diff --git a/include/sot/object.hxx b/include/sot/object.hxx
index 6cd3634bd557..22bfea5d2ebd 100644
--- a/include/sot/object.hxx
+++ b/include/sot/object.hxx
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 #include <sal/config.h>
 
 #include <cppuhelper/weak.hxx>
-#include <rtl/ref.hxx>
 #include <sot/sotdllapi.h>
 
 class SOT_DLLPUBLIC SotObject : public cppu::OWeakObject
diff --git a/include/sot/storage.hxx b/include/sot/storage.hxx
index 39246b779a29..0983a06608cc 100644
--- a/include/sot/storage.hxx
+++ b/include/sot/storage.hxx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #define INCLUDED_SOT_STORAGE_HXX
 
 #include <sot/object.hxx>
+#include <rtl/ref.hxx>
 #include <tools/stream.hxx>
 #include <tools/globname.hxx>
 #include <comphelper/errcode.hxx>
diff --git a/sot/source/base/object.cxx b/sot/source/base/object.cxx
index 403467bd781a..2934057ca017 100644
--- a/sot/source/base/object.cxx
+++ b/sot/source/base/object.cxx
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <sot/object.hxx>
+#include <rtl/ref.hxx>
 
 SotObject::SotObject()
     : nOwnerLockCount(0)