diff --git a/src/emsdevice.cpp b/src/emsdevice.cpp
index 3e0b4348c..a130bc57e 100644
--- a/src/emsdevice.cpp
+++ b/src/emsdevice.cpp
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ void EMSdevice::generate_values_web(JsonObject & output) {
     JsonArray data  = output.createNestedArray("data");
 
     // sort the device values
-    std::sort(devicevalues_.begin(), devicevalues_.end(), [](const emsesp::DeviceValue & a, const emsesp::DeviceValue & b) {
+    std::sort(devicevalues_.begin(), devicevalues_.end(), [](const emsesp::DeviceValue & a, const emsesp::DeviceValue & b __attribute__((unused))) {
         return a.has_state(DeviceValueState::DV_FAVORITE);
     });
 
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ void EMSdevice::reset_entity_masks() {
 }
 
 // disable/exclude/mask_out a device entity based on the id
-void EMSdevice::mask_entity(std::string entity_id) {
+void EMSdevice::mask_entity(std::string & entity_id) {
     // first character contains mask flags
     uint8_t flag = Helpers::hextoint(entity_id.substr(0, 2).c_str());
     for (auto & dv : devicevalues_) {
diff --git a/src/emsdevice.h b/src/emsdevice.h
index a521a042c..081f61bc1 100644
--- a/src/emsdevice.h
+++ b/src/emsdevice.h
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ class EMSdevice {
     char * show_telegram_handlers(char * result, const size_t len, const uint8_t handlers);
     void   show_mqtt_handlers(uuid::console::Shell & shell) const;
     void   list_device_entries(JsonObject & output) const;
-    void   mask_entity(std::string entity_id);
+    void   mask_entity(std::string & entity_id);
     void   reset_entity_masks();
 
     using process_function_p = std::function<void(std::shared_ptr<const Telegram>)>;
diff --git a/src/test/test.cpp b/src/test/test.cpp
index 960332c58..52e546ce4 100644
--- a/src/test/test.cpp
+++ b/src/test/test.cpp
@@ -609,7 +609,8 @@ void Test::run_test(uuid::console::Shell & shell, const std::string & cmd, const
         // toggle mode
         for (const auto & emsdevice : EMSESP::emsdevices) {
             if (emsdevice->unique_id() == 1) { // boiler
-                emsdevice->mask_entity("07wwseltemp");
+                std::string a = "07wwseltemp";
+                emsdevice->mask_entity(a);
                 break;
             }
         }