diff --git a/src/gtest/test_joinsplit.cpp b/src/gtest/test_joinsplit.cpp
index dfde47c69..a713fe7dd 100644
--- a/src/gtest/test_joinsplit.cpp
+++ b/src/gtest/test_joinsplit.cpp
@@ -550,6 +550,10 @@ TEST(joinsplit, note_plaintexts)
 
     ASSERT_TRUE(decrypted.memo() == note_pt.memo());
 
+    // Check memo() returns by reference, not return by value, for use cases such as:
+    // std::string data(plaintext.memo().begin(), plaintext.memo().end());
+    ASSERT_TRUE(decrypted.memo().data() == decrypted.memo().data());
+
     // Check serialization of note plaintext
     CDataStream ss(SER_DISK, PROTOCOL_VERSION);
     ss << note_pt;
diff --git a/src/zcash/Note.hpp b/src/zcash/Note.hpp
index 8254717bb..7c7f0c561 100644
--- a/src/zcash/Note.hpp
+++ b/src/zcash/Note.hpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public:
     virtual ~BaseNotePlaintext() {}
 
     inline uint64_t value() const { return value_; }
-    inline boost::array<unsigned char, ZC_MEMO_SIZE> memo() const { return memo_; }
+    inline const boost::array<unsigned char, ZC_MEMO_SIZE> & memo() const { return memo_; }
 };
 
 class SproutNotePlaintext : public BaseNotePlaintext {