diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/CaptureContext.h b/qrenderdoc/Code/CaptureContext.h
index e0294098f..b17a36a77 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/CaptureContext.h
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/CaptureContext.h
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ public:
   ResultDetails GetFatalError() override { return m_Replay.GetFatalError(); }
   rdcstr GetCaptureFilename() override { return m_CaptureFile; }
   CaptureModifications GetCaptureModifications() override { return m_CaptureMods; }
-  const FrameDescription &FrameInfo() override { return m_FrameInfo; }
-  const APIProperties &APIProps() override { return m_APIProps; }
+  FrameDescription FrameInfo() override { return m_FrameInfo; }
+  APIProperties APIProps() override { return m_APIProps; }
   rdcarray<ShaderEncoding> CustomShaderEncodings() override { return m_CustomEncodings; }
   rdcarray<ShaderSourcePrefix> CustomShaderSourcePrefixes() override { return m_CustomPrefixes; }
   rdcarray<ShaderEncoding> TargetShaderEncodings() override { return m_TargetEncodings; }
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/QRDInterface.h b/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/QRDInterface.h
index 9a4455087..0fd664b32 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/QRDInterface.h
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/QRDInterface.h
@@ -2166,14 +2166,14 @@ the UI which aren't reflected in the capture file on disk.
 :return: The frame information.
 :rtype: renderdoc.FrameDescription
 )");
-  virtual const FrameDescription &FrameInfo() = 0;
+  virtual FrameDescription FrameInfo() = 0;
 
   DOCUMENT(R"(Retrieve the :class:`~renderdoc.APIProperties` for the currently loaded capture.
 
 :return: The API properties.
 :rtype: renderdoc.APIProperties
 )");
-  virtual const APIProperties &APIProps() = 0;
+  virtual APIProperties APIProps() = 0;
 
   DOCUMENT(R"(Retrieve the list of :class:`~renderdoc.ShaderEncoding` that are available for
 building target shaders for the currently loaded capture. See
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/container_handling.i b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/container_handling.i
index 6940b428c..a690abcac 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/container_handling.i
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/container_handling.i
@@ -328,6 +328,10 @@ void ARRAY_INSTANTIATION_CHECK_NAME(typeName)(typeName<innerType> *);
 %typemap(ret) typeName & { ARRAY_INSTANTIATION_CHECK_NAME(typeName)($1); }
 %typemap(ret) typeName   { ARRAY_INSTANTIATION_CHECK_NAME(typeName)(&$1); }
 
+%typemap(out) typeName const & {
+  $result = ConvertToPy(indirect($1));
+}
+
 %enddef
 
 %define NON_TEMPLATE_ARRAY_INSTANTIATE(typeName)
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/renderdoc.i b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/renderdoc.i
index 14e8c549e..ed5f67b18 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/renderdoc.i
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/renderdoc.i
@@ -98,6 +98,13 @@ VA_IGNORE_REST_OF_FILE
   PyDateTime_IMPORT;
 %}
 
+%typemap(out) const SWIGTYPE & {
+  static_assert(false, "Const ref types must be explicitly allowed, to ensure proper copy semantics. " \
+                       "Consider returning by copy if reasonable, or explicitly set up copy typemap.");
+  //$ltype owned = new std::remove_pointer<$ltype>::type(indirect($1));
+  //$result = SWIG_NewPointerObj(SWIG_as_voidptr(owned), $descriptor, SWIG_POINTER_OWN |  0 );
+}
+
 %include "pyconversion.i"
 
 // typemaps for windowing data
@@ -232,6 +239,17 @@ VA_IGNORE_REST_OF_FILE
   $1.assign(*$input);
 }
 
+// this is fine to return directly as it offers no mutable members
+%typemap(out) const PipeState & {
+  $result = SWIG_NewPointerObj(SWIG_as_voidptr($1), $descriptor, 0 );
+}
+
+// this is returned directly due to the size of the data contained in the type.
+// it's mostly "pythonic" to have an object returned that is considered mutable
+%typemap(out) const SDFile & {
+  $result = SWIG_NewPointerObj(SWIG_as_voidptr($1), $descriptor, 0 );
+}
+
 %typemap(ret) const ActionDescription * {
   // for ActionDescription pointers don't apply parent tracking, since these are preserved
   // in other ways and the linked-list nature of walking them can produce absurdly long
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Windows/PythonShell.cpp b/qrenderdoc/Windows/PythonShell.cpp
index 07ef5b7f1..f07ba48f0 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Windows/PythonShell.cpp
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Windows/PythonShell.cpp
@@ -484,8 +484,8 @@ struct CaptureContextInvoker : ObjectForwarder<ICaptureContext>
   {
     return m_Obj.GetCaptureModifications();
   }
-  virtual const FrameDescription &FrameInfo() override { return m_Obj.FrameInfo(); }
-  virtual const APIProperties &APIProps() override { return m_Obj.APIProps(); }
+  virtual FrameDescription FrameInfo() override { return m_Obj.FrameInfo(); }
+  virtual APIProperties APIProps() override { return m_Obj.APIProps(); }
   virtual rdcarray<ShaderEncoding> TargetShaderEncodings() override
   {
     return m_Obj.TargetShaderEncodings();