diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReader.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReader.h
index 832adde360e8a8ae6bdecaab70f395371ecb3b7c..3cb3afa09f2ae70c675cdb99f42af9b430eded6f 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReader.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReader.h
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 class ConfigReader
 {
 public:
-    virtual void load(std::string config_file_name) = 0;
-    virtual std::string get_string(std::string string_name) = 0;
+    virtual void load(const std::string &config_file_name) = 0;
+    virtual std::string get_string(const std::string &string_name) = 0;
 };
 
     } // namespace WINCCSERVICES
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReaderImpl.cc b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReaderImpl.cc
index 640dd744ff82f5c2756f5f2cbc3f3086ea73141d..2e360dfea751d962a1c00745ef0a7a7f2e33ecf4 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReaderImpl.cc
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReaderImpl.cc
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 
 using namespace std;
 
-void ConfigReaderImpl::load(std::string config_file_name)
+void ConfigReaderImpl::load(const std::string &config_file_name)
 {
-    string configPath = configLocator.locate(config_file_name);
+    const string configPath = configLocator.locate(config_file_name);
 
     if(configPath != "")
     {
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ void ConfigReaderImpl::load(std::string config_file_name)
     }
 }
 
-std::string ConfigReaderImpl::get_string(std::string string_name)
+std::string ConfigReaderImpl::get_string(const std::string &string_name)
 {
     return parameterSet->getString(string_name);
 
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReaderImpl.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReaderImpl.h
index f5131236ed502b3129bb44283014bfe10fd2522f..3d9a8e2d9b6dc705c45942e8091902d65fbc1871 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReaderImpl.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ConfigReaderImpl.h
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 class ConfigReaderImpl : public ConfigReader
 {
 public:
-    void load(std::string config_file_name);
-    std::string get_string(std::string string_name);
+    void load(const std::string &config_file_name);
+    std::string get_string(const std::string &string_name);
 private:
     ConfigLocator configLocator;
     std::unique_ptr<ParameterSet> parameterSet;
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactory.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactory.h
index 5300cd6d757f00b804998f407beb37781594d2a5..703d87e0edd672327b2969f121d4cef4c9bdaa75 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactory.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactory.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 class HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactory
 {
 public:
-    virtual HotLinkWaitForAnswer* create(std::string type) = 0;
+    virtual HotLinkWaitForAnswer* create(const std::string &type) = 0;
 };
 
     } // namespace WINCCSERVICES
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl.cc b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl.cc
index 72d59e44d0558f4fba575887ffb0d5d19476a8e1..48dae4ccc4e87b27cb09420cb3f78eb7321e3d04 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl.cc
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl.cc
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl::HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl(ToBus &toBus, D
 {
 }
 
-HotLinkWaitForAnswer* HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl::create(std::string type)
+HotLinkWaitForAnswer* HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl::create(const std::string &type)
 {
     HotLinkWaitForAnswer* wait = nullptr;
 
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl.h
index 32b3610fc4d83cc61117fdaced180fe7b9f1250d..24e647a745e5a7ef0eeec4199c63cd31bab03f72 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl : public HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactory
 {
 public:
     HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactoryImpl(ToBus &toBus, DataPointNameResolver &dataPointNameResolver);
-    HotLinkWaitForAnswer* create(std::string type);
+    HotLinkWaitForAnswer* create(const std::string &type);
 private:
     ToBus& toBus;
     DataPointNameResolver& dataPointNameResolver;
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherResources.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherResources.h
index f5fd54e7c77b8027106ad236660a7eeb11fa2128..2c8b2c127505dffe9b89e33b6ea65d5ae91f3e87 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherResources.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherResources.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 class PublisherResources
 {
 public:
-    PublisherResources(ConfigReader& configReader);
+    PublisherResources(ConfigReader &configReader);
     const std::vector<std::string> & getDataPoints() { return dataPoints; }
     const std::string & getQueueName() { return queueName; }
 
