxx
index 5187f8ddb..3be97f74a 100644
--- a/src/Navaids/positioned.hxx
+++ b/src/Navaids/positioned.hxx
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ public:
    */
   static const char* nameForType(Type aTy);
 
-  static FGPositioned* createUserWaypoint(const std::string& aIdent, const SGGeod& aPos);
+  static FGPositionedRef createUserWaypoint(const std::string& aIdent, const SGGeod& aPos);
   static bool deleteUserWaypoint(const std::string& aIdent);
 protected:
   friend class flightgear::NavDataCache;