diff --git a/nse_nmaplib.cc b/nse_nmaplib.cc
index 73532d623..d636f2b1a 100644
--- a/nse_nmaplib.cc
+++ b/nse_nmaplib.cc
@@ -64,18 +64,16 @@ void set_version (lua_State *L, const struct serviceDeductions *sd)
  * */
 void set_portinfo (lua_State *L, const Target *target, const Port *port)
 {
-  struct serviceDeductions sd;
-
-  target->ports.getServiceDeductions(port->portno, port->proto, &sd);
+  const serviceDeductions *sd = target->ports.getServiceDeductions(port->portno, port->proto);
 
   nseU_setifield(L, -1, "number", port->portno);
-  nseU_setsfield(L, -1, "service", sd.name);
+  nseU_setsfield(L, -1, "service", sd->name);
   nseU_setsfield(L, -1, "protocol", IPPROTO2STR(port->proto));
   nseU_setsfield(L, -1, "state", statenum2str(port->state));
   nseU_setsfield(L, -1, "reason", reason_str(port->reason.reason_id, 1));
   nseU_setifield(L, -1, "reason_ttl", port->reason.ttl);
   lua_createtable(L, 0, NSE_NUM_VERSION_FIELDS);
-  set_version(L, &sd);
+  set_version(L, sd);
   lua_setfield(L, -2, "version");
 }
 
diff --git a/output.cc b/output.cc
index 7139fa445..52a595b5b 100644
--- a/output.cc
+++ b/output.cc
@@ -491,7 +491,6 @@ void printportoutput(const Target *currenths, const PortList *plist) {
   Port *current;
   Port port;
   char hostname[1200];
-  struct serviceDeductions sd;
   NmapOutputTable *Tbl = NULL;
   int portcol = -1;             // port or IP protocol #
   int statecol = -1;            // port/protocol state
@@ -719,9 +718,10 @@ void printportoutput(const Target *currenths, const PortList *plist) {
         Strncpy(protocol, IPPROTO2STR(current->proto), sizeof(protocol));
         Snprintf(portinfo, sizeof(portinfo), "%d/%s", current->portno, protocol);
         state = statenum2str(current->state);
-        plist->getServiceDeductions(current->portno, current->proto, &sd);
-        if (sd.service_fp && saved_servicefps.size() <= 8)
-          saved_servicefps.push_back(sd.service_fp);
+        const serviceDeductions *sd = plist->getServiceDeductions(
+            current->portno, current->proto);
+        if (sd->service_fp && saved_servicefps.size() <= 8)
+          saved_servicefps.push_back(sd->service_fp);
 
         current->getNmapServiceName(serviceinfo, sizeof(serviceinfo));
 
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ void printportoutput(const Target *currenths, const PortList *plist) {
             Tbl->addItem(rowno, reasoncol, true, port_reason_str(current->reason));
         }
 
-        sd.populateFullVersionString(fullversion, sizeof(fullversion));
+        sd->populateFullVersionString(fullversion, sizeof(fullversion));
         if (*fullversion && versioncol > 0)
           Tbl->addItem(rowno, versioncol, true, fullversion);
 
@@ -752,7 +752,7 @@ void printportoutput(const Target *currenths, const PortList *plist) {
           *p = '|';
           p++;
         }
-        if (sd.name || sd.service_fp || sd.service_tunnel != SERVICE_TUNNEL_NONE) {
+        if (sd->name || sd->service_fp || sd->service_tunnel != SERVICE_TUNNEL_NONE) {
           p = serviceinfo;
           while ((p = strchr(p, '/'))) {
             *p = '|';
@@ -780,8 +780,8 @@ void printportoutput(const Target *currenths, const PortList *plist) {
         }
         xml_close_empty_tag();
 
-        if (sd.name || sd.service_fp || sd.service_tunnel != SERVICE_TUNNEL_NONE)
-          print_xml_service(&sd);
+        if (sd->name || sd->service_fp || sd->service_tunnel != SERVICE_TUNNEL_NONE)
+          print_xml_service(sd);
 
         rowno++;
 #ifndef NOLUA
@@ -2072,7 +2072,6 @@ static int hostcmp(const char *a, const char *b) {
 void printserviceinfooutput(const Target *currenths) {
   Port *p = NULL;
   Port port;
-  struct serviceDeductions sd;
   int i, numhostnames = 0, numostypes = 0, numdevicetypes = 0, numcpes = 0;
   char hostname_tbl[MAX_SERVICE_INFO_FIELDS][FQDN_LEN+1];
   char ostype_tbl[MAX_SERVICE_INFO_FIELDS][64];
@@ -2084,52 +2083,49 @@ void printserviceinfooutput(const Target *currenths) {
     hostname_tbl[i][0] = ostype_tbl[i][0] = devicetype_tbl[i][0] = cpe_tbl[i][0] = '\0';
 
   while ((p = currenths->ports.nextPort(p, &port, TCPANDUDPANDSCTP, PORT_OPEN))) {
-    // The following 2 lines (from portlist.h) tell us that we don't need to
-    // worry about free()ing anything in the serviceDeductions struct. pass in
-    // an allocated struct serviceDeductions (don't worry about initializing, and
-    // you don't have to free any internal ptrs.
-    currenths->ports.getServiceDeductions(p->portno, p->proto, &sd);
+    const serviceDeductions *sd = currenths->ports.getServiceDeductions(
+        p->portno, p->proto);
 
