diff --git a/MeshLib/Mesh.cpp b/MeshLib/Mesh.cpp
index d205f39fbf3cb47481d759986256728c53384f18..8b043cf8ae04d64679d49430c4da3b9a789f8028 100644
--- a/MeshLib/Mesh.cpp
+++ b/MeshLib/Mesh.cpp
@@ -257,10 +257,8 @@ void scaleMeshPropertyVector(MeshLib::Mesh & mesh,
                              std::string const& property_name,
                              double factor)
 {
-    boost::optional<MeshLib::PropertyVector<double> &> pv(
-        mesh.getProperties().getPropertyVector<double>(property_name));
-
-    for (auto & v : *pv)
+    for (auto& v :
+         *mesh.getProperties().getPropertyVector<double>(property_name))
         v *= factor;
 }
 
diff --git a/MeshLib/Mesh.h b/MeshLib/Mesh.h
index 0a4e215901043e5b46269195d24e70a0dc33c37c..0dbbc93cf0f2ded867f8a4c98e8bc8f433be9fcb 100644
--- a/MeshLib/Mesh.h
+++ b/MeshLib/Mesh.h
@@ -215,9 +215,8 @@ void addPropertyToMesh(MeshLib::Mesh& mesh, std::string const& name,
                 mesh.getNumberOfElements(),
                 values.size() / number_of_components);
 
-    boost::optional<MeshLib::PropertyVector<T>&> property(
-        mesh.getProperties().createNewPropertyVector<T>(name, item_type,
-                                                        number_of_components));
+    auto* const property = mesh.getProperties().createNewPropertyVector<T>(
+        name, item_type, number_of_components);
     if (!property)
     {
         OGS_FATAL("Error while creating PropertyVector \"%s\".", name.c_str());