diff --git a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_DynamicObject.cpp b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_DynamicObject.cpp
index 38f5c5f081..3351f19b8e 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_DynamicObject.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_DynamicObject.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ bool DynamicObject::hasProperty (const Identifier& propertyName) const
     return v != nullptr && ! v->isMethod();
 }
 
-var DynamicObject::getProperty (const Identifier& propertyName) const
+const var& DynamicObject::getProperty (const Identifier& propertyName) const
 {
     return properties [propertyName];
 }
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_DynamicObject.h b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_DynamicObject.h
index 5c624a4d9b..598df6ed62 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_DynamicObject.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_DynamicObject.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public:
     /** Returns a named property.
         This returns var::null if no such property exists.
     */
-    virtual var getProperty (const Identifier& propertyName) const;
+    virtual const var& getProperty (const Identifier& propertyName) const;
 
     /** Sets a named property. */
     virtual void setProperty (const Identifier& propertyName, const var& newValue);
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp
index db3f2f5666..7943ab5dcf 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp
@@ -576,15 +576,15 @@ var var::clone() const noexcept
 }
 
 //==============================================================================
-var var::operator[] (const Identifier propertyName) const
+const var& var::operator[] (Identifier propertyName) const
 {
     if (DynamicObject* const o = getDynamicObject())
         return o->getProperty (propertyName);
 
-    return var();
+    return var::null;
 }
 
-var var::operator[] (const char* const propertyName) const
+const var& var::operator[] (const char* const propertyName) const
 {
     return operator[] (Identifier (propertyName));
 }
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h
index 41a4884c1c..1e0f03cf56 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h
@@ -242,9 +242,9 @@ public:
 
     //==============================================================================
     /** If this variant is an object, this returns one of its properties. */
-    var operator[] (Identifier propertyName) const;
+    const var& operator[] (Identifier propertyName) const;
     /** If this variant is an object, this returns one of its properties. */
-    var operator[] (const char* propertyName) const;
+    const var& operator[] (const char* propertyName) const;
     /** If this variant is an object, this returns one of its properties, or a default
         fallback value if the property is not set. */
     var getProperty (Identifier propertyName, const var& defaultReturnValue) const;