diff --git a/Socket/ProtocolClientSocketHandle.cti b/Socket/ProtocolClientSocketHandle.cti
index 9f54fe9411a3621428347d75ae6b94319042fc93..efdb9349a20592c3ddbc11391d04916a389a06e4 100644
--- a/Socket/ProtocolClientSocketHandle.cti
+++ b/Socket/ProtocolClientSocketHandle.cti
@@ -58,13 +58,13 @@ ProtocolClientSocketHandle(FileHandle other, bool isChecked)
 {}
 
 template <class SocketProtocol>
-prefix_ SocketProtocol const &
+prefix_ SocketProtocol &
 senf::ProtocolClientSocketHandle<SocketProtocol>::protocol()
 {
-    SENF_ASSERT( dynamic_cast<SocketProtocol const *>(&this->body().protocol()) );
+    SENF_ASSERT( dynamic_cast<SocketProtocol *>(&this->body().protocol()) );
     // Need dynamic_cast here, since senf::SocketProtocol is a
     // virtual base
-    return dynamic_cast<SocketProtocol const &>(this->body().protocol());
+    return dynamic_cast<SocketProtocol &>(this->body().protocol());
 }
 
 template <class SocketProtocol>
diff --git a/Socket/ProtocolClientSocketHandle.hh b/Socket/ProtocolClientSocketHandle.hh
index 835733ec2dd4a6f1027e1fbe76e9e18e4401c586..a63395197f12d2577f40d022bfd532884b960d8d 100644
--- a/Socket/ProtocolClientSocketHandle.hh
+++ b/Socket/ProtocolClientSocketHandle.hh
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ namespace senf {
         ///@}
         ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-        Protocol const & protocol();    ///< Access the protocol interface
+        Protocol  & protocol();         ///< Access the protocol interface
                                         /**< The returned protocol class reference gives access to
                                            the complete protocol interface as defined by that
                                            class. See the respective protocol class documentation.
diff --git a/Socket/ProtocolServerSocketHandle.cti b/Socket/ProtocolServerSocketHandle.cti
index e2c750f438afb12b12069b695c07868a65747fcb..2cd77531474ef9c210eb595eaecfec51d4f3e1ab 100644
--- a/Socket/ProtocolServerSocketHandle.cti
+++ b/Socket/ProtocolServerSocketHandle.cti
@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@ prefix_ senf::ProtocolServerSocketHandle<SocketProtocol>::ProtocolServerSocketHa
 #include BOOST_PP_ITERATE()
 
 template <class SocketProtocol>
-prefix_ SocketProtocol const &
+prefix_ SocketProtocol &
 senf::ProtocolServerSocketHandle<SocketProtocol>::protocol()
 {
     SENF_ASSERT( dynamic_cast<SocketProtocol const *>(&this->body().protocol()) );
     // Need dynamic_cast here, since senf::SocketProtocol is a
     // virtual base
-    return dynamic_cast<SocketProtocol const &>(this->body().protocol());
+    return dynamic_cast<SocketProtocol &>(this->body().protocol());
 }
 
 template <class SocketProtocol>
diff --git a/Socket/ProtocolServerSocketHandle.hh b/Socket/ProtocolServerSocketHandle.hh
index a39c760cc4370112dfd2f6ae123e003fc7d6d7fe..57d980e05657bda136366db87e1a551443a8801a 100644
--- a/Socket/ProtocolServerSocketHandle.hh
+++ b/Socket/ProtocolServerSocketHandle.hh
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ namespace senf {
         ///@}
         ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-        Protocol const & protocol();    ///< Access the protocol interface
+        Protocol & protocol();          ///< Access the protocol interface
                                         /**< The returned protocol class reference gives access to
                                            the complete protocol interface as defined by that
                                            class. See the respective protocol class documentation.
diff --git a/Socket/SocketHandle.cci b/Socket/SocketHandle.cci
index 38bd8fcab7803a531c63e794658f86bcf31f41d5..ec22ca325dc05341b1fd85e91837e1a8a389319e 100644
--- a/Socket/SocketHandle.cci
+++ b/Socket/SocketHandle.cci
@@ -43,14 +43,9 @@ prefix_ senf::SocketBody::SocketBody(bool isServer, int fd)
 {}
 
 prefix_ senf::SocketProtocol & senf::SocketBody::protocol()
-{
-    return const_cast<SocketProtocol &>(v_protocol());
-}
-
-prefix_ senf::SocketProtocol const & senf::SocketBody::protocol()
     const
 {
-    return v_protocol();
+    return const_cast<SocketProtocol &>(v_protocol());
 }
 
 prefix_ bool senf::SocketBody::isServer()
diff --git a/Socket/SocketHandle.cti b/Socket/SocketHandle.cti
index b04f1f8133f9bf7e2ca6555cc5f342f6b5bba9e1..23997a832e88116d89788e6ceb51a65e232c6f32 100644
--- a/Socket/SocketHandle.cti
+++ b/Socket/SocketHandle.cti
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ prefix_ senf::SocketBody const & senf::SocketHandle<SPolicy>::body()
 }
 
 template <class SPolicy>
-prefix_ senf::SocketProtocol const & senf::SocketHandle<SPolicy>::protocol()
+prefix_ senf::SocketProtocol & senf::SocketHandle<SPolicy>::protocol()
     const
 {
     return body().protocol();
@@ -189,11 +189,11 @@ prefix_ std::string senf::SocketHandle<SPolicy>::dumpState(unsigned lod)
 
 template <class SPolicy>
 template <class Facet>
-prefix_ Facet const & senf::SocketHandle<SPolicy>::facet()
+prefix_ Facet & senf::SocketHandle<SPolicy>::facet()
 
 {
     try {
-        return dynamic_cast<Facet const &>(protocol());
+        return dynamic_cast<Facet &>(protocol());
     }
     SENF_WRAP_EXC(std::bad_cast)
 }
diff --git a/Socket/SocketHandle.hh b/Socket/SocketHandle.hh
index 9f41494779da8b9480eb40ee2e49289806981c57..a119d2b4fef38dc5aec5d309b4fc3a8c76016d2f 100644
--- a/Socket/SocketHandle.hh
+++ b/Socket/SocketHandle.hh
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ namespace senf {
                                                  documentation. */
 
         template <class Facet>
-        Facet const & facet();          ///< Access a protocol facet
+        Facet & facet();                ///< Access a protocol facet
                                         /**< This member will try to access the given protocol facet
                                              of the socket. If \a Facet is a valid facet of the
                                              protocol, it is returned, otherwise \c std::bad_cast
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ namespace senf {
                                         /**< This member replaces the corresponding FileHandle
                                              member and returns an appropriately cast body
                                              reference */
-        SocketProtocol const & protocol() const;
+        SocketProtocol & protocol() const;
                                         ///< Access protocol class
 
         void assign(FileHandle other);  /**< \internal */
diff --git a/Socket/SocketHandle.ih b/Socket/SocketHandle.ih
index bc974b87d8fee9ba6b6e92d10173e18c6d717c1f..de34df0ac42f4af9d9e0600c721df02a129f9190 100644
--- a/Socket/SocketHandle.ih
+++ b/Socket/SocketHandle.ih
@@ -122,8 +122,7 @@ namespace senf {
         ///@}
         ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-        SocketProtocol & protocol(); ///< Access the protocol instance
-        SocketProtocol const & protocol() const; ///< Access the protocol instance (const)
+        SocketProtocol & protocol() const; ///< Access the protocol instance
 
         bool isServer();                ///< Check socket type
                                         /**< \return \c true, if this is a server socket, \c false