diff --git a/base/application.cpp b/base/application.cpp
index 4ffe0e4f0..070d0b40a 100644
--- a/base/application.cpp
+++ b/base/application.cpp
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ Component::Ptr Application::LoadComponent(const string& path,
  *
  * @param component The component.
  */
-void Application::RegisterComponent(Component::Ptr component)
+void Application::RegisterComponent(const Component::Ptr& component)
 {
 	m_Components[component->GetName()] = component;
 
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ void Application::RegisterComponent(Component::Ptr component)
  *
  * @param component The component.
  */
-void Application::UnregisterComponent(Component::Ptr component)
+void Application::UnregisterComponent(const Component::Ptr& component)
 {
 	string name = component->GetName();
 
diff --git a/base/application.h b/base/application.h
index 56383b049..47ff8465a 100644
--- a/base/application.h
+++ b/base/application.h
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ public:
 
 	shared_ptr<Component> LoadComponent(const string& path,
 	    const ConfigObject::Ptr& componentConfig);
-	void RegisterComponent(shared_ptr<Component> component);
-	void UnregisterComponent(shared_ptr<Component> component);
+	void RegisterComponent(const shared_ptr<Component>& component);
+	void UnregisterComponent(const shared_ptr<Component>& component);
 	shared_ptr<Component> GetComponent(const string& name) const;
 	void AddComponentSearchDir(const string& componentDirectory);
 
diff --git a/components/checker/checkercomponent.cpp b/components/checker/checkercomponent.cpp
index 97b8f4883..6b6ae3529 100644
--- a/components/checker/checkercomponent.cpp
+++ b/components/checker/checkercomponent.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ void CheckerComponent::Start(void)
 	ConfigObject::TMap::Range range = ConfigObject::GetObjects("service");
 
 	for (ConfigObject::TMap::Iterator it = range.first; it != range.second; it++) {
-		Service svc(it->second);
+		Service svc = it->second;
 		CheckTask::Ptr ct = CheckTask::CreateTask(svc);
 		CheckResult cr = ct->Execute();
 	}
diff --git a/components/delegation/delegationcomponent.cpp b/components/delegation/delegationcomponent.cpp
index 0a27018c3..f2a9de172 100644
--- a/components/delegation/delegationcomponent.cpp
+++ b/components/delegation/delegationcomponent.cpp
@@ -53,47 +53,47 @@ void DelegationComponent::Stop(void)
 		mgr->UnregisterEndpoint(m_DelegationEndpoint);
 }
 
-void DelegationComponent::NewServiceHandler(const ConfigObject::Ptr& object)
+void DelegationComponent::NewServiceHandler(const Service& object)
 {
 	AssignService(object);
 }
 
-void DelegationComponent::RemovedServiceHandler(const ConfigObject::Ptr& object)
+void DelegationComponent::RemovedServiceHandler(const Service& object)
 {
 	RevokeService(object);
 }
 
-void DelegationComponent::AssignService(const ConfigObject::Ptr& service)
+void DelegationComponent::AssignService(const Service& service)
 {
 	RequestMessage request;
 	request.SetMethod("checker::AssignService");
 
 	MessagePart params;
-	params.SetProperty("service", service->GetProperties());
+	params.SetProperty("service", service.GetConfigObject()->GetProperties());
 	request.SetParams(params);
 
-	Application::Log(LogInformation, "delegation", "Trying to delegate service '" + service->GetName() + "'");
+	Application::Log(LogInformation, "delegation", "Trying to delegate service '" + service.GetName() + "'");
 
 	GetEndpointManager()->SendAPIMessage(m_DelegationEndpoint, request,
 	    boost::bind(&DelegationComponent::AssignServiceResponseHandler, this, service, _2, _5));
 }
 
-void DelegationComponent::AssignServiceResponseHandler(const ConfigObject::Ptr& service, const Endpoint::Ptr& sender, bool timedOut)
+void DelegationComponent::AssignServiceResponseHandler(Service& service, const Endpoint::Ptr& sender, bool timedOut)
 {
 	if (timedOut) {
-		Application::Log(LogInformation, "delegation", "Service delegation for service '" + service->GetName() + "' timed out.");
+		Application::Log(LogInformation, "delegation", "Service delegation for service '" + service.GetName() + "' timed out.");
 	} else {
-		service->SetTag("checker", sender->GetIdentity());
-		Application::Log(LogInformation, "delegation", "Service delegation for service '" + service->GetName() + "' was successful.");
+		service.SetChecker(sender->GetIdentity());
+		Application::Log(LogInformation, "delegation", "Service delegation for service '" + service.GetName() + "' was successful.");
 	}
 }
 
-void DelegationComponent::RevokeService(const ConfigObject::Ptr& service)
+void DelegationComponent::RevokeService(const Service& service)
 {
 
 }
 
-void DelegationComponent::RevokeServiceResponseHandler(const ConfigObject::Ptr& service, const Endpoint::Ptr& sender, bool timedOut)
+void DelegationComponent::RevokeServiceResponseHandler(Service& service, const Endpoint::Ptr& sender, bool timedOut)
 {
 }
 
@@ -101,13 +101,13 @@ void DelegationComponent::DelegationTimerHandler(void)
 {
 	ConfigObject::Set::Iterator it;
 	for (it = m_AllServices->Begin(); it != m_AllServices->End(); it++) {
-		ConfigObject::Ptr object = *it;
+		Service service = *it;
 
