diff --git a/lib/checkclass.cpp b/lib/checkclass.cpp
index 50e89078c..8c08844e4 100644
--- a/lib/checkclass.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkclass.cpp
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ void CheckClass::initializationListUsage()
         if (!scope->function || (scope->function->type != Function::eConstructor && scope->function->type != Function::eCopyConstructor))
             continue;
 
-        Scope* owner = scope->functionOf;
+        const Scope* owner = scope->functionOf;
         for (const Token* tok = scope->classStart; tok != scope->classEnd; tok = tok->next()) {
             if (Token::Match(tok, "%var% (")) // Assignments might depend on this function call or if/for/while/switch statement from now on.
                 break;
diff --git a/lib/symboldatabase.cpp b/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
index 9d53cc382..44458b94e 100644
--- a/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
+++ b/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
@@ -147,8 +147,8 @@ SymbolDatabase::SymbolDatabase(const Tokenizer *tokenizer, const Settings *setti
                 }
 
                 // make the new scope the current scope
+                scope->nestedList.push_back(new_scope);
                 scope = new_scope;
-                scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
 
                 tok = tok2;
             }
@@ -176,8 +176,8 @@ SymbolDatabase::SymbolDatabase(const Tokenizer *tokenizer, const Settings *setti
             }
 
             // make the new scope the current scope
+            scope->nestedList.push_back(new_scope);
             scope = &scopeList.back();
-            scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
 
             tok = tok2;
         }
@@ -246,8 +246,8 @@ SymbolDatabase::SymbolDatabase(const Tokenizer *tokenizer, const Settings *setti
             }
 
             // make the new scope the current scope
+            scope->nestedList.push_back(new_scope);
             scope = new_scope;
-            scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
 
             tok = tok2;
         }
@@ -276,8 +276,8 @@ SymbolDatabase::SymbolDatabase(const Tokenizer *tokenizer, const Settings *setti
             }
 
             // make the new scope the current scope
+            scope->nestedList.push_back(new_scope);
             scope = new_scope;
-            scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
 
             tok = tok2;
         }
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ SymbolDatabase::SymbolDatabase(const Tokenizer *tokenizer, const Settings *setti
                     scope = back[tok];
                     back.erase(tok);
                 } else
-                    scope = scope->nestedIn;
+                    scope = const_cast<Scope*>(scope->nestedIn);
                 continue;
             }
 
@@ -476,12 +476,13 @@ SymbolDatabase::SymbolDatabase(const Tokenizer *tokenizer, const Settings *setti
 
                         scope->functionList.push_back(function);
 
+                        Function* funcptr = &scope->functionList.back();
                         const Token *tok2 = funcStart;
 
                         addNewFunction(&scope, &tok2);
                         if (scope) {
                             scope->functionOf = function.nestedIn;
-                            scope->function = &function.nestedIn->functionList.back();
+                            scope->function = funcptr;
                             scope->function->functionScope = scope;
                         }
 
@@ -620,21 +621,21 @@ SymbolDatabase::SymbolDatabase(const Tokenizer *tokenizer, const Settings *setti
                     const Token *tok1 = tok->next()->link()->next();
                     scopeList.push_back(Scope(this, tok, scope, Scope::eIf, tok1));
                     tok = tok1;
+                    scope->nestedList.push_back(&scopeList.back());
                     scope = &scopeList.back();
-                    scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
                 } else if (Token::simpleMatch(tok, "else {")) {
                     const Token *tok1 = tok->next();
                     scopeList.push_back(Scope(this, tok, scope, Scope::eElse, tok1));
                     tok = tok1;
+                    scope->nestedList.push_back(&scopeList.back());
                     scope = &scopeList.back();
-                    scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
                 } else if (Token::simpleMatch(tok, "else if (") &&
                            Token::simpleMatch(tok->linkAt(2), ") {")) {
                     const Token *tok1 = tok->linkAt(2)->next();
                     scopeList.push_back(Scope(this, tok, scope, Scope::eElseIf, tok1));
                     tok = tok1;
+                    scope->nestedList.push_back(&scopeList.back());
                     scope = &scopeList.back();
-                    scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
                 } else if (Token::simpleMatch(tok, "for (") &&
                            Token::simpleMatch(tok->next()->link(), ") {")) {
                     // save location of initialization
@@ -642,8 +643,8 @@ SymbolDatabase::SymbolDatabase(const Tokenizer *tokenizer, const Settings *setti
                     const Token *tok2 = tok->tokAt(2);
                     scopeList.push_back(Scope(this, tok, scope, Scope::eFor, tok1));
                     tok = tok1;
+                    scope->nestedList.push_back(&scopeList.back());
                     scope = &scopeList.back();
-                    scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
                     // check for variable declaration and add it to new scope if found
                     scope->checkVariable(tok2, Local);
                 } else if (Token::simpleMatch(tok, "while (") &&
@@ -651,42 +652,42 @@ SymbolDatabase::SymbolDatabase(const Tokenizer *tokenizer, const Settings *setti
                     const Token *tok1 = tok->next()->link()->next();
                     scopeList.push_back(Scope(this, tok, scope, Scope::eWhile, tok1));
                     tok = tok1;
+                    scope->nestedList.push_back(&scopeList.back());
                     scope = &scopeList.back();
-                    scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
                 } else if (Token::simpleMatch(tok, "do {")) {
                     const Token *tok1 = tok->next();
                     scopeList.push_back(Scope(this, tok, scope, Scope::eDo, tok1));
                     tok = tok1;
+                    scope->nestedList.push_back(&scopeList.back());
                     scope = &scopeList.back();
-                    scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
                 } else if (Token::simpleMatch(tok, "switch (") &&
                            Token::simpleMatch(tok->next()->link(), ") {")) {
                     const Token *tok1 = tok->next()->link()->next();
                     scopeList.push_back(Scope(this, tok, scope, Scope::eSwitch, tok1));
                     tok = tok1;
+                    scope->nestedList.push_back(&scopeList.back());
                     scope = &scopeList.back();
-                    scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
                 } else if (Token::simpleMatch(tok, "try {")) {
                     const Token *tok1 = tok->next();
                     scopeList.push_back(Scope(this, tok, scope, Scope::eTry, tok1));
                     tok = tok1;
+                    scope->nestedList.push_back(&scopeList.back());
                     scope = &scopeList.back();
-                    scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
                 } else if (Token::simpleMatch(tok, "catch (") &&
                            Token::simpleMatch(tok->next()->link(), ") {")) {
                     const Token *tok1 = tok->next()->link()->next();
                     const Token *tok2 = tok->tokAt(2);
                     scopeList.push_back(Scope(this, tok, scope, Scope::eCatch, tok1));
                     tok = tok1;
+                    scope->nestedList.push_back(&scopeList.back());
                     scope = &scopeList.back();
-                    scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
                     // check for variable declaration and add it to new scope if found
                     scope->checkVariable(tok2, Throw);
                 } else if (tok->str() == "{") {
                     if (!Token::Match(tok->previous(), "=|,")) {
                         scopeList.push_back(Scope(this, tok, scope, Scope::eUnconditional, tok));
+                        scope->nestedList.push_back(&scopeList.back());
                         scope = &scopeList.back();
-                        scope->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(scope);
                     } else {
                         tok = tok->link();
                     }
@@ -1370,9 +1371,9 @@ void SymbolDatabase::addNewFunction(Scope **scope, const Token **tok)
             return;
         }
 
