diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/Vector11T.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/Vector11T.hh
index 3ebf2394..6c78777e 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/Vector11T.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/Vector11T.hh
@@ -762,14 +762,14 @@ VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& minimize(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>&
 /// \relates OpenMesh::VectorT
 /// non-member max
 template<typename Scalar, int DIM>
-VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& max(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2) {
+VectorT<Scalar, DIM> max(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2) {
     return VectorT<Scalar, DIM>(_v1).maximize(_v2);
 }
 
 /// \relates OpenMesh::VectorT
 /// non-member min
 template<typename Scalar, int DIM>
-VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& min(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2) {
+VectorT<Scalar, DIM> min(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2) {
     return VectorT<Scalar, DIM>(_v1).minimize(_v2);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh
index cf8e7c40..87a7e1d0 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Geometry/VectorT.hh
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& minimize(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>&
 /// \relates OpenMesh::VectorT
 /// non-member max
 template<typename Scalar, int DIM>
-VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& max(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2) {
+VectorT<Scalar, DIM> max(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2) {
     return VectorT<Scalar, DIM>(_v1).maximize(_v2);
 }
 
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& max(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2)
 /// \relates OpenMesh::VectorT
 /// non-member min
 template<typename Scalar, int DIM>
-VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& max(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2) {
+VectorT<Scalar, DIM> min(VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v1, VectorT<Scalar, DIM>& _v2) {
     return VectorT<Scalar, DIM>(_v1).minimize(_v2);
 }