diff --git a/DQMServices/Core/interface/DQMStore.h b/DQMServices/Core/interface/DQMStore.h
index d8affd039894d..3da978631dfe0 100644
--- a/DQMServices/Core/interface/DQMStore.h
+++ b/DQMServices/Core/interface/DQMStore.h
@@ -751,6 +751,8 @@ namespace dqm {
       void printTrace(std::string const& message);
       // print a log message if ME matches trackME_.
       void debugTrackME(const char* message, MonitorElement* me_local, MonitorElement* me_global) const;
+      // accesor to keep MEsToSave_ private
+      const auto& getMEsToSave() const { return MEsToSave_; }
 
     private:
       // MEComparison is a name-only comparison on MEs and Paths, allowing
@@ -792,14 +794,13 @@ namespace dqm {
 
       // Book MEs by lumi by default whenever possible.
       bool doSaveByLumi_;
-
+      // Book MEs by lumi from list in DQMServices/Core/python/DQMStore_cfi.py
+      std::vector<std::string> MEsToSave_;  //just if perLS is ON
+             
       // if non-empty, debugTrackME calls will log some information whenever a
       // ME path contains this string.
       std::string trackME_;
 
-    public:
-      // Book MEs by lumi from list in DQMServices/Core/python/DQMStore_cfi.py
-      std::vector<std::string> MEsToSave_;  //just if perLS is ON
     };
   }  // namespace implementation
 
diff --git a/DQMServices/Core/src/DQMStore.cc b/DQMServices/Core/src/DQMStore.cc
index e034b3e358761..d4c2c2738371c 100644
--- a/DQMServices/Core/src/DQMStore.cc
+++ b/DQMServices/Core/src/DQMStore.cc
@@ -100,9 +100,11 @@ namespace dqm::implementation {
       medata.key_.path_ = path;
       medata.key_.kind_ = kind;
 
-      if (not store_->MEsToSave_.empty()) {
+      const auto& MEs = store_->getMEsToSave();
+
+      if (not MEs.empty()) {
         bool pathInList = false;
-        for (auto& thepath : store_->MEsToSave_) {
+        for (const auto& thepath : MEs) {
           if (fullpath == thepath) {
             medata.key_.scope_ = MonitorElementData::Scope::LUMI;
             pathInList = true;