-    if (sd.hostname && !hostcmp(currenths->HostName(), sd.hostname)) {
+    if (sd->hostname && !hostcmp(currenths->HostName(), sd->hostname)) {
       for (i = 0; i < MAX_SERVICE_INFO_FIELDS; i++) {
-        if (hostname_tbl[i][0] && hostcmp(&hostname_tbl[i][0], sd.hostname))
+        if (hostname_tbl[i][0] && hostcmp(&hostname_tbl[i][0], sd->hostname))
           break;
 
         if (!hostname_tbl[i][0]) {
           numhostnames++;
-          Strncpy(&hostname_tbl[i][0], sd.hostname, sizeof(hostname_tbl[i]));
+          Strncpy(&hostname_tbl[i][0], sd->hostname, sizeof(hostname_tbl[i]));
           break;
         }
       }
     }
 
-    if (sd.ostype) {
+    if (sd->ostype) {
       for (i = 0; i < MAX_SERVICE_INFO_FIELDS; i++) {
-        if (ostype_tbl[i][0] && !strcmp(&ostype_tbl[i][0], sd.ostype))
+        if (ostype_tbl[i][0] && !strcmp(&ostype_tbl[i][0], sd->ostype))
           break;
 
         if (!ostype_tbl[i][0]) {
           numostypes++;
-          Strncpy(&ostype_tbl[i][0], sd.ostype, sizeof(ostype_tbl[i]));
+          Strncpy(&ostype_tbl[i][0], sd->ostype, sizeof(ostype_tbl[i]));
           break;
         }
       }
     }
 
-    if (sd.devicetype) {
+    if (sd->devicetype) {
       for (i = 0; i < MAX_SERVICE_INFO_FIELDS; i++) {
-        if (devicetype_tbl[i][0] && !strcmp(&devicetype_tbl[i][0], sd.devicetype))
+        if (devicetype_tbl[i][0] && !strcmp(&devicetype_tbl[i][0], sd->devicetype))
           break;
 
         if (!devicetype_tbl[i][0]) {
           numdevicetypes++;
-          Strncpy(&devicetype_tbl[i][0], sd.devicetype, sizeof(devicetype_tbl[i]));
+          Strncpy(&devicetype_tbl[i][0], sd->devicetype, sizeof(devicetype_tbl[i]));
           break;
         }
       }
     }
 
-    for (std::vector<char *>::const_iterator it = sd.cpe.begin(); it != sd.cpe.end(); it++) {
+    for (std::vector<char *>::const_iterator it = sd->cpe.begin(); it != sd->cpe.end(); it++) {
       for (i = 0; i < MAX_SERVICE_INFO_FIELDS; i++) {
         if (cpe_tbl[i][0] && !strcmp(&cpe_tbl[i][0], *it))
           break;
diff --git a/portlist.cc b/portlist.cc
index ef7fccf4e..d6f87cdf0 100644
--- a/portlist.cc
+++ b/portlist.cc
@@ -256,10 +256,8 @@ void serviceDeductions::populateFullVersionString(char *buf, size_t n) const {
 }
 
 
-// pass in an allocated struct serviceDeductions (don't worry about
-// initializing, and you don't have to free any internal ptrs.  See the
-// serviceDeductions definition for the fields that are populated.
-void PortList::getServiceDeductions(u16 portno, int protocol, struct serviceDeductions *sd) const {
+const serviceDeductions *PortList::getServiceDeductions(u16 portno, int protocol) const {
+  static serviceDeductions sd;
   const Port *port;
 
   port = lookupPort(portno, protocol);
@@ -267,16 +265,15 @@ void PortList::getServiceDeductions(u16 portno, int protocol, struct serviceDedu
     const struct nservent *service;
 
     /* Look up the service name. */
-    sd->erase();
     service = nmap_getservbyport(portno, protocol);
     if (service != NULL)
-      sd->name = service->s_name;
+      sd.name = service->s_name;
     else
-      sd->name = NULL;
-    sd->name_confidence = 3;
-  } else {
-    *sd = *port->service;
+      sd.name = NULL;
+    sd.name_confidence = 3;
+    return &sd;
   }
+  return port->service;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/portlist.h b/portlist.h
index 5c4eb56dd..c59738594 100644
--- a/portlist.h
+++ b/portlist.h
@@ -136,6 +136,10 @@ struct serviceDeductions {
   // if we should give the user a service fingerprint to submit, here it is.  Otherwise NULL.
   char *service_fp;
   enum service_detection_type dtype; // definition above
+private:
+  // Forbid copy and assignment
+  serviceDeductions(const serviceDeductions&);
+  serviceDeductions& operator=(const serviceDeductions&);
 };
 
 class Port {
@@ -236,10 +240,9 @@ class PortList {
                               const std::vector<const char *> *cpe,
                               const char *fingerprint);
 
-  // pass in an allocated struct serviceDeductions (don't worry about initializing, and
-  // you don't have to free any internal ptrs.  See the serviceDeductions definition for
-  // the fields that are populated.
-  void getServiceDeductions(u16 portno, int protocol, struct serviceDeductions *sd) const;
+  // The returned serviceDeductions* may point to a static object that will be
+  // overwritten by the next call.
+  const serviceDeductions *getServiceDeductions(u16 portno, int protocol) const;
 
 #ifndef NOLUA
   void addScriptResult(u16 portno, int protocol, ScriptResult *sr);