diff --git a/src/BufferList.cpp b/src/BufferList.cpp
index 341ddf455b..c253282b79 100644
--- a/src/BufferList.cpp
+++ b/src/BufferList.cpp
@@ -154,10 +154,9 @@ void BufferList::closeAll()
 }
 
 
-FileNameList const & BufferList::fileNames() const
+FileNameList BufferList::fileNames() const
 {
-	static FileNameList nvec;
-	nvec.clear();
+	FileNameList nvec;
 	BufferStorage::const_iterator it = bstore.begin();
 	BufferStorage::const_iterator end = bstore.end();
 	for (; it != end; ++it) {
@@ -347,7 +346,7 @@ void BufferList::recordCurrentAuthor(Author const & author)
 
 int BufferList::bufferNum(FileName const & fname) const
 {
-	FileNameList const & buffers = fileNames();
+	FileNameList const buffers(fileNames());
 	FileNameList::const_iterator cit =
 		find(buffers.begin(), buffers.end(), fname);
 	if (cit == buffers.end())
diff --git a/src/BufferList.h b/src/BufferList.h
index 95df26aa6d..4f9cb95c05 100644
--- a/src/BufferList.h
+++ b/src/BufferList.h
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public:
 	void closeAll();
 
 	/// returns a vector with all the buffers filenames
-	support::FileNameList const & fileNames() const;
+	support::FileNameList fileNames() const;
 
 	/// return true if no buffers loaded
 	bool empty() const;
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiRef.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiRef.cpp
index 141c67bc13..c0e6842c36 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiRef.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiRef.cpp
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ void GuiRef::updateContents()
 
 	// insert buffer list
 	bufferCO->clear();
-	FileNameList const & buffers = theBufferList().fileNames();
+	FileNameList const buffers(theBufferList().fileNames());
 	for (FileNameList::const_iterator it = buffers.begin();
 	     it != buffers.end(); ++it) {
 		bufferCO->addItem(toqstr(makeDisplayPath(it->absFileName())));
@@ -455,7 +455,8 @@ void GuiRef::updateRefs()
 	refs_.clear();
 	int const the_buffer = bufferCO->currentIndex();
 	if (the_buffer != -1) {
-		FileName const & name = theBufferList().fileNames()[the_buffer];
+		FileNameList const names(theBufferList().fileNames());
+		FileName const & name = names[the_buffer];
 		Buffer const * buf = theBufferList().getBuffer(name);
 		buf->getLabelList(refs_);
 	}