diff --git a/include/internal/catch_matchers.h b/include/internal/catch_matchers.h
index aebd4c2394..5b69c4a820 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_matchers.h
+++ b/include/internal/catch_matchers.h
@@ -44,6 +44,15 @@ namespace Matchers {
             virtual bool match( ObjectT const& arg ) const = 0;
         };
 
+#if defined(__OBJC__)
+        // Hack to fix Catch GH issue #1661. Could use id for generic Object support.
+        // use of const for Object pointers is very uncommon and under ARC it causes some kind of signature mismatch that breaks compilation
+        template<>
+        struct MatcherMethod<NSString*> {
+            virtual bool match( NSString* arg ) const = 0;
+        };
+#endif
+
 #ifdef __clang__
 #    pragma clang diagnostic pop
 #endif
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_objc.hpp b/include/internal/catch_objc.hpp
index f927e0d3d6..a1c8e0740f 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_objc.hpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_objc.hpp
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ namespace Catch {
                     arcSafeRelease( m_substr );
                 }
 
-                bool match( NSString* const& str ) const override {
+                bool match( NSString* str ) const override {
                     return false;
                 }
 
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ namespace Catch {
             struct Equals : StringHolder {
                 Equals( NSString* substr ) : StringHolder( substr ){}
 
-                bool match( NSString* const& str ) const override {
+                bool match( NSString* str ) const override {
                     return  (str != nil || m_substr == nil ) &&
                             [str isEqualToString:m_substr];
                 }
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ namespace Catch {
             struct Contains : StringHolder {
                 Contains( NSString* substr ) : StringHolder( substr ){}
 
-                bool match( NSString* const& str ) const override {
+                bool match( NSString* str ) const override {
                     return  (str != nil || m_substr == nil ) &&
                             [str rangeOfString:m_substr].location != NSNotFound;
                 }
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ namespace Catch {
             struct StartsWith : StringHolder {
                 StartsWith( NSString* substr ) : StringHolder( substr ){}
 
-                bool match( NSString* const& str ) const override {
+                bool match( NSString* str ) const override {
                     return  (str != nil || m_substr == nil ) &&
                             [str rangeOfString:m_substr].location == 0;
                 }
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ namespace Catch {
             struct EndsWith : StringHolder {
                 EndsWith( NSString* substr ) : StringHolder( substr ){}
 
-                bool match( NSString* const& str ) const override {
+                bool match( NSString* str ) const override {
                     return  (str != nil || m_substr == nil ) &&
                             [str rangeOfString:m_substr].location == [str length] - [m_substr length];
                 }