diff --git a/src/sync.h b/src/sync.h
index 0948083c7f..faabec2c2d 100644
--- a/src/sync.h
+++ b/src/sync.h
@@ -256,7 +256,22 @@ using DebugLock = UniqueLock<typename std::remove_reference<typename std::remove
 //!
 //!   int val = WITH_LOCK(cs, return shared_val);
 //!
-#define WITH_LOCK(cs, code) [&] { LOCK(cs); code; }()
+//! Note:
+//!
+//! Since the return type deduction follows that of decltype(auto), while the
+//! deduced type of:
+//!
+//!   WITH_LOCK(cs, return {int i = 1; return i;});
+//!
+//! is int, the deduced type of:
+//!
+//!   WITH_LOCK(cs, return {int j = 1; return (j);});
+//!
+//! is &int, a reference to a local variable
+//!
+//! The above is detectable at compile-time with the -Wreturn-local-addr flag in
+//! gcc and the -Wreturn-stack-address flag in clang, both enabled by default.
+#define WITH_LOCK(cs, code) [&]() -> decltype(auto) { LOCK(cs); code; }()
 
 class CSemaphore
 {
diff --git a/src/test/validation_chainstate_tests.cpp b/src/test/validation_chainstate_tests.cpp
index c8a375275f..92d8cf2e7d 100644
--- a/src/test/validation_chainstate_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/validation_chainstate_tests.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(validation_chainstate_resize_caches)
         return outp;
     };
 
-    CChainState& c1 = *WITH_LOCK(cs_main, return &manager.InitializeChainstate(mempool));
+    CChainState& c1 = WITH_LOCK(cs_main, return manager.InitializeChainstate(mempool));
     c1.InitCoinsDB(
         /* cache_size_bytes */ 1 << 23, /* in_memory */ true, /* should_wipe */ false);
     WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, c1.InitCoinsCache(1 << 23));
diff --git a/src/test/validation_chainstatemanager_tests.cpp b/src/test/validation_chainstatemanager_tests.cpp
index 36badafc4e..a6ec4ce17f 100644
--- a/src/test/validation_chainstatemanager_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/validation_chainstatemanager_tests.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager)
 
     // Create a legacy (IBD) chainstate.
     //
-    CChainState& c1 = *WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, return &manager.InitializeChainstate(mempool));
+    CChainState& c1 = WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, return manager.InitializeChainstate(mempool));
     chainstates.push_back(&c1);
     c1.InitCoinsDB(
         /* cache_size_bytes */ 1 << 23, /* in_memory */ true, /* should_wipe */ false);
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager)
 
     // Create a snapshot-based chainstate.
     //
-    CChainState& c2 = *WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, return &manager.InitializeChainstate(mempool, GetRandHash()));
+    CChainState& c2 = WITH_LOCK(::cs_main, return manager.InitializeChainstate(mempool, GetRandHash()));
     chainstates.push_back(&c2);
     c2.InitCoinsDB(
         /* cache_size_bytes */ 1 << 23, /* in_memory */ true, /* should_wipe */ false);
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager_rebalance_caches)
 
     // Create a legacy (IBD) chainstate.
     //
-    CChainState& c1 = *WITH_LOCK(cs_main, return &manager.InitializeChainstate(mempool));
+    CChainState& c1 = WITH_LOCK(cs_main, return manager.InitializeChainstate(mempool));
     chainstates.push_back(&c1);
     c1.InitCoinsDB(
         /* cache_size_bytes */ 1 << 23, /* in_memory */ true, /* should_wipe */ false);
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(chainstatemanager_rebalance_caches)
 
     // Create a snapshot-based chainstate.
     //
-    CChainState& c2 = *WITH_LOCK(cs_main, return &manager.InitializeChainstate(mempool, GetRandHash()));
+    CChainState& c2 = WITH_LOCK(cs_main, return manager.InitializeChainstate(mempool, GetRandHash()));
     chainstates.push_back(&c2);
     c2.InitCoinsDB(
         /* cache_size_bytes */ 1 << 23, /* in_memory */ true, /* should_wipe */ false);