diff --git a/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/handle_return.hpp b/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/handle_return.hpp
index 8570c8d0..5a98c9a9 100644
--- a/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/handle_return.hpp
+++ b/include/chaiscript/dispatchkit/handle_return.hpp
@@ -167,17 +167,33 @@ namespace chaiscript
           }
         };
 
-
-
-      template<typename Ret>
-        struct Handle_Return<const Ret &>
+      template<typename Ret, bool Ptr>
+        struct Handle_Return_Ref
         {
-          static Boxed_Value handle(const Ret &r)
+          template<typename T>
+          static Boxed_Value handle(T &&r)
           {
             return Boxed_Value(std::cref(r), true);
           }
         };
 
+      template<typename Ret>
+        struct Handle_Return_Ref<Ret, true>
+        {
+          template<typename T>
+          static Boxed_Value handle(T &&r)
+          {
+            return Boxed_Value(typename std::remove_reference<decltype(r)>::type{r}, true);
+          }
+        };
+
+      template<typename Ret>
+        struct Handle_Return<const Ret &> : Handle_Return_Ref<const Ret &, std::is_pointer<typename std::remove_reference<const Ret &>::type>::value>
+        {
+
+        };
+
+
       template<typename Ret>
         struct Handle_Return<const Ret>
         {
diff --git a/unittests/compiled_tests.cpp b/unittests/compiled_tests.cpp
index 614dcb73..705d34b3 100644
--- a/unittests/compiled_tests.cpp
+++ b/unittests/compiled_tests.cpp
@@ -214,18 +214,28 @@ TEST_CASE("Deduction of pointer return types")
   auto get_val_ptr = [&]() -> int * { return val_ptr; };
   auto get_val_const_ptr = [&]() -> int const * { return val_ptr; };
   auto get_val_ptr_ref = [&]() -> int *& { return val_ptr_ref; };
-  auto get_val_const_ptr_ref = [&]() -> int * const & { return val_ptr_const_ref; };
+  auto get_val_ptr_const_ref = [&]() -> int * const & { return val_ptr_const_ref; };
+//  auto get_val_const_ptr_const_ref = [ref=std::cref(val_ptr)]() -> int const * const & { return ref.get(); };
 
   chaiscript::ChaiScript_Basic chai(create_chaiscript_stdlib(), create_chaiscript_parser());
   chai.add(chaiscript::fun(get_val_ptr), "get_val_ptr");
   chai.add(chaiscript::fun(get_val_const_ptr), "get_val_const_ptr");
   chai.add(chaiscript::fun(get_val_ptr_ref), "get_val_ptr_ref");
-  chai.add(chaiscript::fun(get_val_const_ptr_ref), "get_val_const_ptr_ref");
+  chai.add(chaiscript::fun(get_val_ptr_const_ref), "get_val_ptr_const_ref");
+//  chai.add(chaiscript::fun(get_val_const_ptr_const_ref), "get_val_const_ptr_const_ref");
 
   CHECK(chai.eval<int *>("get_val_ptr()") == &val);
-  CHECK(chai.eval<int * const>("get_val_const_ptr()") == &val);
-  CHECK(chai.eval<int *&>("get_val_ptr_ref()") == &val);
-  CHECK(chai.eval<int * const &>("get_val_const_ptr_ref()") == &val);
+  CHECK(*chai.eval<int *>("get_val_ptr()") == val);
+  CHECK(chai.eval<int const *>("get_val_const_ptr()") == &val);
+  CHECK(*chai.eval<int const *>("get_val_const_ptr()") == val);
+
+  // note that we cannot maintain the references here,
+  // chaiscript internals cannot handle that, effectively pointer to pointer
+  CHECK(chai.eval<int *>("get_val_ptr_ref()") == &val);
+  CHECK(*chai.eval<int *>("get_val_ptr_ref()") == val);
+  CHECK(chai.eval<int *>("get_val_ptr_const_ref()") == &val);
+  CHECK(*chai.eval<int *>("get_val_ptr_const_ref()") == val);
+//  CHECK(chai.eval<int const *>("get_val_const_ptr_const_ref()") == &val);
 }