diff --git a/src/libCom/cxxTemplates/tsDLList.h b/src/libCom/cxxTemplates/tsDLList.h
index 764fa932d..64db12b8c 100644
--- a/src/libCom/cxxTemplates/tsDLList.h
+++ b/src/libCom/cxxTemplates/tsDLList.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class tsDLNode {
     friend class tsDLBwdIter<T>; // deprecated
 public:
     tsDLNode();
-    tsDLNode<T> & operator = (const tsDLNode<T> &) const;
+    tsDLNode<T> operator = (const tsDLNode<T> &) const;
 private:
     T   *pNext;
     T   *pPrev;
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ inline tsDLNode<T>::tsDLNode() : pNext(0), pPrev(0) {}
 // do _not_ change the node pointers
 //
 template <class T>
-inline tsDLNode<T> & tsDLNode<T>::operator = (const tsDLNode<T> &) const { return tsDLNode<T>() }
+inline tsDLNode<T> tsDLNode<T>::operator = (const tsDLNode<T> &) const { return tsDLNode<T>() }
 
 //template <class T>
 //T * tsDLNode<T>::getNext (void) const