diff --git a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expression.hpp b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expression.hpp
index 01b7c4c848..8d40958d34 100644
--- a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expression.hpp
+++ b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expression.hpp
@@ -2652,11 +2652,11 @@ namespace detail {
         return jsonpath_expression<Json>(alloc_set, std::move(resources), std::move(expr));
     }
 
-    template <class Json>
+    template <class Json,class JsonReference=const Json&>
     auto make_expression_for_update(const typename Json::string_view_type& path,
         const jsoncons::jsonpath::custom_functions<Json>& funcs = jsoncons::jsonpath::custom_functions<Json>())
     {
-        using jsonpath_traits_type = jsoncons::jsonpath::detail::jsonpath_traits<Json, Json&>;
+        using jsonpath_traits_type = jsoncons::jsonpath::detail::jsonpath_traits<Json, JsonReference>;
 
         using value_type = typename jsonpath_traits_type::value_type;
         using reference = typename jsonpath_traits_type::reference;
@@ -2666,7 +2666,7 @@ namespace detail {
         evaluator_type evaluator;
         auto expr = evaluator.compile(*static_resources, path);
 
-        return jsoncons::jsonpath::jsonpath_expression<Json,Json&>(jsoncons::combine_allocators(), std::move(static_resources), std::move(expr));
+        return jsoncons::jsonpath::jsonpath_expression<value_type,reference>(jsoncons::combine_allocators(), std::move(static_resources), std::move(expr));
     }
 
 } // namespace jsonpath