diff --git a/src/factory/FieldCreateFactory.cpp b/src/factory/FieldCreateFactory.cpp
index 6742758..1d20323 100644
--- a/src/factory/FieldCreateFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/factory/FieldCreateFactory.cpp
@@ -1418,7 +1418,7 @@ FieldConstPtr FieldCreate::deserialize(ByteBuffer* buffer, DeserializableControl
 }
 
 // TODO replace with non-locking singleton pattern
-FieldCreatePtr FieldCreate::getFieldCreate()
+const FieldCreatePtr& FieldCreate::getFieldCreate()
 {
 	LOCAL_STATIC_LOCK;
 	static FieldCreatePtr fieldCreate;
@@ -1456,10 +1456,6 @@ FieldCreate::FieldCreate()
     variantUnionArray = sua;
 }
 
-FieldCreatePtr getFieldCreate() {
-    return FieldCreate::getFieldCreate();
-}
-
 }}
 
 namespace std{
diff --git a/src/factory/PVDataCreateFactory.cpp b/src/factory/PVDataCreateFactory.cpp
index d62715e..cc04346 100644
--- a/src/factory/PVDataCreateFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/factory/PVDataCreateFactory.cpp
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ PVUnionPtr PVDataCreate::createPVUnion(PVUnionPtr const & unionToClone)
 
 // TODO not thread-safe (local static initializers)
 // TODO replace with non-locking singleton pattern
-PVDataCreatePtr PVDataCreate::getPVDataCreate()
+const PVDataCreatePtr& PVDataCreate::getPVDataCreate()
 {
     static PVDataCreatePtr pvDataCreate;
     static Mutex mutex;
@@ -615,10 +615,6 @@ PVDataCreatePtr PVDataCreate::getPVDataCreate()
     return pvDataCreate;
 }
 
-PVDataCreatePtr getPVDataCreate() {
-     return PVDataCreate::getPVDataCreate();
-}
-
 }}
 
 namespace std{
diff --git a/src/factory/StandardField.cpp b/src/factory/StandardField.cpp
index 14c7b65..bee743e 100644
--- a/src/factory/StandardField.cpp
+++ b/src/factory/StandardField.cpp
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ StructureConstPtr StandardField::enumeratedAlarm()
     return enumeratedAlarmField;
 }
 
-StandardFieldPtr StandardField::getStandardField()
+const StandardFieldPtr &StandardField::getStandardField()
 {
     static StandardFieldPtr standardFieldCreate;
     static Mutex mutex;
@@ -658,10 +658,4 @@ StandardFieldPtr StandardField::getStandardField()
     return standardFieldCreate;
 }
 
-
-
-StandardFieldPtr getStandardField() {
-    return StandardField::getStandardField();
-}
-
 }}
diff --git a/src/pv/pvData.h b/src/pv/pvData.h
index d34c080..37e1e03 100644
--- a/src/pv/pvData.h
+++ b/src/pv/pvData.h
@@ -1484,7 +1484,7 @@ public:
      * get the singleton
      * @return The PVDataCreate implementation
      */
-    static PVDataCreatePtr getPVDataCreate();
+    static const PVDataCreatePtr &getPVDataCreate();
 
     /**
      * Create a PVField using given Field introspection data.
@@ -1650,7 +1650,9 @@ private:
  *
  * @ingroup pvcontainer
  */
-epicsShareExtern PVDataCreatePtr getPVDataCreate();
+FORCE_INLINE const PVDataCreatePtr& getPVDataCreate() {
+    return PVDataCreate::getPVDataCreate();
+}
 
 bool epicsShareExtern operator==(const PVField&, const PVField&);
 
diff --git a/src/pv/pvIntrospect.h b/src/pv/pvIntrospect.h
index b8fe5b8..be57a6e 100644
--- a/src/pv/pvIntrospect.h
+++ b/src/pv/pvIntrospect.h
@@ -1060,7 +1060,7 @@ private:
  */
 class epicsShareClass FieldCreate {
 public:
-    static FieldCreatePtr getFieldCreate();
+    static const FieldCreatePtr &getFieldCreate();
 	/**
 	 * Create a new instance of in-line @c Field builder.
 	 * @return a new instance of a @c FieldBuilder.
@@ -1214,7 +1214,9 @@ private:
  * Get the single class that implements FieldCreate,
  * @return The fieldCreate factory.
  */
-epicsShareExtern FieldCreatePtr getFieldCreate();
+FORCE_INLINE const FieldCreatePtr& getFieldCreate() {
+    return FieldCreate::getFieldCreate();
+}
 
 /** Define a compile time mapping from
  * type to enum value.
diff --git a/src/pv/standardField.h b/src/pv/standardField.h
index 807b823..af4145b 100644
--- a/src/pv/standardField.h
+++ b/src/pv/standardField.h
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public:
      * getStandardField returns the singleton.
      * @return Shared pointer to StandardField.
      */
-    static StandardFieldPtr getStandardField();
+    static const StandardFieldPtr& getStandardField();
     ~StandardField();
     /** Create a structure that has a scalar value field.
      * @param type The type.
@@ -250,7 +250,9 @@ private:
     //friend StandardFieldPtr getStandardField();
 };
 
-epicsShareExtern StandardFieldPtr getStandardField();
+FORCE_INLINE const StandardFieldPtr& getStandardField() {
+    return StandardField::getStandardField();
+}
     
 }}
 #endif  /* STANDARDFIELD_H */