diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/AccountItems.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/AccountItems.cpp
index b10937e23..c5a4c0e22 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/AccountItems.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/AccountItems.cpp
@@ -7,25 +7,25 @@
 
 SETUP_LOG();
 
-AccountItem::AccountItem(SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer ledger) : mLedgerEntry(ledger)
+AccountItem::AccountItem(SerializedLedgerEntry::ref ledger) : mLedgerEntry(ledger)
 {
 
 }
 
-AccountItems::AccountItems(uint160& accountID, Ledger::ref ledger, AccountItem::pointer ofType)
+AccountItems::AccountItems(const uint160& accountID, Ledger::ref ledger, AccountItem::pointer ofType)
 {
 	mOfType=ofType;
 	fillItems(accountID, ledger);
 }
 
 // looks in the current ledger
-AccountItems::AccountItems(uint160& accountID, AccountItem::pointer ofType )
+AccountItems::AccountItems(const uint160& accountID, AccountItem::pointer ofType )
 {
 	mOfType=ofType;
 	fillItems(accountID,theApp->getLedgerMaster().getClosedLedger());
 }
 
-void AccountItems::fillItems(uint160& accountID, Ledger::ref ledger)
+void AccountItems::fillItems(const uint160& accountID, Ledger::ref ledger)
 {
 	uint256 rootIndex		= Ledger::getOwnerDirIndex(accountID);
 	uint256 currentIndex	= rootIndex;
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/AccountItems.h b/src/cpp/ripple/AccountItems.h
index 4d3016189..8f9e373f9 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/AccountItems.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/AccountItems.h
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ protected:
 	SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer	mLedgerEntry;
 public:
 	typedef boost::shared_ptr<AccountItem> pointer;
+	typedef const pointer& ref;
+
 	AccountItem(){ }
-	AccountItem(SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer ledger);
-	virtual AccountItem::pointer makeItem(uint160& accountID, SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer ledgerEntry)=0;
+	AccountItem(SerializedLedgerEntry::ref ledger);
+	virtual AccountItem::pointer makeItem(const uint160& accountID, SerializedLedgerEntry::ref ledgerEntry)=0;
 	virtual LedgerEntryType getType()=0;
 
 	SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer getSLE() { return mLedgerEntry; }
@@ -30,11 +32,12 @@ class AccountItems
 	AccountItem::pointer mOfType;
 
 	std::vector<AccountItem::pointer> mItems;
-	void fillItems(uint160& accountID, Ledger::ref ledger);
+	void fillItems(const uint160& accountID, Ledger::ref ledger);
+
 public:
 
-	AccountItems(uint160& accountID, Ledger::ref ledger, AccountItem::pointer ofType);
-	AccountItems(uint160& accountID, AccountItem::pointer ofType ); // looks in the current ledger
+	AccountItems(const uint160& accountID, Ledger::ref ledger, AccountItem::pointer ofType);
+	AccountItems(const uint160& accountID, AccountItem::pointer ofType ); // looks in the current ledger
 
 	std::vector<AccountItem::pointer>& getItems() { return(mItems); }
 };
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/Offer.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/Offer.cpp
index 8df29139b..e7031c43c 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/Offer.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/Offer.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "Offer.h"
 
-AccountItem::pointer Offer::makeItem(uint160& ,SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer ledgerEntry)
+AccountItem::pointer Offer::makeItem(const uint160& ,SerializedLedgerEntry::ref ledgerEntry)
 {
 	if (!mLedgerEntry || mLedgerEntry->getType() != ltOFFER) return(AccountItem::pointer());
 	Offer* offer=new Offer(ledgerEntry);
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/Offer.h b/src/cpp/ripple/Offer.h
index 6b2693bda..815cfde09 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/Offer.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/Offer.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class Offer : public AccountItem
 	Offer(SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer ledgerEntry);	// For accounts in a ledger
 public:
 	Offer(){}
-	AccountItem::pointer makeItem(uint160&, SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer ledgerEntry);
+	AccountItem::pointer makeItem(const uint160&, SerializedLedgerEntry::ref ledgerEntry);
 	LedgerEntryType getType(){ return(ltOFFER); }
 
 	STAmount getTakerPays(){ return(mTakerPays); }
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/RippleState.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/RippleState.cpp
index c7bb2b499..47033e228 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/RippleState.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/RippleState.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #include "RippleState.h"
 
 
-AccountItem::pointer RippleState::makeItem(uint160& accountID, SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer ledgerEntry)
+AccountItem::pointer RippleState::makeItem(const uint160& accountID, SerializedLedgerEntry::ref ledgerEntry)
 {
 	if (!mLedgerEntry || mLedgerEntry->getType() != ltRIPPLE_STATE) return(AccountItem::pointer());
 	RippleState* rs=new RippleState(ledgerEntry);
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ AccountItem::pointer RippleState::makeItem(uint160& accountID, SerializedLedgerE
 	return(AccountItem::pointer(rs));
 }
 
-RippleState::RippleState(SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer ledgerEntry) : AccountItem(ledgerEntry),
+RippleState::RippleState(SerializedLedgerEntry::ref ledgerEntry) : AccountItem(ledgerEntry),
 	mValid(false),
 	mViewLowest(true)
 {
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/RippleState.h b/src/cpp/ripple/RippleState.h
index 7886e905f..f7edcbe1e 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/RippleState.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/RippleState.h
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ private:
 	bool							mValid;
 	bool							mViewLowest;
 
-	RippleState(SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer ledgerEntry);	// For accounts in a ledger
+	RippleState(SerializedLedgerEntry::ref ledgerEntry);	// For accounts in a ledger
 public:
 	RippleState(){ }
-	AccountItem::pointer makeItem(uint160& accountID, SerializedLedgerEntry::pointer ledgerEntry);
+	AccountItem::pointer makeItem(const uint160& accountID, SerializedLedgerEntry::ref ledgerEntry);
 	LedgerEntryType getType(){ return(ltRIPPLE_STATE); }
 
 	void					setViewAccount(const uint160& accountID);
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/Transaction.h b/src/cpp/ripple/Transaction.h
index f56fbbc96..35d33b91a 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/Transaction.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/Transaction.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class Transaction : public boost::enable_shared_from_this<Transaction>, private
 {
 public:
 	typedef boost::shared_ptr<Transaction> pointer;
+	typedef const pointer& ref;
 
 private:
 	uint256			mTransactionID;
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ public:
 	void setLedger(uint32 ledger) { mInLedger = ledger; }
 
 	// database functions
-	static void saveTransaction(const Transaction::pointer&);
+	static void saveTransaction(Transaction::ref);
 	bool save();
 	static Transaction::pointer load(const uint256& id);
 	static Transaction::pointer findFrom(const RippleAddress& fromID, uint32 seq);