diff --git a/lib/token.cpp b/lib/token.cpp
index 313fb56c661..82c0081dc6f 100644
--- a/lib/token.cpp
+++ b/lib/token.cpp
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ void Token::update_property_info()
         else if (std::isalpha((unsigned char)mStr[0]) || mStr[0] == '_' || mStr[0] == '$') { // Name
             if (mImpl->mVarId)
                 tokType(eVariable);
-            else if (mTokensFrontBack && mTokensFrontBack->list && mTokensFrontBack->list->isKeyword(mStr))
+            else if (mTokensFrontBack && mTokensFrontBack->list.isKeyword(mStr))
                 tokType(eKeyword);
             else if (baseKeywords.count(mStr) > 0)
                 tokType(eKeyword);
@@ -1820,7 +1820,7 @@ void Token::printValueFlow(bool xml, std::ostream &out) const
         else {
             if (fileIndex != tok->fileIndex()) {
                 outs += "File ";
-                outs += tok->mTokensFrontBack->list->getFiles()[tok->fileIndex()];
+                outs += tok->mTokensFrontBack->list.getFiles()[tok->fileIndex()];
                 outs += '\n';
                 line = 0;
             }
@@ -2749,8 +2749,8 @@ const Token* findLambdaEndScope(const Token* tok) {
 
 bool Token::isCpp() const
 {
-    if (mTokensFrontBack && mTokensFrontBack->list) {
-        return mTokensFrontBack->list->isCPP();
+    if (mTokensFrontBack) {
+        return mTokensFrontBack->list.isCPP();
     }
     return true; // assume C++ by default
 }
diff --git a/lib/tokenlist.cpp b/lib/tokenlist.cpp
index 4e0914d6757..f2568cb8691 100644
--- a/lib/tokenlist.cpp
+++ b/lib/tokenlist.cpp
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@
 static constexpr int AST_MAX_DEPTH = 150;
 
 
-TokenList::TokenList(const Settings* settings) :
-    mSettings(settings)
+TokenList::TokenList(const Settings* settings)
+    : mTokensFrontBack(*this)
+    , mSettings(settings)
 {
-    mTokensFrontBack.list = this;
     if (mSettings && (mSettings->enforcedLang != Standards::Language::None)) {
         mLang = mSettings->enforcedLang;
     }
diff --git a/lib/tokenlist.h b/lib/tokenlist.h
index 3b71d07d156..b359137cf33 100644
--- a/lib/tokenlist.h
+++ b/lib/tokenlist.h
@@ -44,9 +44,10 @@ namespace simplecpp {
  * @brief This struct stores pointers to the front and back tokens of the list this token is in.
  */
 struct TokensFrontBack {
+    explicit TokensFrontBack(const TokenList& list) : list(list) {}
     Token *front{};
     Token* back{};
-    const TokenList* list{};
+    const TokenList& list;
 };
 
 class CPPCHECKLIB TokenList {
diff --git a/test/testtoken.cpp b/test/testtoken.cpp
index cb3f19b05c9..19ba3df2340 100644
--- a/test/testtoken.cpp
+++ b/test/testtoken.cpp
@@ -482,7 +482,8 @@ class TestToken : public TestFixture {
     }
 
     void deleteLast() const {
-        TokensFrontBack listEnds;
+        TokenList list(nullptr);
+        TokensFrontBack listEnds(list);
         Token ** const tokensBack = &(listEnds.back);
         Token tok(&listEnds);
         tok.insertToken("aba");
@@ -492,7 +493,8 @@ class TestToken : public TestFixture {
     }
 
     void deleteFirst() const {
-        TokensFrontBack listEnds;
+        TokenList list(nullptr);
+        TokensFrontBack listEnds(list);
         Token ** const tokensFront = &(listEnds.front);
         Token tok(&listEnds);