diff --git a/dune/gfe/unitvector.hh b/dune/gfe/unitvector.hh
index e76611107f8ec8bb9c2d56b637e57fcec97d83d5..ee4da9dfe141aadf316ca859660a5b2379fb34eb 100644
--- a/dune/gfe/unitvector.hh
+++ b/dune/gfe/unitvector.hh
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ public:
     /** \brief Global coordinates wrt an isometric embedding function are available */
     static const bool globalIsometricCoordinates = true;
     
+    /** \brief The type used for global coordinates */
+    typedef Dune::FieldVector<double,N> CoordinateType;
+    
     /** \brief Dimension of the manifold formed by unit vectors */
     static const int dim = N-1;
 
@@ -279,7 +282,7 @@ public:
     }
 
     /** \brief The global coordinates, if you really want them */
-    const Dune::FieldVector<double,N>& globalCoordinates() const {
+    const CoordinateType& globalCoordinates() const {
         return data_;
     }