diff --git a/flang/include/flang/Semantics/scope.h b/flang/include/flang/Semantics/scope.h
--- a/flang/include/flang/Semantics/scope.h
+++ b/flang/include/flang/Semantics/scope.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 using EquivalenceSet = std::vector<EquivalenceObject>;
 
 class Scope {
-  using mapType = std::map<SourceName, common::Reference<Symbol>>;
+  using mapType = std::map<SourceName, MutableSymbolRef>;
 
 public:
   ENUM_CLASS(Kind, Global, Module, MainProgram, Subprogram, BlockData,
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
 
   // Return symbols in declaration order (the iterators above are in name order)
   SymbolVector GetSymbols() const;
-  std::vector<common::Reference<Symbol>> GetSymbols();
+  MutableSymbolVector GetSymbols();
 
   iterator find(const SourceName &name);
   const_iterator find(const SourceName &name) const {
@@ -147,7 +147,10 @@
   // Make a copy of a symbol in this scope; nullptr if one is already there
   Symbol *CopySymbol(const Symbol &);
 
-  const std::list<EquivalenceSet> &equivalenceSets() const;
+  std::list<EquivalenceSet> &equivalenceSets() { return equivalenceSets_; }
+  const std::list<EquivalenceSet> &equivalenceSets() const {
+    return equivalenceSets_;
+  }
   void add_equivalenceSet(EquivalenceSet &&);
   // Cray pointers are saved as map of pointee name -> pointer symbol
   const mapType &crayPointers() const { return crayPointers_; }
diff --git a/flang/include/flang/Semantics/symbol.h b/flang/include/flang/Semantics/symbol.h
--- a/flang/include/flang/Semantics/symbol.h
+++ b/flang/include/flang/Semantics/symbol.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
 
 using SymbolRef = common::Reference<const Symbol>;
 using SymbolVector = std::vector<SymbolRef>;
+using MutableSymbolRef = common::Reference<Symbol>;
+using MutableSymbolVector = std::vector<MutableSymbolRef>;
 
 // A module or submodule.
 class ModuleDetails {
@@ -299,13 +301,14 @@
 
 class CommonBlockDetails {
 public:
-  const SymbolVector &objects() const { return objects_; }
-  void add_object(const Symbol &object) { objects_.emplace_back(object); }
+  MutableSymbolVector &objects() { return objects_; }
+  const MutableSymbolVector &objects() const { return objects_; }
+  void add_object(Symbol &object) { objects_.emplace_back(object); }
   MaybeExpr bindName() const { return bindName_; }
   void set_bindName(MaybeExpr &&expr) { bindName_ = std::move(expr); }
 
 private:
-  SymbolVector objects_;
+  MutableSymbolVector objects_;
   MaybeExpr bindName_;
 };
 
@@ -736,8 +739,7 @@
 }
 
 inline bool operator<(SymbolRef x, SymbolRef y) { return *x < *y; }
-inline bool operator<(
-    common::Reference<Symbol> x, common::Reference<Symbol> y) {
+inline bool operator<(MutableSymbolRef x, MutableSymbolRef y) {
   return *x < *y;
 }
 using SymbolSet = std::set<SymbolRef>;
diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/mod-file.cpp
@@ -243,8 +243,8 @@
                  [&](const CommonBlockDetails &x) {
                    decls_ << "common/" << symbol.name();
                    char sep = '/';
-                   for (const Symbol &object : x.objects()) {
-                     decls_ << sep << object.name();
+                   for (const auto &object : x.objects()) {
+                     decls_ << sep << object->name();
                      sep = ',';
                    }
                    decls_ << '\n';
@@ -875,8 +875,8 @@
                    }
                  },
                  [this](const CommonBlockDetails &details) {
-                   for (const Symbol &object : details.objects()) {
-                     DoSymbol(object);
+                   for (const auto &object : details.objects()) {
+                     DoSymbol(*object);
                    }
                  },
                  [](const auto &) {},
diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp
@@ -4340,9 +4340,8 @@
               " common block name '%s'"_err_en_US);
         }
       } else {
-        for (const Symbol &object :
-            symbol->get<CommonBlockDetails>().objects()) {
-          SetSaveAttr(*const_cast<Symbol *>(&object));
+        for (auto &object : symbol->get<CommonBlockDetails>().objects()) {
+          SetSaveAttr(*object);
         }
       }
     }
@@ -6656,11 +6655,9 @@
               // 2.15.3 When a named common block appears in a list, it has the
               // same meaning as if every explicit member of the common block
               // appeared in the list
-              for (const Symbol &object :
-                  symbol->get<CommonBlockDetails>().objects()) {
-                Symbol &mutableObject{const_cast<Symbol &>(object)};
+              for (auto &object : symbol->get<CommonBlockDetails>().objects()) {
                 if (auto *resolvedObject{
-                        ResolveOmp(mutableObject, ompFlag, currScope())}) {
+                        ResolveOmp(*object, ompFlag, currScope())}) {
                   AddToContextObjectWithDSA(*resolvedObject, ompFlag);
                 }
               }
diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/scope.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/scope.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/scope.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/scope.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
 
 template <typename T>
 static std::vector<common::Reference<T>> GetSortedSymbols(
-    std::map<SourceName, common::Reference<Symbol>> symbols) {
+    std::map<SourceName, MutableSymbolRef> symbols) {
   std::vector<common::Reference<T>> result;
   result.reserve(symbols.size());
   for (auto &pair : symbols) {
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
   return result;
 }
 
-std::vector<common::Reference<Symbol>> Scope::GetSymbols() {
+MutableSymbolVector Scope::GetSymbols() {
   return GetSortedSymbols<Symbol>(symbols_);
 }
 SymbolVector Scope::GetSymbols() const {
@@ -145,9 +145,6 @@
   }
 }
 
-const std::list<EquivalenceSet> &Scope::equivalenceSets() const {
-  return equivalenceSets_;
-}
 void Scope::add_equivalenceSet(EquivalenceSet &&set) {
   equivalenceSets_.emplace_back(std::move(set));
 }
diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/symbol.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/symbol.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/symbol.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/symbol.cpp
@@ -435,8 +435,8 @@
           },
           [&](const CommonBlockDetails &x) {
             os << ':';
-            for (const Symbol &object : x.objects()) {
-              os << ' ' << object.name();
+            for (const auto &object : x.objects()) {
+              os << ' ' << object->name();
             }
           },
           [&](const FinalProcDetails &) {},