diff --git a/test/openpower-pels/mocks.hpp b/test/openpower-pels/mocks.hpp
index e9d9fdf..510974c 100644
--- a/test/openpower-pels/mocks.hpp
+++ b/test/openpower-pels/mocks.hpp
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@
                 (const override));
     MOCK_METHOD(std::string, getLocationCode, (const std::string&),
                 (const override));
-    MOCK_METHOD(const std::vector<std::string>&, getSystemNames, (),
-                (const override));
+    MOCK_METHOD(std::vector<std::string>, getSystemNames, (), (const override));
     MOCK_METHOD(std::string, expandLocationCode, (const std::string&, uint16_t),
                 (const override));
     MOCK_METHOD(std::string, getInventoryFromLocCode,
diff --git a/test/openpower-pels/pel_manager_test.cpp b/test/openpower-pels/pel_manager_test.cpp
index 2247a71..3112a16 100644
--- a/test/openpower-pels/pel_manager_test.cpp
+++ b/test/openpower-pels/pel_manager_test.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 
 using ::testing::NiceMock;
 using ::testing::Return;
-using ::testing::ReturnRef;
 
 class TestLogger
 {
@@ -883,7 +882,7 @@
         std::vector<std::string> names{"systemA"};
         EXPECT_CALL(*mockIface, getSystemNames)
             .Times(1)
-            .WillOnce(ReturnRef(names));
+            .WillOnce(Return(names));
 
         EXPECT_CALL(*mockIface, expandLocationCode("P42-C23", 0))
             .WillOnce(Return("U42-P42-C23"));
diff --git a/test/openpower-pels/pel_test.cpp b/test/openpower-pels/pel_test.cpp
index e1697ac..3631b50 100644
--- a/test/openpower-pels/pel_test.cpp
+++ b/test/openpower-pels/pel_test.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 using ::testing::_;
 using ::testing::NiceMock;
 using ::testing::Return;
-using ::testing::ReturnRef;
 using ::testing::SetArgReferee;
 
 class PELTest : public CleanLogID
@@ -823,7 +822,7 @@
     std::vector<std::string> names{"systemA"};
     EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames)
         .Times(2)
-        .WillRepeatedly(ReturnRef(names));
+        .WillRepeatedly(Return(names));
 
     EXPECT_CALL(dataIface,
                 getLocationCode(
diff --git a/test/openpower-pels/src_test.cpp b/test/openpower-pels/src_test.cpp
index f439bfc..1f0db2a 100644
--- a/test/openpower-pels/src_test.cpp
+++ b/test/openpower-pels/src_test.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 using ::testing::InvokeWithoutArgs;
 using ::testing::NiceMock;
 using ::testing::Return;
-using ::testing::ReturnRef;
 using ::testing::SetArgReferee;
 using ::testing::Throw;
 namespace fs = std::filesystem;
@@ -537,7 +536,7 @@
         NiceMock<MockDataInterface> dataIface;
         std::vector<std::string> names{"systemA"};
 
-        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(ReturnRef(names));
+        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(Return(names));
 
         SRC src{entry, ad, dataIface};
 
@@ -574,7 +573,7 @@
         std::vector<std::string> names{"systemB"};
 
         EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, expandLocationCode).WillOnce(Return("P0-C8"));
-        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(ReturnRef(names));
+        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(Return(names));
 
         SRC src{entry, ad, dataIface};
 
@@ -611,7 +610,7 @@
         NiceMock<MockDataInterface> dataIface;
         std::vector<std::string> names{"systemC"};
 
-        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(ReturnRef(names));
+        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(Return(names));
 
         EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, expandLocationCode("P0-C8", 0))
             .WillOnce(Return("UXXX-P0-C8"));
@@ -707,7 +706,7 @@
         NiceMock<MockDataInterface> dataIface;
         std::vector<std::string> names{"systemA"};
 
-        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(ReturnRef(names));
+        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(Return(names));
 
         EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getLocationCode("motherboard"))
             .Times(1)
@@ -760,7 +759,7 @@
         NiceMock<MockDataInterface> dataIface;
         std::vector<std::string> names{"systemA"};
 
-        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(ReturnRef(names));
+        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(Return(names));
 
         SRC src{entry, ad, dataIface};
 
@@ -825,7 +824,7 @@
 
     EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames)
         .Times(5)
-        .WillRepeatedly(ReturnRef(names));
+        .WillRepeatedly(Return(names));
 
     EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getInventoryFromLocCode("P1-C40", 0, false))
         .Times(3)
diff --git a/test/openpower-pels/user_header_test.cpp b/test/openpower-pels/user_header_test.cpp
index 526a59e..b7b6583 100644
--- a/test/openpower-pels/user_header_test.cpp
+++ b/test/openpower-pels/user_header_test.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 
 using namespace openpower::pels;
 using ::testing::Return;
-using ::testing::ReturnRef;
 
 TEST(UserHeaderTest, SizeTest)
 {
@@ -113,9 +112,6 @@
         regEntry.eventScope = 2;
 
         MockDataInterface dataIface;
-        std::vector<std::string> names{"systemA"};
-
-        EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(ReturnRef(names));
 
         UserHeader uh(regEntry, phosphor::logging::Entry::Level::Error,
                       dataIface);
@@ -140,8 +136,6 @@
             // The same thing, but as if the action flags weren't specified
             // in the registry so they are a nullopt.  The object should
             // then set them to 0xFFFF.
-            EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(ReturnRef(names));
-
             regEntry.actionFlags = std::nullopt;
 
             UserHeader uh(regEntry, phosphor::logging::Entry::Level::Error,
@@ -164,9 +158,9 @@
         std::vector<std::string> names3{"systemC"};
 
         EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames)
-            .WillOnce(ReturnRef(names1))
-            .WillOnce(ReturnRef(names2))
-            .WillOnce(ReturnRef(names3));
+            .WillOnce(Return(names1))
+            .WillOnce(Return(names2))
+            .WillOnce(Return(names3));
 
         {
             UserHeader uh(regEntry, phosphor::logging::Entry::Level::Error,
@@ -224,9 +218,6 @@
 
     MockDataInterface dataIface;
 
-    std::vector<std::string> names{"systemA"};
-    EXPECT_CALL(dataIface, getSystemNames).WillOnce(ReturnRef(names));
-
     UserHeader uh(regEntry, phosphor::logging::Entry::Level::Error, dataIface);
 
     ASSERT_EQ(uh.eventType(), 0);