diff --git a/dumux/decoupled/common/variableclass.hh b/dumux/decoupled/common/variableclass.hh
index aee741f225d5645e8087a0c285e9b81ff0181a86..07e7887d537e26318f243932e87c82ffa298f402 100644
--- a/dumux/decoupled/common/variableclass.hh
+++ b/dumux/decoupled/common/variableclass.hh
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public:
     typedef typename std::vector <CellData> CellDataVector;
 
 private:
-    const GridView& gridView_;
+    const GridView gridView_;
     ElementMapper elementMapper_;
     VertexMapper vertexMapper_;
     CellDataVector cellDataVector_;