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherWaitForAnswer.cc b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherWaitForAnswer.cc
index f6b56fdaa8db09430d6fdde7c95bd5362fe8c8f3..25f7176e94da44b9f27dd4007eafc217d9f48e29 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherWaitForAnswer.cc
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherWaitForAnswer.cc
@@ -64,14 +64,15 @@ std::string PublisherWaitForAnswer::get_datapoint_name(const DpVCItem* const ite
     return dataPointNameResolver.getName(dpIdentifier);
 }
 
-void PublisherWaitForAnswer::send_monitor_message(string name, string value)
+void PublisherWaitForAnswer::send_monitor_message(const string &name, const string &value)
 {
     Messaging::MonitoringMessage sendMsg = create_monitor_message(name, value);
 
     toBus.send(sendMsg);
 }
 
-LOFAR::Messaging::MonitoringMessage PublisherWaitForAnswer::create_monitor_message(string name, string value)
+LOFAR::Messaging::MonitoringMessage PublisherWaitForAnswer::create_monitor_message(
+    const string &name, const string &value)
 {
     Messaging::MonitoringMessage sendMsg;
     string subject = string("WinCCPublisher : ") + name;
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherWaitForAnswer.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherWaitForAnswer.h
index de9af200918c88eb9841f4de29f3706b99b94f43..30ca3a958f60986363e4a1bf332e6af87c0431b0 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherWaitForAnswer.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/PublisherWaitForAnswer.h
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ private:
 
     void handle_group_item(const DpVCItem* const item);
     std::string get_datapoint_name(const DpVCItem* const item);
-    void send_monitor_message(std::string name, std::string value);
-    Messaging::MonitoringMessage create_monitor_message(std::string name, std::string value);
+    void send_monitor_message(const std::string &name, const std::string &value);
+    Messaging::MonitoringMessage create_monitor_message(const std::string &name, const std::string &value);
 };
 
     } // namespace WINCCSERVICES
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBus.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBus.h
index 83058c5da84743895ea0f6e2a03599dad37b9543..764ee0b9431c65be071b1b357d2919552e2398cf 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBus.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBus.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 class ToBus
 {
 public:
-    virtual void send(const Messaging::Message& message) = 0;
+    virtual void send(const Messaging::Message &message) = 0;
 };
 
     } // namespace WINCCSERVICES
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBusImpl.cc b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBusImpl.cc
index ea0feaa32ab00373f7b7ed9a59bb22b56b3ef466..545cb4f1406c1fb89f40eb8ad04018c50ef0410a 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBusImpl.cc
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBusImpl.cc
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 
 using namespace std;
 
-ToBusImpl::ToBusImpl(const string& address) :
+ToBusImpl::ToBusImpl(const string &address) :
     toBus(address)
 {
 }
 
-void ToBusImpl::send(const Messaging::Message& message)
+void ToBusImpl::send(const Messaging::Message &message)
 {
     toBus.send(message);
 }
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBusImpl.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBusImpl.h
index 5530fde59be23a6d9186017cb0cb31ad7b31607c..d2e0cc5b479f2f8be684d3ad203004fce67541cd 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBusImpl.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/ToBusImpl.h
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 class ToBusImpl : public ToBus
 {
 public:
-    ToBusImpl(const std::string& address);
-    void send(const Messaging::Message& message);
+    ToBusImpl(const std::string &address);
+    void send(const Messaging::Message &message);
 private:
     Messaging::ToBus toBus;
 };
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapper.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapper.h
index 8a4c77c4db496c20db2676eb2220568a722a8a2f..eff52c744b50148454a52a24b970a858435455a3 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapper.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapper.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class WinCCWrapper
 {
 public:
     virtual void init() = 0;
-    virtual bool connect_datapoints(std::vector<std::string> datapoints) = 0;
+    virtual bool connect_datapoints(const std::vector<std::string> &datapoints) = 0;
     virtual void run() = 0;
 };
 