-		string checker;
-		if (object->GetTag("checker", &checker) && GetEndpointManager()->GetEndpointByIdentity(checker))
+		string checker = service.GetChecker();
+		if (!checker.empty() && GetEndpointManager()->GetEndpointByIdentity(checker))
 			continue;
 
-		AssignService(object);
+		AssignService(service);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/components/delegation/delegationcomponent.h b/components/delegation/delegationcomponent.h
index d665fac73..d2559538b 100644
--- a/components/delegation/delegationcomponent.h
+++ b/components/delegation/delegationcomponent.h
@@ -38,16 +38,16 @@ private:
 	ConfigObject::Set::Ptr m_AllServices;
 	Timer::Ptr m_DelegationTimer;
 
-	void NewServiceHandler(const ConfigObject::Ptr& object);
-	void RemovedServiceHandler(const ConfigObject::Ptr& object);
+	void NewServiceHandler(const Service& object);
+	void RemovedServiceHandler(const Service& object);
 
-	void AssignServiceResponseHandler(const ConfigObject::Ptr& service, const Endpoint::Ptr& sender, bool timedOut);
-	void RevokeServiceResponseHandler(const ConfigObject::Ptr& service, const Endpoint::Ptr& sender, bool timedOut);
+	void AssignServiceResponseHandler(Service& service, const Endpoint::Ptr& sender, bool timedOut);
+	void RevokeServiceResponseHandler(Service& service, const Endpoint::Ptr& sender, bool timedOut);
 
 	void DelegationTimerHandler(void);
 
-	void AssignService(const ConfigObject::Ptr& service);
-	void RevokeService(const ConfigObject::Ptr& service);
+	void AssignService(const Service& service);
+	void RevokeService(const Service& service);
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/icinga/configobjectadapter.h b/icinga/configobjectadapter.h
index 4ad327ddd..b3cb41a93 100644
--- a/icinga/configobjectadapter.h
+++ b/icinga/configobjectadapter.h
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ public:
 
 	bool IsLocal(void) const;
 
-protected:
 	ConfigObject::Ptr GetConfigObject() const;
 
 private:
diff --git a/icinga/macroprocessor.cpp b/icinga/macroprocessor.cpp
index e5dca2506..291161e78 100644
--- a/icinga/macroprocessor.cpp
+++ b/icinga/macroprocessor.cpp
@@ -2,27 +2,28 @@
 
 using namespace icinga;
 
-string MacroProcessor::ResolveMacros(string str, Dictionary::Ptr macros)
+string MacroProcessor::ResolveMacros(const string& str, const Dictionary::Ptr& macros)
 {
 	string::size_type offset, pos_first, pos_second;
 
 	offset = 0;
 
-	while ((pos_first = str.find_first_of('$', offset)) != string::npos) {
-		pos_second = str.find_first_of('$', pos_first + 1);
+	string result = str;
+	while ((pos_first = result.find_first_of('$', offset)) != string::npos) {
+		pos_second = result.find_first_of('$', pos_first + 1);
 
 		if (pos_second == string::npos)
 			throw runtime_error("Closing $ not found in macro format string.");
 
-		string name = str.substr(pos_first + 1, pos_second - pos_first - 1);
+		string name = result.substr(pos_first + 1, pos_second - pos_first - 1);
 		string value;
 		if (!macros || !macros->GetProperty(name, &value))
 			throw runtime_error("Macro '" + name + "' is not defined.");
 
-		str.replace(pos_first, pos_second - pos_first + 1, value);
+		result.replace(pos_first, pos_second - pos_first + 1, value);
 
 		offset = pos_first + value.size();
 	}
 
-	return str;
+	return result;
 }
diff --git a/icinga/macroprocessor.h b/icinga/macroprocessor.h
index 3af0c1555..2bf5bc7f9 100644
--- a/icinga/macroprocessor.h
+++ b/icinga/macroprocessor.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ namespace icinga
 class I2_ICINGA_API MacroProcessor
 {
 public:
-	static string ResolveMacros(string str, Dictionary::Ptr macros);
+	static string ResolveMacros(const string& str, const Dictionary::Ptr& macros);
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/icinga/service.cpp b/icinga/service.cpp
index 6e8b606d7..e60198673 100644
--- a/icinga/service.cpp
+++ b/icinga/service.cpp
@@ -74,3 +74,15 @@ time_t Service::GetNextCheck(void) const
 	GetConfigObject()->GetTag("next_check", &value);
 	return value;
 }
+
+void Service::SetChecker(string checker)
+{
+	GetConfigObject()->SetTag("checker", checker);
+}
+
+string Service::GetChecker(void) const
+{
+	string value;
+	GetConfigObject()->GetTag("checker", &value);
+	return value;
+}
diff --git a/icinga/service.h b/icinga/service.h
index 4257ec764..a2680dea4 100644
--- a/icinga/service.h
+++ b/icinga/service.h
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@ public:
 
 	void SetNextCheck(time_t nextCheck);
 	time_t GetNextCheck(void) const;
+	void SetChecker(string checker);
+	string GetChecker(void) const;
 };
 
 }
 
-#endif /* SERVICE_H */
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif /* SERVICE_H */