diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/MoveInstrumentComponent.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/MoveInstrumentComponent.cpp
index 4f2b69dc37810f5be2626939f659ee8ee9292b62..a558ece135de4c7e3db918b9918ffae871566e2a 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/MoveInstrumentComponent.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/MoveInstrumentComponent.cpp
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ void MoveInstrumentComponent::exec()
   const double Z = getProperty("Z");
   const bool RelativePosition = getProperty("RelativePosition");
 
+  // Get the ParameterMap reference before the instrument so that
+  // we avoid a copy
+  Geometry::ParameterMap& pmap = WS->instrumentParameters();
   Instrument_const_sptr inst = WS->getInstrument();
   IComponent_const_sptr comp;
 
@@ -130,8 +133,6 @@ void MoveInstrumentComponent::exec()
       rot.inverse();
       rot.rotate(Pos);
   }
-
-  Geometry::ParameterMap& pmap = WS->instrumentParameters();
   // Add a parameter for the new position
   pmap.addV3D(comp.get(), "pos", Pos);
 
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/RotateInstrumentComponent.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/RotateInstrumentComponent.cpp
index d1929b07db3759e407e76912ba61bbab056fa934..c358bca4ea80befac91db0dd00a4a328e4c5aa01 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/RotateInstrumentComponent.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/DataHandling/src/RotateInstrumentComponent.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ void RotateInstrumentComponent::exec()
 
   if (X + Y + Z == 0.0) throw std::invalid_argument("The rotation axis must not be a zero vector");
 
+  // Get the ParameterMap reference before the instrument so that
+  // we avoid a copy
+  Geometry::ParameterMap& pmap = WS->instrumentParameters();
   Instrument_const_sptr inst = WS->getInstrument();
   IComponent_const_sptr comp;
 
@@ -120,8 +123,6 @@ void RotateInstrumentComponent::exec()
       }
   }
 
-  //Need to get the address to the base instrument component
-  Geometry::ParameterMap& pmap = WS->instrumentParameters();
   // Add a parameter for the new rotation
   pmap.addQuat(comp.get(), "rot", Rot);