diff --git a/include/transport/userregistry.h b/include/transport/userregistry.h
index 5b92298586d0bbd86ebb994469d51030208a41ac..589a37e483823fe2e181dff2744e4a603ee8c484 100644
--- a/include/transport/userregistry.h
+++ b/include/transport/userregistry.h
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class UserRegistry : public Swift::UserRegistry {
 
 		/// Returns current password for particular user
 		/// \param barejid JID.
-		const std::string &getUserPassword(const std::string &barejid);
+		const std::string getUserPassword(const std::string &barejid);
 
 		/// Emitted when user wants to connect legacy network to validate the password.
 		boost::signal<void (const Swift::JID &user)> onConnectUser;
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ class UserRegistry : public Swift::UserRegistry {
 
 		mutable std::map<std::string, Sess> users;
 		mutable Config *config;
-		std::string empty;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/userregistry.cpp b/src/userregistry.cpp
index c6287faf99854f712bb9b877550836bc9be67f14..684db5609ce943a9170295bf73bdc524fef3a0a2 100644
--- a/src/userregistry.cpp
+++ b/src/userregistry.cpp
@@ -116,10 +116,10 @@ void UserRegistry::onPasswordInvalid(const Swift::JID &user) {
 	}
 }
 
-const std::string &UserRegistry::getUserPassword(const std::string &barejid) {
+const std::string UserRegistry::getUserPassword(const std::string &barejid) {
 	if (users.find(barejid) != users.end())
 		return users[barejid].password;
-	return empty;
+	return "";
 }
 
 }