diff --git a/src/TCollection/TCollection_HExtendedString.cdl b/src/TCollection/TCollection_HExtendedString.cdl
index 57a2ab55d0..4ff3e040d5 100755
--- a/src/TCollection/TCollection_HExtendedString.cdl
+++ b/src/TCollection/TCollection_HExtendedString.cdl
@@ -216,7 +216,8 @@ is
    raises OutOfRange from Standard;
  
  String(me) returns ExtendedString from TCollection;
-        ---Purpose: Returns the field myString
+   ---Purpose: Returns the field myString
+   ---C++: return const &
 
  Print (me ; astream : out OStream);
    ---Purpose: Displays <me> .
diff --git a/src/TCollection/TCollection_HExtendedString.cxx b/src/TCollection/TCollection_HExtendedString.cxx
index 9472fcbc07..223e31f58f 100755
--- a/src/TCollection/TCollection_HExtendedString.cxx
+++ b/src/TCollection/TCollection_HExtendedString.cxx
@@ -279,9 +279,9 @@ Standard_ExtCharacter TCollection_HExtendedString::Value
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // String
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-TCollection_ExtendedString TCollection_HExtendedString::String() const
+const TCollection_ExtendedString& TCollection_HExtendedString::String() const
 {
-   return myString;
+  return myString;
 }