+        (*scope)->nestedList.push_back(new_scope);
         *scope = new_scope;
         *tok = tok1;
-        (*scope)->nestedIn->nestedList.push_back(*scope);
     } else {
         scopeList.pop_back();
         *scope = NULL;
@@ -1968,7 +1969,7 @@ const Variable* Function::getArgumentVar(unsigned int num) const
 
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-Scope::Scope(SymbolDatabase *check_, const Token *classDef_, Scope *nestedIn_, ScopeType type_, const Token *start_) :
+Scope::Scope(const SymbolDatabase *check_, const Token *classDef_, const Scope *nestedIn_, ScopeType type_, const Token *start_) :
     check(check_),
     classDef(classDef_),
     classStart(start_),
@@ -1982,7 +1983,7 @@ Scope::Scope(SymbolDatabase *check_, const Token *classDef_, Scope *nestedIn_, S
 {
 }
 
-Scope::Scope(SymbolDatabase *check_, const Token *classDef_, Scope *nestedIn_) :
+Scope::Scope(const SymbolDatabase *check_, const Token *classDef_, const Scope *nestedIn_) :
     check(check_),
     classDef(classDef_),
     classStart(NULL),
diff --git a/lib/symboldatabase.h b/lib/symboldatabase.h
index 805dcacde..8b2bf6e6f 100644
--- a/lib/symboldatabase.h
+++ b/lib/symboldatabase.h
@@ -469,8 +469,8 @@ public:
     const Token *argDef;   // function argument start '(' in class definition
     const Token *token;    // function name token in implementation
     const Token *arg;      // function argument start '('
-    Scope *functionScope;  // scope of function body
-    Scope* nestedIn;       // Scope the function is declared in
+    const Scope *functionScope; // scope of function body
+    const Scope* nestedIn; // Scope the function is declared in
     std::list<Variable> argumentList; // argument list
     unsigned int initArgCount; // number of args with default values
     Type type;             // constructor, destructor, ...
@@ -501,22 +501,22 @@ class CPPCHECKLIB Scope {
 public:
     struct UsingInfo {
         const Token *start;
-        Scope *scope;
+        const Scope *scope;
     };
 
     enum ScopeType { eGlobal, eClass, eStruct, eUnion, eNamespace, eFunction, eIf, eElse, eElseIf, eFor, eWhile, eDo, eSwitch, eUnconditional, eTry, eCatch };
 
-    Scope(SymbolDatabase *check_, const Token *classDef_, Scope *nestedIn_);
-    Scope(SymbolDatabase *check_, const Token *classDef_, Scope *nestedIn_, ScopeType type_, const Token *start_);
+    Scope(const SymbolDatabase *check_, const Token *classDef_, const Scope *nestedIn_);
+    Scope(const SymbolDatabase *check_, const Token *classDef_, const Scope *nestedIn_, ScopeType type_, const Token *start_);
 
-    SymbolDatabase *check;
+    const SymbolDatabase *check;
     std::string className;
     const Token *classDef;   // class/struct/union/namespace token
     const Token *classStart; // '{' token
     const Token *classEnd;   // '}' token
     std::list<Function> functionList;
     std::list<Variable> varlist;
-    Scope *nestedIn;
+    const Scope *nestedIn;
     std::list<Scope *> nestedList;
     unsigned int numConstructors;
     std::list<UsingInfo> usingList;
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ public:
     std::list<Type*> definedTypes;
 
     // function specific fields
-    Scope *functionOf; // scope this function belongs to
+    const Scope *functionOf; // scope this function belongs to
     Function *function; // function info for this function
 
     bool isClassOrStruct() const {