diff --git a/src/lib/util/corestr.c b/src/lib/util/corestr.c
index 84feda50939..7e42e235065 100644
--- a/src/lib/util/corestr.c
+++ b/src/lib/util/corestr.c
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ std::string strmakelower(std::string& str)
 	return str;
 }
 
-int strreplace(std::string str, const std::string& search, const std::string& replace)
+int strreplace(std::string &str, const std::string& search, const std::string& replace)
 {
 	int searchlen = search.length();
 	int replacelen = replace.length();
diff --git a/src/lib/util/corestr.h b/src/lib/util/corestr.h
index b875b25db02..519e1edc849 100644
--- a/src/lib/util/corestr.h
+++ b/src/lib/util/corestr.h
@@ -75,6 +75,6 @@ void strreplacechr(std::string& str, char ch, char newch);
 std::string strtrimspace(std::string& str);
 std::string strmakeupper(std::string& str);
 std::string strmakelower(std::string& str);
-int strreplace(std::string str, const std::string& search, const std::string& replace);
+int strreplace(std::string &str, const std::string& search, const std::string& replace);
 
 #endif /* __CORESTR_H__ */