diff --git a/src/plugins/fossil/fossilcommitwidget.cpp b/src/plugins/fossil/fossilcommitwidget.cpp
index 72fba5ef86f..c8cec3d9585 100644
--- a/src/plugins/fossil/fossilcommitwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/fossil/fossilcommitwidget.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ namespace Internal {
 // Retrieve the comment char format from the text editor.
 static QTextCharFormat commentFormat()
 {
-    const TextEditor::FontSettings settings = TextEditor::TextEditorSettings::instance()->fontSettings();
+    const TextEditor::FontSettings &settings = TextEditor::TextEditorSettings::instance()->fontSettings();
     return settings.toTextCharFormat(TextEditor::C_COMMENT);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/texteditor/highlighter_test.cpp b/src/plugins/texteditor/highlighter_test.cpp
index 89b5196a864..f38e6a4f854 100644
--- a/src/plugins/texteditor/highlighter_test.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/texteditor/highlighter_test.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ using FormatRanges = QList<QTextLayout::FormatRange>;
 
 QTextCharFormat toFormat(const TextStyle &style)
 {
-    const static FontSettings fontSettings = TextEditorSettings::fontSettings();
+    const static FontSettings &fontSettings = TextEditorSettings::fontSettings();
     auto format = fontSettings.toTextCharFormat(style);
     if (style == C_FUNCTION)
         format.setFontWeight(QFont::Bold); // is explicitly set by the ksyntax format definition