diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/smpdefs.h b/src/include/ngspice/smpdefs.h
index bae1ad37a..b49e4fff6 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/smpdefs.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/smpdefs.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #define ngspice_SMPDEFS_H
 
 typedef  struct MatrixFrame     SMPmatrix;
-typedef  struct MatrixElement  *SMPelement;
+typedef  struct MatrixElement   SMPelement;
 
 /**********
 Copyright 1990 Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.
diff --git a/src/maths/sparse/spsmp.c b/src/maths/sparse/spsmp.c
index 2d66a44a8..6816ca771 100644
--- a/src/maths/sparse/spsmp.c
+++ b/src/maths/sparse/spsmp.c
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ SMPfindElt(SMPmatrix *eMatrix, int Row, int Col, int CreateIfMissing)
     Col = Matrix->ExtToIntColMap[Col];
     Element = Matrix->FirstInCol[Col];
     Element = spcFindElementInCol(Matrix, &Element, Row, Col, CreateIfMissing);
-    return (SMPelement *)Element;
+    return Element;
 }
 
 /* XXX The following should probably be implemented in spUtils */