diff --git a/include/cucumber-cpp/internal/connectors/wire/WireProtocol.hpp b/include/cucumber-cpp/internal/connectors/wire/WireProtocol.hpp
index 0e9f5ef0..0d963010 100644
--- a/include/cucumber-cpp/internal/connectors/wire/WireProtocol.hpp
+++ b/include/cucumber-cpp/internal/connectors/wire/WireProtocol.hpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class StepMatchesResponse : public WireResponse {
 
 public:
     StepMatchesResponse(const std::vector<StepMatch> & matchingSteps);
-    const std::vector<StepMatch> getMatchingSteps() const;
+    const std::vector<StepMatch>& getMatchingSteps() const;
 
     void accept(WireResponseVisitor *visitor) const;
 };
diff --git a/include/cucumber-cpp/internal/step/StepManager.hpp b/include/cucumber-cpp/internal/step/StepManager.hpp
index 27e55784..22865a21 100644
--- a/include/cucumber-cpp/internal/step/StepManager.hpp
+++ b/include/cucumber-cpp/internal/step/StepManager.hpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class MatchResult {
 public:
     typedef std::vector<SingleStepMatch> match_results_type;
 
-    const match_results_type getResultSet();
+    const match_results_type& getResultSet();
     void addMatch(SingleStepMatch match);
 
     operator void *();
diff --git a/src/StepManager.cpp b/src/StepManager.cpp
index ef67b076..332bdac6 100644
--- a/src/StepManager.cpp
+++ b/src/StepManager.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ MatchResult::operator bool() {
     return !resultSet.empty();
 }
 
-const MatchResult::match_results_type MatchResult::getResultSet() {
+const MatchResult::match_results_type& MatchResult::getResultSet() {
     return resultSet;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/connectors/wire/WireProtocol.cpp b/src/connectors/wire/WireProtocol.cpp
index b6ff1440..dedd679f 100644
--- a/src/connectors/wire/WireProtocol.cpp
+++ b/src/connectors/wire/WireProtocol.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ StepMatchesResponse::StepMatchesResponse(const std::vector<StepMatch> & matching
     : matchingSteps(matchingSteps) {
 }
 
-const std::vector<StepMatch> StepMatchesResponse::getMatchingSteps() const {
+const std::vector<StepMatch>& StepMatchesResponse::getMatchingSteps() const {
     return matchingSteps;
 }