diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMap.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMap.cpp
index 2e7c621bee..294cad85c7 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMap.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMap.cpp
@@ -141,13 +141,11 @@ void SHAMap::dirtyUp(std::stack<SHAMapTreeNode::pointer>& stack, const uint256&
 	}
 }
 
-static const SHAMapTreeNode::pointer no_node;
-
-SHAMapTreeNode::ref SHAMap::checkCacheNode(const SHAMapNode& iNode)
+SHAMapTreeNode::pointer SHAMap::checkCacheNode(const SHAMapNode& iNode)
 {
 	boost::unordered_map<SHAMapNode, SHAMapTreeNode::pointer>::iterator it = mTNByID.find(iNode);
 	if (it == mTNByID.end())
-		return no_node;
+		return SHAMapTreeNode::pointer();
 	it->second->touch(mSeq);
 	return it->second;
 }
@@ -175,7 +173,7 @@ SHAMapTreeNode::pointer SHAMap::walkTo(const uint256& id, bool modify)
 		}
 	}
 	if (inNode->getTag() != id)
-		return no_node;
+		return SHAMapTreeNode::pointer();
 	if (modify)
 		returnNode(inNode, true);
 	return inNode;
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMap.h b/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMap.h
index ada464b016..5e2eb8d093 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMap.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/SHAMap.h
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ protected:
 	std::stack<SHAMapTreeNode::pointer> getStack(const uint256& id, bool include_nonmatching_leaf, bool partialOk);
 	SHAMapTreeNode::pointer walkTo(const uint256& id, bool modify);
 	SHAMapTreeNode* walkToPointer(const uint256& id);
-	SHAMapTreeNode::ref checkCacheNode(const SHAMapNode&);
+	SHAMapTreeNode::pointer checkCacheNode(const SHAMapNode&);
 	void returnNode(SHAMapTreeNode::pointer&, bool modify);
 	void trackNewNode(SHAMapTreeNode::pointer&);