diff --git a/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfOperatorRegister.H b/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfOperatorRegister.H
index edfc46a3046..c35425bac63 100755
--- a/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfOperatorRegister.H
+++ b/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfOperatorRegister.H
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ class ConstantRegister : public SCAN_COMM_REGISTER_CLASS
         SCAN_COMM_REGISTER_CLASS( ), iv_iBS(0)
     {}
 
-    ConstantRegister(BIT_STRING_CLASS i_arg) :
+    ConstantRegister( const BitStringBuffer & i_arg ) :
         SCAN_COMM_REGISTER_CLASS( ), iv_iBS(i_arg)
     {}
 
diff --git a/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfScanFacility.C b/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfScanFacility.C
index 7737433b092..6c46dea931b 100755
--- a/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfScanFacility.C
+++ b/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfScanFacility.C
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 /*                                                                        */
 /* OpenPOWER HostBoot Project                                             */
 /*                                                                        */
-/* Contributors Listed Below - COPYRIGHT 2012,2016                        */
+/* Contributors Listed Below - COPYRIGHT 2012,2017                        */
 /* [+] International Business Machines Corp.                              */
 /*                                                                        */
 /*                                                                        */
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ SCAN_COMM_REGISTER_CLASS &  ScanFacility::GetAttnTypeRegister(
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-SCAN_COMM_REGISTER_CLASS &  ScanFacility::GetConstantRegister(
-                                                    BIT_STRING_CLASS i_val )
+SCAN_COMM_REGISTER_CLASS & ScanFacility::GetConstantRegister(
+                                                const BitStringBuffer & i_val )
 {
   ConstantRegister r(i_val);
   return iv_constRegFw.get(r);
diff --git a/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfScanFacility.H b/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfScanFacility.H
index be52a8124dc..f9ee286d661 100755
--- a/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfScanFacility.H
+++ b/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/framework/register/prdfScanFacility.H
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 /*                                                                        */
 /* OpenPOWER HostBoot Project                                             */
 /*                                                                        */
-/* Contributors Listed Below - COPYRIGHT 2012,2016                        */
+/* Contributors Listed Below - COPYRIGHT 2012,2017                        */
 /* [+] International Business Machines Corp.                              */
 /*                                                                        */
 /*                                                                        */
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ public:
    * @post only one instance of the register with this BIT_STRING value will
    * exist.
    */
-  SCAN_COMM_REGISTER_CLASS & GetConstantRegister(BIT_STRING_CLASS i_val);
+  SCAN_COMM_REGISTER_CLASS & GetConstantRegister(const BitStringBuffer & i_val);
   /**
    * @brief Get a plugin  register
    * @param Reference to target less flyweight object
diff --git a/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/util/prdfBitString.H b/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/util/prdfBitString.H
index 3e111188279..028eb915c40 100755
--- a/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/util/prdfBitString.H
+++ b/src/usr/diag/prdf/common/util/prdfBitString.H
@@ -375,14 +375,16 @@ class BitString
     /** @param i_newBitLen The new bit length of this bit string buffer. */
     void setBitLen( uint32_t i_newBitLen ) { iv_bitLen = i_newBitLen; }
 
-  /*!
-   Assignment operator
-   \param string Reference bit string
-   */
-  virtual BitString & operator=(const BitString & string);
-
   private: // functions
 
+    // Prevent the assignment operator and copy constructor from a
+    // BitStringBuffer. While technically these could be done. We run into
+    // serious problems like with the operator functions above that all return
+    // a BitStringBuffer. If we allowed these, the BitString would end up
+    // pointing to memory that is no longer in context.
+    BitString & operator=( const BitStringBuffer & i_bsb );
+    BitString( const BitStringBuffer & i_bsb );
+
     /**
      * @brief  Given a bit position within the bit string, this function returns
      *         the address that contains the bit position and the bit position
@@ -456,17 +458,6 @@ std::ostream & operator<<( std::ostream & out,
 
 #endif
 
-inline
-BitString & BitString::operator=
-(
- const BitString & string
- )
-{
-  iv_bitLen = string.iv_bitLen;
-  iv_bufAddr = string.iv_bufAddr;
-  return(*this);
-}
-
 } // end namespace PRDF
 
 #endif