diff --git a/dumux/io/vtk/intersectionwriter.hh b/dumux/io/vtk/intersectionwriter.hh
index 36ab905fb177e626af23fed09f7a6c396199c0fc..d87a63899f0acb369a81c92e7110500b62eae2e1 100644
--- a/dumux/io/vtk/intersectionwriter.hh
+++ b/dumux/io/vtk/intersectionwriter.hh
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public:
             iIt_ = IntersectionIterator(gridView_.ibegin(*eIt_));
     }
 
-    decltype(auto) dereference() const
+    const Intersection& dereference() const
     {
         if constexpr (std::is_lvalue_reference_v<decltype(*std::declval<IntersectionIterator>())>)
             return *iIt_;