diff --git a/components/detournavigator/navigator.hpp b/components/detournavigator/navigator.hpp
index cc62d61640..baf56145bb 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/navigator.hpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/navigator.hpp
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
          */
         virtual std::map<osg::Vec3f, SharedNavMeshCacheItem> getNavMeshes() const = 0;
 
-        virtual Settings getSettings() const = 0;
+        virtual const Settings& getSettings() const = 0;
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/components/detournavigator/navigatorimpl.cpp b/components/detournavigator/navigatorimpl.cpp
index 2e16b6d04d..a62220e555 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/navigatorimpl.cpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/navigatorimpl.cpp
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
         return mNavMeshManager.getNavMeshes();
     }
 
-    Settings NavigatorImpl::getSettings() const
+    const Settings& NavigatorImpl::getSettings() const
     {
         return mSettings;
     }
diff --git a/components/detournavigator/navigatorimpl.hpp b/components/detournavigator/navigatorimpl.hpp
index 8156f6655e..d2ff8a57bd 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/navigatorimpl.hpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/navigatorimpl.hpp
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
 
         std::map<osg::Vec3f, SharedNavMeshCacheItem> getNavMeshes() const override;
 
-        Settings getSettings() const override;
+        const Settings& getSettings() const override;
 
     private:
         Settings mSettings;
diff --git a/components/detournavigator/navigatorstub.hpp b/components/detournavigator/navigatorstub.hpp
index 5d82d2f59f..cab93b1052 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/navigatorstub.hpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/navigatorstub.hpp
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@
 
 namespace DetourNavigator
 {
-    struct NavigatorStub final : public Navigator
+    class NavigatorStub final : public Navigator
     {
+    public:
         NavigatorStub() = default;
 
         void addAgent(const osg::Vec3f& /*agentHalfExtents*/) override {}
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
 
         SharedNavMeshCacheItem getNavMesh(const osg::Vec3f& /*agentHalfExtents*/) const override
         {
-            return SharedNavMeshCacheItem();
+            return mEmptyNavMeshCacheItem;
         }
 
         std::map<osg::Vec3f, SharedNavMeshCacheItem> getNavMeshes() const override
@@ -73,10 +74,14 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
             return std::map<osg::Vec3f, SharedNavMeshCacheItem>();
         }
 
-        Settings getSettings() const override
+        const Settings& getSettings() const override
         {
-            return Settings {};
+            return mDefaultSettings;
         }
+
+    private:
+        Settings mDefaultSettings {};
+        SharedNavMeshCacheItem mEmptyNavMeshCacheItem;
     };
 }