diff --git a/include/argparse/argparse.hpp b/include/argparse/argparse.hpp
index e18709c..cb20ee7 100644
--- a/include/argparse/argparse.hpp
+++ b/include/argparse/argparse.hpp
@@ -605,11 +605,10 @@ public:
     if constexpr (!details::IsContainer<T>) {
       return get<T>() == rhs;
     } else {
-      using ValueType = typename T::value_type;
       auto lhs = get<T>();
       return std::equal(std::begin(lhs), std::end(lhs), std::begin(rhs),
                         std::end(rhs), [](const auto &lhs, const auto &rhs) {
-                          return std::any_cast<const ValueType &>(lhs) == rhs;
+                          return lhs == rhs;
                         });
     }
   }
@@ -856,16 +855,16 @@ private:
    * Get argument value given a type
    * @throws std::logic_error in case of incompatible types
    */
-  template <typename T> T get() const {
+  template <typename T> auto get() const -> std::conditional_t<details::IsContainer<T>, T, const T&> {
     if (!m_values.empty()) {
       if constexpr (details::IsContainer<T>) {
         return any_cast_container<T>(m_values);
       } else {
-        return std::any_cast<T>(m_values.front());
+        return *std::any_cast<T>(&m_values.front());
       }
     }
     if (m_default_value.has_value()) {
-      return std::any_cast<T>(m_default_value);
+      return *std::any_cast<T>(&m_default_value);
     }
     if constexpr (details::IsContainer<T>) {
       if (!m_accepts_optional_like_value) {
@@ -901,7 +900,7 @@ private:
     T result;
     std::transform(
         std::begin(operand), std::end(operand), std::back_inserter(result),
-        [](const auto &value) { return std::any_cast<ValueType>(value); });
+        [](const auto &value) { return *std::any_cast<ValueType>(&value); });
     return result;
   }
 
@@ -1057,7 +1056,8 @@ public:
    * @throws std::logic_error if the option has no value
    * @throws std::bad_any_cast if the option is not of type T
    */
-  template <typename T = std::string> T get(std::string_view arg_name) const {
+  template <typename T = std::string> auto get(std::string_view arg_name) const
+    -> std::conditional_t<details::IsContainer<T>, T, const T&> {
     if (!m_is_parsed) {
       throw std::logic_error("Nothing parsed, no arguments are available.");
     }