diff --git a/src/entt/meta/factory.hpp b/src/entt/meta/factory.hpp
index b59584593..f6cb2fd0a 100644
--- a/src/entt/meta/factory.hpp
+++ b/src/entt/meta/factory.hpp
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ class meta_factory<Type> {
             (std::is_member_object_pointer_v<decltype(value_list_element_v<Index, Setter>)> && ... && std::is_const_v<data_type>) ? internal::meta_traits::is_const : internal::meta_traits::is_none,
             internal::meta_node<std::remove_const_t<std::remove_reference_t<data_type>>>::resolve(),
             &meta_arg<type_list<type_list_element_t<type_list_element_t<Index, args_type>::size != 1u, type_list_element_t<Index, args_type>>...>>,
-            [](meta_handle instance, meta_any value) -> bool { return (meta_setter<Type, value_list_element_v<Index, Setter>>(*instance.operator->(), value) || ...); },
+            [](meta_handle instance, meta_any value) -> bool { return (meta_setter<Type, value_list_element_v<Index, Setter>>(instance->as_ref(), value) || ...); },
             &meta_getter<Type, Getter, Policy>
             // tricks clang-format
         };