diff --git a/src/postProcessing/functionObjects/forces/forces/forces.C b/src/postProcessing/functionObjects/forces/forces/forces.C
index 4f272cdb35..fde287b8a4 100644
--- a/src/postProcessing/functionObjects/forces/forces/forces.C
+++ b/src/postProcessing/functionObjects/forces/forces/forces.C
@@ -191,9 +191,9 @@ Foam::scalar Foam::forces::rho(const volScalarField& p) const
 void Foam::forces::applyBins
 (
     const label patchI,
-    const vectorField fN,
-    const vectorField Md,
-    const vectorField fT
+    const vectorField& fN,
+    const vectorField& Md,
+    const vectorField& fT
 )
 {
     if (nBin_ == 1)
diff --git a/src/postProcessing/functionObjects/forces/forces/forces.H b/src/postProcessing/functionObjects/forces/forces/forces.H
index 1f8ff06cb4..c0f60e614a 100644
--- a/src/postProcessing/functionObjects/forces/forces/forces.H
+++ b/src/postProcessing/functionObjects/forces/forces/forces.H
@@ -232,9 +232,9 @@ protected:
         void applyBins
         (
             const label patchI,
-            const vectorField fN,
-            const vectorField Md,
-            const vectorField fT
+            const vectorField& fN,
+            const vectorField& Md,
+            const vectorField& fT
         );
 
         //- Helper function to write bin data