diff --git a/mailnews/compose/src/nsMsgCompose.cpp b/mailnews/compose/src/nsMsgCompose.cpp
index 43657e2959a0..b96ff90d472c 100644
--- a/mailnews/compose/src/nsMsgCompose.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/compose/src/nsMsgCompose.cpp
@@ -2361,13 +2361,13 @@ nsresult nsMsgCompose::BuildMailListArray(nsIAddrDatabase* database, nsIAbDirect
             if (NS_SUCCEEDED(directory->GetIsMailList(&bIsMailList)) && bIsMailList)
             {
               nsXPIDLString listName;
-              nsXPIDLString description;
+              nsXPIDLString listDescription;
 
               directory->GetListName(getter_Copies(listName));
-              directory->GetDescription(getter_Copies(description));
+              directory->GetDescription(getter_Copies(listDescription));
 
               nsMsgMailList* mailList = new nsMsgMailList(nsAutoString((const PRUnichar*)listName),
-                    nsAutoString((const PRUnichar*)description), directory);
+                    nsAutoString((const PRUnichar*)listDescription), directory);
               if (!mailList)
                 return NS_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
               NS_ADDREF(mailList);
@@ -2939,8 +2939,8 @@ nsMsgRecipient::nsMsgRecipient() :
     NS_INIT_ISUPPORTS();
 }
  
-nsMsgRecipient::nsMsgRecipient(nsString& address, nsString& email, PRBool acceptHtml, PRBool processed) :
-  mAddress(address),
+nsMsgRecipient::nsMsgRecipient(nsString fullAddress, nsString email, PRBool acceptHtml, PRBool processed) :
+  mAddress(fullAddress),
   mEmail(email),
   mAcceptHtml(acceptHtml),
   mProcessed(processed)
@@ -2966,7 +2966,7 @@ nsMsgMailList::nsMsgMailList()
     NS_INIT_ISUPPORTS();
 }
  
-nsMsgMailList::nsMsgMailList(nsString& name, nsString& description, nsIAbDirectory* directory) :
+nsMsgMailList::nsMsgMailList(nsString listName, nsString listDescription, nsIAbDirectory* directory) :
   mDirectory(directory)
 {
   NS_INIT_ISUPPORTS();
@@ -2976,12 +2976,12 @@ nsMsgMailList::nsMsgMailList(nsString& name, nsString& description, nsIAbDirecto
   if (parser)
   {
     char * fullAddress = nsnull;
-    char * utf8Name = name.ToNewUTF8String();
+    char * utf8Name = listName.ToNewUTF8String();
     char * utf8Email;
-    if (description.IsEmpty())
-      utf8Email = name.ToNewUTF8String();   
+    if (listDescription.IsEmpty())
+      utf8Email = listName.ToNewUTF8String();   
     else
-      utf8Email = description.ToNewUTF8String();   
+      utf8Email = listDescription.ToNewUTF8String();   
 
     parser->MakeFullAddress(nsnull, utf8Name, utf8Email, &fullAddress);
     if (fullAddress && *fullAddress)
@@ -2997,12 +2997,12 @@ nsMsgMailList::nsMsgMailList(nsString& name, nsString& description, nsIAbDirecto
   if (mFullName.IsEmpty())
   {
       //oops, parser problem! I will try to do my best...
-      mFullName = name;
+      mFullName = listName;
       mFullName.AppendWithConversion(" <");
-      if (description.IsEmpty())
-        mFullName += name;
+      if (listDescription.IsEmpty())
+        mFullName += listName;
       else
-        mFullName += description;
+        mFullName += listDescription;
       mFullName.AppendWithConversion(">");
   }
 
diff --git a/mailnews/compose/src/nsMsgCompose.h b/mailnews/compose/src/nsMsgCompose.h
index 3315b0f8424b..1b96cd31b2fd 100644
--- a/mailnews/compose/src/nsMsgCompose.h
+++ b/mailnews/compose/src/nsMsgCompose.h
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ class nsMsgRecipient : public nsISupports
 {
 public:
   nsMsgRecipient();
-  nsMsgRecipient(nsString& address, nsString& email, PRBool acceptHtml = PR_FALSE, PRBool processed = PR_FALSE);
+  nsMsgRecipient(nsString fullAddress, nsString email, PRBool acceptHtml = PR_FALSE, PRBool processed = PR_FALSE);
 	virtual ~nsMsgRecipient();
 
   NS_DECL_ISUPPORTS
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ class nsMsgMailList : public nsISupports
 {
 public:
   nsMsgMailList();
-  nsMsgMailList(nsString& name, nsString& description, nsIAbDirectory* directory);
+  nsMsgMailList(nsString listName, nsString listDescription, nsIAbDirectory* directory);
 	virtual ~nsMsgMailList();
 
   NS_DECL_ISUPPORTS
@@ -268,4 +268,4 @@ public:
   nsCOMPtr<nsIAbDirectory> mDirectory;
 };
 
-#endif /* _nsMsgCompose_H_ */
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif /* _nsMsgCompose_H_ */