diff --git a/include/FileSystem.h b/include/FileSystem.h
index 0e65f7d8..f4df2baf 100644
--- a/include/FileSystem.h
+++ b/include/FileSystem.h
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ public:
 	FileSystem() ;
 	virtual ~FileSystem() {}
 
-	virtual const Glib::ustring get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
-	static const Glib::ustring get_generic_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) ;
+	virtual const Glib::ustring & get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
+	static const Glib::ustring & get_generic_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 );
 
 	virtual FS get_filesystem_support() = 0 ;
 	virtual FS_Limits get_filesystem_limits( const Partition & partition ) const  { return fs_limits; };
diff --git a/include/fat16.h b/include/fat16.h
index 913f5f30..c0ab9e36 100644
--- a/include/fat16.h
+++ b/include/fat16.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class fat16 : public FileSystem
 	Glib::ustring check_cmd ;
 public:
 	fat16( enum FSType type ) : specific_type( type ), create_cmd( "" ), check_cmd( "" ) {};
-	const Glib::ustring get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
+	const Glib::ustring & get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
 	FS get_filesystem_support() ;
 	void set_used_sectors( Partition & partition ) ;
 	void read_label( Partition & partition ) ;
diff --git a/include/linux_swap.h b/include/linux_swap.h
index b856495f..bc6407bc 100644
--- a/include/linux_swap.h
+++ b/include/linux_swap.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ namespace GParted
 class linux_swap : public FileSystem
 {
 public:
-	virtual const Glib::ustring get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
+	virtual const Glib::ustring & get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
 
 	FS get_filesystem_support() ;
 	void set_used_sectors( Partition & partition ) ;
diff --git a/include/luks.h b/include/luks.h
index 24c86c79..22116de9 100644
--- a/include/luks.h
+++ b/include/luks.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace GParted
 class luks : public FileSystem
 {
 public:
-	const Glib::ustring get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
+	const Glib::ustring & get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
 	FS get_filesystem_support();
 	bool is_busy( const Glib::ustring & path );
 	void set_used_sectors( Partition & partition );
diff --git a/include/lvm2_pv.h b/include/lvm2_pv.h
index 0f471577..eadeaba4 100644
--- a/include/lvm2_pv.h
+++ b/include/lvm2_pv.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace GParted
 class lvm2_pv : public FileSystem
 {
 public:
-	const Glib::ustring get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
+	const Glib::ustring & get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
 	FS get_filesystem_support() ;
 	bool is_busy( const Glib::ustring & path ) ;
 	void set_used_sectors( Partition & partition ) ;
diff --git a/include/ntfs.h b/include/ntfs.h
index 1285aa9f..08a7a296 100644
--- a/include/ntfs.h
+++ b/include/ntfs.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ namespace GParted
 class ntfs : public FileSystem
 {
 public:
-	const Glib::ustring get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
+	const Glib::ustring & get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index = 0 ) const;
 	FS get_filesystem_support() ;
 	void set_used_sectors( Partition & partition ) ;
 	void read_label( Partition & partition ) ;
diff --git a/src/FileSystem.cc b/src/FileSystem.cc
index 04696411..718f3a98 100644
--- a/src/FileSystem.cc
+++ b/src/FileSystem.cc
@@ -31,24 +31,25 @@ FileSystem::FileSystem()
 {
 }
 
-const Glib::ustring FileSystem::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
+const Glib::ustring & FileSystem::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
 {
 	return get_generic_text( ttype, index ) ;
 }
 
-const Glib::ustring FileSystem::get_generic_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index )
+const Glib::ustring & FileSystem::get_generic_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index )
 {
 	/*TO TRANSLATORS: these labels will be used in the partition menu */
 	static const Glib::ustring activate_text = _( "_Mount" ) ;
 	static const Glib::ustring deactivate_text = _( "_Unmount" ) ;
+	static const Glib::ustring empty_text;
 
 	switch ( ttype ) {
 		case CTEXT_ACTIVATE_FILESYSTEM :
-			return index == 0 ? activate_text : "" ;
+			return index == 0 ? activate_text : empty_text;
 		case CTEXT_DEACTIVATE_FILESYSTEM :
-			return index == 0 ? deactivate_text : "" ;
+			return index == 0 ? deactivate_text : empty_text;
 		default :
-			return "" ;
+			return empty_text;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fat16.cc b/src/fat16.cc
index 0c27322e..b9146146 100644
--- a/src/fat16.cc
+++ b/src/fat16.cc
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ const Glib::ustring fat16::Change_UUID_Warning [] =
 	,    ""
 	} ;
 
