diff --git a/DOM/Attr.h b/DOM/Attr.h
index 01617ade..34b68a6b 100644
--- a/DOM/Attr.h
+++ b/DOM/Attr.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class Attr : public Node<stringT>
         throw std::bad_cast();
     } // Attr
 
-    stringT getName() const { return attrImpl()->getName(); }
+    const stringT& getName() const { return attrImpl()->getName(); }
 
     bool getSpecified() const { return attrImpl()->getSpecified(); }
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class Attr_impl : virtual public Node_impl<stringT>
 
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////
     // DOM::Attribute methods
-    virtual stringT getName() const = 0;
+    virtual const stringT& getName() const = 0;
 
     virtual bool getSpecified() const = 0;
 
diff --git a/DOM/DocumentType.h b/DOM/DocumentType.h
index 32891256..54c581b3 100644
--- a/DOM/DocumentType.h
+++ b/DOM/DocumentType.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class DocumentType : public Node<stringT>
         throw std::bad_cast();
     } // DocumentType
 
-    stringT getName() const { return dtImpl()->getName(); }
+    const stringT& getName() const { return dtImpl()->getName(); }
 
     const NamedNodeMap<stringT> getEntities() const { return NamedNodeMap<stringT>(dtImpl()->getEntities()); }
 
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class DocumentType_impl : virtual public Node_impl<stringT>
 
     /////////////////////////////////////////////
     // DOM::DocumentType methods
-    virtual stringT getName() const = 0;
+    virtual const stringT& getName() const = 0;
 
     virtual NamedNodeMap_impl<stringT>* getEntities() = 0;
 
diff --git a/DOM/Simple/AttrImpl.h b/DOM/Simple/AttrImpl.h
index d82be25c..57b9fd25 100644
--- a/DOM/Simple/AttrImpl.h
+++ b/DOM/Simple/AttrImpl.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class AttrImpl : public DOM::Attr_impl<stringT>,
 
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////
     // DOM::Attribute methods
-    stringT getName() const { return getNodeName(); }
+    virtual const stringT& getName() const { return getNodeName(); }
 
     virtual bool getSpecified() const
     {
diff --git a/DOM/Simple/DocumentTypeImpl.h b/DOM/Simple/DocumentTypeImpl.h
index 82b8d9cc..0a0e721f 100644
--- a/DOM/Simple/DocumentTypeImpl.h
+++ b/DOM/Simple/DocumentTypeImpl.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class DocumentTypeImpl : public DOM::DocumentType_impl<stringT>,
 
     //////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     // DOM::DOMImplementation methods
-    virtual stringT getName() const 
+    virtual const stringT& getName() const 
     { 
       return getNodeName(); 
     } // getName