diff --git a/simgear/package/Package.cxx b/simgear/package/Package.cxx
index c9acdb6f..e572c4a0 100644
--- a/simgear/package/Package.cxx
+++ b/simgear/package/Package.cxx
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ namespace simgear {
 namespace pkg {
 
 Package::Package(const SGPropertyNode* aProps, CatalogRef aCatalog) :
-    m_catalog(aCatalog)
+    m_catalog(aCatalog.get())
 {
     initWithProps(aProps);
 }
@@ -235,6 +235,11 @@ std::string Package::id() const
     return m_id;
 }
 
+CatalogRef Package::catalog() const
+{
+    return {m_catalog};
+}
+
 std::string Package::qualifiedId() const
 {
     return m_catalog->id() + "." + id();
diff --git a/simgear/package/Package.hxx b/simgear/package/Package.hxx
index b274d408..dc6958a8 100644
--- a/simgear/package/Package.hxx
+++ b/simgear/package/Package.hxx
@@ -130,8 +130,7 @@ public:
 
     size_t fileSizeBytes() const;
 
-    CatalogRef catalog() const
-        { return m_catalog; }
+    CatalogRef catalog() const;
 
     bool matches(const SGPropertyNode* aFilter) const;
 
@@ -236,7 +235,7 @@ private:
     SGPropertyNode_ptr m_props;
     std::string m_id;
     string_set m_tags;
-    CatalogRef m_catalog;
+    Catalog* m_catalog = nullptr; // non-owning ref, explicitly
     string_list m_variants;
 
     mutable function_list<InstallCallback> _install_cb;