diff --git a/test/cpp/qps/client_async.cc b/test/cpp/qps/client_async.cc
index f7dda0f7589fb81a077e15fae50c768274d3f6cb..265f174cc5c7d853c0a7502ec3c552c6d04090f8 100644
--- a/test/cpp/qps/client_async.cc
+++ b/test/cpp/qps/client_async.cc
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class ClientRpcContextUnaryImpl : public ClientRpcContext {
   BenchmarkService::Stub* stub_;
   CompletionQueue* cq_;
   std::unique_ptr<Alarm> alarm_;
-  RequestType req_;
+  const RequestType& req_;
   ResponseType response_;
   enum State { INVALID, READY, RESP_DONE };
   State next_state_;
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ class ClientRpcContextStreamingPingPongImpl : public ClientRpcContext {
   BenchmarkService::Stub* stub_;
   CompletionQueue* cq_;
   std::unique_ptr<Alarm> alarm_;
-  RequestType req_;
+  const RequestType& req_;
   ResponseType response_;
   enum State {
     INVALID,
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ class ClientRpcContextStreamingFromClientImpl : public ClientRpcContext {
   BenchmarkService::Stub* stub_;
   CompletionQueue* cq_;
   std::unique_ptr<Alarm> alarm_;
-  RequestType req_;
+  const RequestType& req_;
   ResponseType response_;
   enum State {
     INVALID,
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ class ClientRpcContextStreamingFromServerImpl : public ClientRpcContext {
   BenchmarkService::Stub* stub_;
   CompletionQueue* cq_;
   std::unique_ptr<Alarm> alarm_;
-  RequestType req_;
+  const RequestType& req_;
   ResponseType response_;
   enum State { INVALID, STREAM_IDLE, READ_DONE };
   State next_state_;