diff --git a/k4FWCore/components/Writer.cpp b/k4FWCore/components/Writer.cpp
index f44dce11..a613be8e 100644
--- a/k4FWCore/components/Writer.cpp
+++ b/k4FWCore/components/Writer.cpp
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class Writer final : public Gaudi::Functional::Consumer<void(const EventContext&
     }
     iosvc->getWriter()->writeFrame(config_metadata_frame, "configuration_metadata");
 
-    if (const auto* metadata_frame = std::as_const(*m_metadataSvc).getFrame(); metadata_frame) {
+    if (const auto* metadata_frame = m_metadataSvc->getFrame(); metadata_frame) {
       iosvc->getWriter()->writeFrame(*metadata_frame, podio::Category::Metadata);
     }
 
diff --git a/k4FWCore/include/k4FWCore/IMetadataSvc.h b/k4FWCore/include/k4FWCore/IMetadataSvc.h
index c88df593..6066a301 100644
--- a/k4FWCore/include/k4FWCore/IMetadataSvc.h
+++ b/k4FWCore/include/k4FWCore/IMetadataSvc.h
@@ -24,11 +24,12 @@
 #include "podio/Frame.h"
 
 class IMetadataSvc : virtual public IInterface {
+  friend class Writer;
+
 public:
   DeclareInterfaceID(IMetadataSvc, 1, 0);
 
-  virtual const podio::Frame* getFrame() const               = 0;
-  virtual void                setFrame(podio::Frame&& frame) = 0;
+  virtual void setFrame(podio::Frame&& frame) = 0;
 
   template <typename T> void put(const std::string& name, const T& obj) {
     if (!getFrame()) {
@@ -46,7 +47,8 @@ class IMetadataSvc : virtual public IInterface {
   }
 
 protected:
-  virtual podio::Frame* getFrame() = 0;
+  virtual podio::Frame*       getFrame()       = 0;
+  virtual const podio::Frame* getFrame() const = 0;
 };
 
 #endif