diff --git a/source/common/config/utility.h b/source/common/config/utility.h
index 1faadb15f3e0..a3b83c808350 100644
--- a/source/common/config/utility.h
+++ b/source/common/config/utility.h
@@ -299,9 +299,9 @@ class Utility {
    * @param typed_config for the extension config.
    */
   static std::string getFactoryType(const ProtobufWkt::Any& typed_config) {
-    static const std::string& typed_struct_type =
+    static const std::string typed_struct_type =
         xds::type::v3::TypedStruct::default_instance().GetTypeName();
-    static const std::string& legacy_typed_struct_type =
+    static const std::string legacy_typed_struct_type =
         udpa::type::v1::TypedStruct::default_instance().GetTypeName();
     // Unpack methods will only use the fully qualified type name after the last '/'.
     // https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/3.6.x/src/google/protobuf/any.proto#L87
diff --git a/source/common/upstream/upstream_impl.cc b/source/common/upstream/upstream_impl.cc
index 5fada0f2a0d0..d69e46453fab 100644
--- a/source/common/upstream/upstream_impl.cc
+++ b/source/common/upstream/upstream_impl.cc
@@ -1298,7 +1298,7 @@ ClusterInfoImpl::ClusterInfoImpl(
   if (http_protocol_options_) {
     Http::FilterChainUtility::FiltersList http_filters = http_protocol_options_->http_filters_;
     has_configured_http_filters_ = !http_filters.empty();
-    static const std::string& upstream_codec_type_url =
+    static const std::string upstream_codec_type_url =
         envoy::extensions::filters::http::upstream_codec::v3::UpstreamCodec::default_instance()
             .GetTypeName();
     if (http_filters.empty()) {