diff --git a/paddle/fluid/inference/io.cc b/paddle/fluid/inference/io.cc
index 3b58019db6e55fa8198d2f77731095c6cf356266..78d2f16746cf478c4424df929bd1f62b08f8a67c 100644
--- a/paddle/fluid/inference/io.cc
+++ b/paddle/fluid/inference/io.cc
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ limitations under the License. */
 
 #include "paddle/fluid/inference/io.h"
 
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <fstream>
 #include "paddle/fluid/framework/block_desc.h"
 #include "paddle/fluid/framework/feed_fetch_type.h"
@@ -27,14 +28,14 @@ namespace inference {
 // linking the inference shared library.
 void Init(bool init_p2p) { framework::InitDevices(init_p2p); }
 
-void ReadBinaryFile(const std::string& filename, std::string& contents) {
+void ReadBinaryFile(const std::string& filename, std::string* contents) {
   std::ifstream fin(filename, std::ios::in | std::ios::binary);
   PADDLE_ENFORCE(static_cast<bool>(fin), "Cannot open file %s", filename);
   fin.seekg(0, std::ios::end);
-  contents.clear();
-  contents.resize(fin.tellg());
+  contents->clear();
+  contents->resize(fin.tellg());
   fin.seekg(0, std::ios::beg);
-  fin.read(&contents[0], contents.size());
+  fin.read(&(contents->at(0)), contents->size());
   fin.close();
 }
 
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ bool IsPersistable(const framework::VarDesc* var) {
   return false;
 }
 
-void LoadPersistables(framework::Executor& executor, framework::Scope& scope,
+void LoadPersistables(framework::Executor* executor, framework::Scope* scope,
                       const framework::ProgramDesc& main_program,
                       const std::string& dirname,
                       const std::string& param_filename) {
@@ -92,18 +93,18 @@ void LoadPersistables(framework::Executor& executor, framework::Scope& scope,
     op->CheckAttrs();
   }
 
-  executor.Run(*load_program, &scope, 0, true, true);
+  executor->Run(*load_program, scope, 0, true, true);
 
   delete load_program;
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<framework::ProgramDesc> Load(framework::Executor& executor,
-                                             framework::Scope& scope,
+std::unique_ptr<framework::ProgramDesc> Load(framework::Executor* executor,
+                                             framework::Scope* scope,
                                              const std::string& dirname) {
   std::string model_filename = dirname + "/__model__";
   std::string program_desc_str;
   VLOG(3) << "loading model from " << model_filename;
-  ReadBinaryFile(model_filename, program_desc_str);
+  ReadBinaryFile(model_filename, &program_desc_str);
 
   std::unique_ptr<framework::ProgramDesc> main_program(
       new framework::ProgramDesc(program_desc_str));
@@ -113,11 +114,11 @@ std::unique_ptr<framework::ProgramDesc> Load(framework::Executor& executor,
 }
 
 std::unique_ptr<framework::ProgramDesc> Load(
-    framework::Executor& executor, framework::Scope& scope,
+    framework::Executor* executor, framework::Scope* scope,
     const std::string& prog_filename, const std::string& param_filename) {
   std::string model_filename = prog_filename;
   std::string program_desc_str;
-  ReadBinaryFile(model_filename, program_desc_str);
+  ReadBinaryFile(model_filename, &program_desc_str);
 
   std::unique_ptr<framework::ProgramDesc> main_program(
       new framework::ProgramDesc(program_desc_str));
diff --git a/paddle/fluid/inference/io.h b/paddle/fluid/inference/io.h
index 756c936b33ad55e2994542b171b945e248ba2e21..ba3e45099ae7c1626bf11d9527d4fa4c7f772fec 100644
--- a/paddle/fluid/inference/io.h
+++ b/paddle/fluid/inference/io.h
@@ -27,17 +27,17 @@ namespace inference {
 
 void Init(bool init_p2p);
 
-void LoadPersistables(framework::Executor& executor, framework::Scope& scope,
+void LoadPersistables(framework::Executor* executor, framework::Scope* scope,
                       const framework::ProgramDesc& main_program,
                       const std::string& dirname,
                       const std::string& param_filename);
 
-std::unique_ptr<framework::ProgramDesc> Load(framework::Executor& executor,
-                                             framework::Scope& scope,
+std::unique_ptr<framework::ProgramDesc> Load(framework::Executor* executor,
+                                             framework::Scope* scope,
                                              const std::string& dirname);
 
-std::unique_ptr<framework::ProgramDesc> Load(framework::Executor& executor,
-                                             framework::Scope& scope,
+std::unique_ptr<framework::ProgramDesc> Load(framework::Executor* executor,
+                                             framework::Scope* scope,
                                              const std::string& prog_filename,
                                              const std::string& param_filename);
 
diff --git a/paddle/fluid/inference/tests/test_helper.h b/paddle/fluid/inference/tests/test_helper.h
index c3a8d0889c6a6dd9591837ccc523da56f8d13661..117472599f7c4874ab05e29c6ecb46fd61d0db9c 100644
--- a/paddle/fluid/inference/tests/test_helper.h
+++ b/paddle/fluid/inference/tests/test_helper.h
@@ -133,12 +133,12 @@ void TestInference(const std::string& dirname,
       std::string prog_filename = "__model_combined__";
       std::string param_filename = "__params_combined__";
       inference_program = paddle::inference::Load(
-          executor, *scope, dirname + "/" + prog_filename,
+          &executor, scope, dirname + "/" + prog_filename,
           dirname + "/" + param_filename);
     } else {
       // Parameters are saved in separate files sited in the specified
       // `dirname`.
-      inference_program = paddle::inference::Load(executor, *scope, dirname);
+      inference_program = paddle::inference::Load(&executor, scope, dirname);
     }
   }
   // Disable the profiler and print the timing information