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapperImpl.cc b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapperImpl.cc
index 68d57bebc4093ac1b0550eac8b079dbc5ae4cbe7..f50eba6028c08b4ed385dbf0f04b7820521806ee 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapperImpl.cc
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapperImpl.cc
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ using namespace std;
 
 PVSSboolean WinCCWrapperImpl::doExit = PVSS_FALSE;
 
-WinCCWrapperImpl::WinCCWrapperImpl(HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactory& factory) :
+WinCCWrapperImpl::WinCCWrapperImpl(HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactory &factory) :
     Manager(ManagerIdentifier(API_MAN, Resources::getManNum())),
     factory(factory)
 {
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@ void WinCCWrapperImpl::init()
     connectToEvent();
 }
 
-bool WinCCWrapperImpl::connect_datapoints(std::vector<std::string> dataPoints)
+bool WinCCWrapperImpl::connect_datapoints(const std::vector<std::string> &dataPoints)
 {
-    for(vector<string>::iterator it = dataPoints.begin(); it != dataPoints.end(); it++)
+    for(vector<string>::const_iterator it = dataPoints.begin(); it != dataPoints.end(); it++)
     {
         DpIdentList  dpList;
         DpIdentifier dpIdConnect;
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapperImpl.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapperImpl.h
index c8a2270d7b1a065192a70a5cb97a98933a050ec9..f08116e2a469bc65402a72e6989983dbbbc01864 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapperImpl.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/src/WinCCWrapperImpl.h
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 class WinCCWrapperImpl : public WinCCWrapper, public Manager
 {
 public:
-    WinCCWrapperImpl(HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactory& factory);
+    WinCCWrapperImpl(HotLinkWaitForAnswerFactory &factory);
     void init();
-    bool connect_datapoints(std::vector<std::string> dataPoints);
+    bool connect_datapoints(const std::vector<std::string> &dataPoints);
     void run();
 
     virtual void signalHandler(int sig);
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/test/MockConfigReader.cc b/MAC/WinCCServices/test/MockConfigReader.cc
index e2b9840dd70f8d9dfe6e28d5e9a7934a05f22675..cfb7289b5230a2f796740b142c7ef5789f890533 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/test/MockConfigReader.cc
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/test/MockConfigReader.cc
@@ -24,17 +24,16 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 
 using namespace std;
 
-void MockConfigReader::load(std::string config_file_name)
+void MockConfigReader::load(const std::string &)
 {
-    config_file_name = config_file_name;
 }
 
-std::string MockConfigReader::get_string(std::string string_name)
+std::string MockConfigReader::get_string(const std::string &string_name)
 {
     return values[string_name];
 }
 
-void MockConfigReader::set_string(std::string string_name, std::string string_value)
+void MockConfigReader::set_string(const std::string &string_name, const std::string &string_value)
 {
     values[string_name] = string_value;
 }
diff --git a/MAC/WinCCServices/test/MockConfigReader.h b/MAC/WinCCServices/test/MockConfigReader.h
index 9923190ce72703e589e804a0b28cecf8d8fe576d..9b518de2b2c3efdb9c5ebcc0cd7ff7f401e71ce4 100644
--- a/MAC/WinCCServices/test/MockConfigReader.h
+++ b/MAC/WinCCServices/test/MockConfigReader.h
@@ -30,12 +30,11 @@ namespace LOFAR {
 class MockConfigReader : public ConfigReader
 {
 public:
-    void load(std::string config_file_name);
-    std::string get_string(std::string string_name);
-    void set_string(std::string string_name, std::string string_value);
+    void load(const std::string &);
+    std::string get_string(const std::string &string_name);
+    void set_string(const std::string &string_name, const std::string &string_value);
 private:
     std::map<std::string, std::string> values;
-    std::string config_file_name;
 };
 
     } // namespace WINCCSERVICES