diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp
index 6f1d173e28..c3c7e9ad1d 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp
@@ -1506,7 +1506,7 @@ void TRI_DestroyVocBase (TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase) {
 
   // mark all cursors as deleted so underlying collections can be freed soon
   if (vocbase->_cursorRepository != nullptr) {
-    static_cast<triagens::arango::CursorRepository*>(vocbase->_cursorRepository)->garbageCollect(true);
+    vocbase->_cursorRepository->garbageCollect(true);
   }
 
   std::vector<TRI_vocbase_col_t*> collections;
@@ -2446,8 +2446,8 @@ TRI_vocbase_t::~TRI_vocbase_t () {
   TRI_DestroyAssociativePointer(&_collectionsByName);
   TRI_DestroyAssociativePointer(&_collectionsById);
 
-  delete static_cast<triagens::arango::CursorRepository*>(_cursorRepository);
-  delete static_cast<triagens::aql::QueryList*>(_queries);
+  delete _cursorRepository;
+  delete _queries;
   
   // free name and path
   if (_path != nullptr) {
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.h b/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.h
index 00692f8cc9..cbde1f86ef 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.h
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.h
@@ -51,6 +51,15 @@ struct TRI_server_t;
 struct TRI_vocbase_col_s;
 struct TRI_vocbase_defaults_s;
 
+namespace triagens {
+  namespace aql {
+    class QueryList;
+  }
+  namespace arango {
+    class CursorRepository;
+  }
+}
+
 extern bool IGNORE_DATAFILE_ERRORS;
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -287,8 +296,8 @@ struct TRI_vocbase_t {
 
   // structures for user-defined volatile data
   void*                                   _userStructures;
-  void*                                   _queries;
-  void*                                   _cursorRepository;
+  triagens::aql::QueryList*               _queries;
+  triagens::arango::CursorRepository*     _cursorRepository;
 
   TRI_associative_pointer_t               _authInfo;
   TRI_associative_pointer_t               _authCache;