-const Glib::ustring fat16::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
+const Glib::ustring & fat16::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
 {
 	int i ;
 	switch ( ttype ) {
diff --git a/src/linux_swap.cc b/src/linux_swap.cc
index d276b3ed..84e20303 100644
--- a/src/linux_swap.cc
+++ b/src/linux_swap.cc
@@ -25,19 +25,20 @@
 namespace GParted
 {
 
-const Glib::ustring linux_swap::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
+const Glib::ustring & linux_swap::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
 {
 	/*TO TRANSLATORS: these labels will be used in the partition menu */
 	static const Glib::ustring activate_text = _( "_Swapon" ) ;
 	static const Glib::ustring deactivate_text = _( "_Swapoff" ) ;
+	static const Glib::ustring empty_text;
 
 	switch ( ttype ) {
 		case CTEXT_ACTIVATE_FILESYSTEM :
-			return index == 0 ? activate_text : "" ;
+			return index == 0 ? activate_text : empty_text;
 		case CTEXT_DEACTIVATE_FILESYSTEM :
-			return index == 0 ? deactivate_text : "" ;
+			return index == 0 ? deactivate_text : empty_text;
 		default :
-			return "" ;
+			return empty_text;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/luks.cc b/src/luks.cc
index 9c6ed327..5ea3e867 100644
--- a/src/luks.cc
+++ b/src/luks.cc
@@ -22,20 +22,21 @@
 namespace GParted
 {
 
-const Glib::ustring luks::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
+const Glib::ustring & luks::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
 {
 	/* TO TRANSLATORS: these labels will be used in the partition menu */
 	static const Glib::ustring activate_text = _("Open Encryption");
 	static const Glib::ustring deactivate_text = _("Close Encryption");
+	static const Glib::ustring empty_text;
 
 	switch ( ttype )
 	{
 		case CTEXT_ACTIVATE_FILESYSTEM:
-			return index == 0 ? activate_text : "";
+			return index == 0 ? activate_text : empty_text;
 		case CTEXT_DEACTIVATE_FILESYSTEM:
-			return index == 0 ? deactivate_text : "";
+			return index == 0 ? deactivate_text : empty_text;
 		default:
-			return "";
+			return empty_text;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lvm2_pv.cc b/src/lvm2_pv.cc
index 15af3eba..ece13cd4 100644
--- a/src/lvm2_pv.cc
+++ b/src/lvm2_pv.cc
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 namespace GParted
 {
 
-const Glib::ustring lvm2_pv::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
+const Glib::ustring & lvm2_pv::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
 {
 	/*TO TRANSLATORS: these labels will be used in the partition menu */
 	static const Glib::ustring activate_text = _( "Ac_tivate" ) ;
@@ -31,17 +31,18 @@ const Glib::ustring lvm2_pv::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) con
 	static const Glib::ustring resize_warning =
 		_( "The LVM2 Physical Volume can not currently be resized because it is a member of an exported "
 		   "Volume Group." ) ;
+	static const Glib::ustring empty_text;
 
 	switch ( ttype )
 	{
 		case CTEXT_ACTIVATE_FILESYSTEM:
-			return index == 0 ? activate_text : "" ;
+			return index == 0 ? activate_text : empty_text;
 		case CTEXT_DEACTIVATE_FILESYSTEM:
-			return index == 0 ? deactivate_text : "" ;
+			return index == 0 ? deactivate_text : empty_text;
 		case CTEXT_RESIZE_DISALLOWED_WARNING:
-			return index == 0 ? resize_warning : "" ;
+			return index == 0 ? resize_warning : empty_text;
 		default:
-			return "" ;
+			return empty_text;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ntfs.cc b/src/ntfs.cc
index 4fbf1376..9e954aea 100644
--- a/src/ntfs.cc
+++ b/src/ntfs.cc
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ const Glib::ustring ntfs::Change_UUID_Warning [] =
 	,    ""
 	} ;
 
-const Glib::ustring ntfs::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
+const Glib::ustring & ntfs::get_custom_text( CUSTOM_TEXT ttype, int index ) const
 {
 	int i ;
 	switch ( ttype ) {