diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm_ref.h b/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm_ref.h
index ad238223e7..65047cabf1 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm_ref.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/vm_ref.h
@@ -61,25 +61,25 @@ namespace vm
 	//BE reference to LE data
 	template<typename T, typename AT = u32> struct brefl : public _ref_base<T, typename to_be_t<AT>::type>
 	{
-		using _ref_base::operator=;
+		using _ref_base<T, typename to_be_t<AT>::type>::operator=;
 	};
 
 	//BE reference to BE data
 	template<typename T, typename AT = u32> struct brefb : public _ref_base<typename to_be_t<T>::type, typename to_be_t<AT>::type>
 	{
-		using _ref_base::operator=;
+		using _ref_base<typename to_be_t<T>::type, typename to_be_t<AT>::type>::operator=;
 	};
 
 	//LE reference to BE data
 	template<typename T, typename AT = u32> struct lrefb : public _ref_base<typename to_be_t<T>::type, AT>
 	{
-		using _ref_base::operator=;
+		using _ref_base<typename to_be_t<T>::type, AT>::operator=;
 	};
 
 	//LE reference to LE data
 	template<typename T, typename AT = u32> struct lrefl : public _ref_base<T, AT>
 	{
-		using _ref_base::operator=;
+		using _ref_base<T, AT>::operator=;
 	};
 
 	namespace ps3
@@ -87,13 +87,13 @@ namespace vm
 		//default reference for HLE functions (LE reference to BE data)
 		template<typename T, typename AT = u32> struct ref : public lrefb<T, AT>
 		{
-			using _ref_base::operator=;
+			using lrefb<T, AT>::operator=;
 		};
 
 		//default reference for HLE structures (BE reference to BE data)
 		template<typename T, typename AT = u32> struct bref : public brefb<T, AT>
 		{
-			using _ref_base::operator=;
+			using brefb<T, AT>::operator=;
 		};
 	}
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/lv2/sys_semaphore.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/lv2/sys_semaphore.cpp
index 52ff26cbbc..858bd25940 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/lv2/sys_semaphore.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/lv2/sys_semaphore.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 SysCallBase sys_semaphore("sys_semaphore");
 
-s32 sys_semaphore_create(vm::ptr<be_t<u32>> sem, mem_ptr_t<sys_semaphore_attribute> attr, int initial_count, int max_count)
+s32 sys_semaphore_create(vm::ref<u32> sem, mem_ptr_t<sys_semaphore_attribute> attr, int initial_count, int max_count)
 {
 	sys_semaphore.Warning("sys_semaphore_create(sem_addr=0x%x, attr_addr=0x%x, initial_count=%d, max_count=%d)",
 		sem.addr(), attr.GetAddr(), initial_count, max_count);
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ s32 sys_semaphore_create(vm::ptr<be_t<u32>> sem, mem_ptr_t<sys_semaphore_attribu
 	}
 
 	u32 id = sys_semaphore.GetNewId(new Semaphore(initial_count, max_count, attr->protocol, attr->name_u64), TYPE_SEMAPHORE);
-	*sem = id;
+	sem = id;
 	sys_semaphore.Notice("*** semaphore created [%s] (protocol=0x%x): id = %d",
 		std::string(attr->name, 8).c_str(), (u32)attr->protocol, id);
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/lv2/sys_semaphore.h b/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/lv2/sys_semaphore.h
index a27691405a..079c9c4130 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/lv2/sys_semaphore.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/lv2/sys_semaphore.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ struct Semaphore
 };
 
 // SysCalls
-s32 sys_semaphore_create(vm::ptr<be_t<u32>> sem, mem_ptr_t<sys_semaphore_attribute> attr, int initial_count, int max_count);
+s32 sys_semaphore_create(vm::ref<u32> sem, mem_ptr_t<sys_semaphore_attribute> attr, int initial_count, int max_count);
 s32 sys_semaphore_destroy(u32 sem_id);
 s32 sys_semaphore_wait(u32 sem_id, u64 timeout);
 s32 sys_semaphore_trywait(u32 sem_id);