diff --git a/tests/executables_src/testApplication.cc b/tests/executables_src/testApplication.cc
index 28726af3cbaf94970ddedaf640f30ddc22c05932..8ddd73d8c954ee69aa6b4c8df1945e016fe22b5f 100644
--- a/tests/executables_src/testApplication.cc
+++ b/tests/executables_src/testApplication.cc
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE( testApplicationExceptions ) {
       TestApp app("");
       BOOST_FAIL("Exception expected.");
     }
-    catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>) {
+    catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>&) {
     }
 
     // names with spaces and special characters are forbidden
@@ -67,13 +67,13 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE( testApplicationExceptions ) {
       TestApp app("With space");
       BOOST_FAIL("Exception expected.");
     }
-    catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>) {
+    catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>&) {
     }
     try {
       TestApp app("WithExclamationMark!");
       BOOST_FAIL("Exception expected.");
     }
-    catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>) {
+    catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>&) {
     }
 
     // all allowed characters in the name
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE( testApplicationExceptions ) {
       TestApp app2("SecondInstance");
       BOOST_FAIL("Exception expected.");
     }
-    catch(std::runtime_error) {
+    catch(std::runtime_error&) {
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/tests/executables_src/testTestFacilities.cc b/tests/executables_src/testTestFacilities.cc
index acba07fa77228452825527db0c53dbbae83d386c..2d5fada589a212b112e91deeba7c738025b69ac5 100644
--- a/tests/executables_src/testTestFacilities.cc
+++ b/tests/executables_src/testTestFacilities.cc
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE( testReadAny, T, test_types ) {
     test.stepApplication();
     BOOST_ERROR("IllegalParameter exception expected.");
   }
-  catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>) {
+  catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>&) {
   }
 
   // check that we still don't receive anything anymore
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE( testChainedModules, T, test_types ) {
     test.stepApplication();
     BOOST_ERROR("IllegalParameter exception expected.");
   }
-  catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>) {
+  catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>&) {
   }
 
   // check that we still don't receive anything anymore
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE( testWithFanOut, T, test_types ) {
     test.stepApplication();
     BOOST_ERROR("IllegalParameter exception expected.");
   }
-  catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>) {
+  catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>&) {
   }
 
   // check that we still don't receive anything anymore
@@ -744,7 +744,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE( testWithTrigger, T, test_types ) {
     test.stepApplication();
     BOOST_ERROR("IllegalParameter exception expected.");
   }
-  catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>) {
+  catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>&) {
   }
 
   // check that we still don't receive anything anymore
@@ -862,7 +862,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE( testWithTriggerFanOut, T, test_types ) {
     test.stepApplication();
     BOOST_ERROR("IllegalParameter exception expected.");
   }
-  catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>) {
+  catch(ctk::ApplicationExceptionWithID<ctk::ApplicationExceptionID::illegalParameter>&) {
   }
 
   // check that we still don't receive anything anymore