diff --git a/simgear/structure/SGReferenced.hxx b/simgear/structure/SGReferenced.hxx
index 69788b3f..67e4fb1e 100644
--- a/simgear/structure/SGReferenced.hxx
+++ b/simgear/structure/SGReferenced.hxx
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ public:
   { return *this; }
 
   static unsigned get(const SGReferenced* ref)
-  { if (ref) return ++(ref->_refcount); else return ~0u; }
+  { if (ref) return ++(ref->_refcount); else return 0; }
   static unsigned put(const SGReferenced* ref)
-  { if (ref) return --(ref->_refcount); else return ~0u; }
+  { if (ref) return --(ref->_refcount); else return 0; }
   static unsigned count(const SGReferenced* ref)
-  { if (ref) return ref->_refcount; else return ~0u; }
+  { if (ref) return ref->_refcount; else return 0; }
   static bool shared(const SGReferenced* ref)
   { if (ref) return 1u < ref->_refcount; else return false; }
 
diff --git a/simgear/structure/SGWeakReferenced.hxx b/simgear/structure/SGWeakReferenced.hxx
index dbe50574..7a2bcaf5 100644
--- a/simgear/structure/SGWeakReferenced.hxx
+++ b/simgear/structure/SGWeakReferenced.hxx
@@ -71,11 +71,11 @@ public:
   /// The usual operations on weak pointers.
   /// The interface should stay the same then what we have in Referenced.
   static unsigned get(const SGWeakReferenced* ref)
-  { if (ref) return ++(ref->mWeakData->mRefcount); else return 0u; }
+  { if (ref) return ++(ref->mWeakData->mRefcount); else return 0; }
   static unsigned put(const SGWeakReferenced* ref)
-  { if (ref) return --(ref->mWeakData->mRefcount); else return ~0u; }
+  { if (ref) return --(ref->mWeakData->mRefcount); else return 0; }
   static unsigned count(const SGWeakReferenced* ref)
-  { if (ref) return ref->mWeakData->mRefcount; else return 0u; }
+  { if (ref) return ref->mWeakData->mRefcount; else return 0; }
 
 private:
   /// Support for weak references, not increasing the reference count