diff --git a/applications/utilities/mesh/conversion/star4ToFoam/star4ToFoam.C b/applications/utilities/mesh/conversion/star4ToFoam/star4ToFoam.C
index 8bc1ff5ff..28ff125b4 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/mesh/conversion/star4ToFoam/star4ToFoam.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/mesh/conversion/star4ToFoam/star4ToFoam.C
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     argList args(argc, argv);
     Time runTime(args.rootPath(), args.caseName());
-    stringList const& params = args.additionalArgs();
 
     // default rescale from [mm] to [m]
     scalar scaleFactor = 0.001;
@@ -97,7 +96,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     IOstream::defaultPrecision(10);
 
     // remove extensions and/or trailing '.'
-    fileName prefix = fileName(params[0]).lessExt();
+    fileName prefix = fileName(args.additionalArgs()[0]).lessExt();
 
     meshReaders::STARCD reader(prefix, runTime, scaleFactor);
 
diff --git a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceConvert/surfaceConvert.C b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceConvert/surfaceConvert.C
index 9a8b18e84..dfbcdef20 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceConvert/surfaceConvert.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceConvert/surfaceConvert.C
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     argList::validOptions.insert("group", "");
 
     argList args(argc, argv);
-    const stringList& params = args.additionalArgs();
+    const stringList params = args.additionalArgs();
 
     fileName importName(params[0]);
     fileName exportName(params[1]);
diff --git a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshConvert/surfaceMeshConvert.C b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshConvert/surfaceMeshConvert.C
index 1e8937f0c..0ecb29714 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshConvert/surfaceMeshConvert.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshConvert/surfaceMeshConvert.C
@@ -81,10 +81,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     argList args(argc, argv);
     Time runTime(args.rootPath(), args.caseName());
-    const stringList& params = args.additionalArgs();
 
-    fileName importName(params[0]);
-    fileName exportName(params[1]);
+    fileName importName(args.additionalArgs()[0]);
+    fileName exportName(args.additionalArgs()[1]);
 
     // disable inplace editing
     if (importName == exportName)
diff --git a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshConvertTesting/surfaceMeshConvertTesting.C b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshConvertTesting/surfaceMeshConvertTesting.C
index 68f729957..34634699b 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshConvertTesting/surfaceMeshConvertTesting.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshConvertTesting/surfaceMeshConvertTesting.C
@@ -83,13 +83,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     argList::validOptions.insert("unsorted", "");
     argList::validOptions.insert("triFace", "");
 #   include "setRootCase.H"
-    const stringList& params = args.additionalArgs();
 
     scalar scaleFactor = 0;
     args.optionReadIfPresent("scale", scaleFactor);
 
-    fileName importName(params[0]);
-    fileName exportName(params[1]);
+    fileName importName(args.additionalArgs()[0]);
+    fileName exportName(args.additionalArgs()[1]);
 
     if (importName == exportName)
     {
diff --git a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshExport/surfaceMeshExport.C b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshExport/surfaceMeshExport.C
index 3576e5934..075cd9333 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshExport/surfaceMeshExport.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshExport/surfaceMeshExport.C
@@ -85,9 +85,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     argList args(argc, argv);
     Time runTime(args.rootPath(), args.caseName());
-    const stringList& params = args.additionalArgs();
 
-    fileName exportName(params[0]);
+    fileName exportName(args.additionalArgs()[0]);
     word importName("default");
     args.optionReadIfPresent("name", importName);
 
diff --git a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshImport/surfaceMeshImport.C b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshImport/surfaceMeshImport.C
index 2559140c3..3131d79f6 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshImport/surfaceMeshImport.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshImport/surfaceMeshImport.C
@@ -86,8 +86,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 #   include "setRootCase.H"
 #   include "createTime.H"
 
-    const stringList& params = args.additionalArgs();
-
     // try for the latestTime, but create "constant" as needed
     instantList Times = runTime.times();
     if (Times.size())
@@ -101,7 +99,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
 
 
-    fileName importName(params[0]);
+    fileName importName(args.additionalArgs()[0]);
     word exportName("default");
     args.optionReadIfPresent("name", exportName);