diff --git a/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Api/Data/VirtualRuleInterface.php b/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Api/Data/VirtualRuleInterface.php
index b438465bf..e921b44e6 100644
--- a/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Api/Data/VirtualRuleInterface.php
+++ b/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Api/Data/VirtualRuleInterface.php
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ interface VirtualRuleInterface
      *
      * @return \Smile\ElasticsuiteCore\Search\Request\QueryInterface
      */
-    public function getCategorySearchQuery($category, $excludedCategories = []);
+    public function getCategorySearchQuery($category, &$excludedCategories = []);
 
     /**
      * Retrieve search queries of children categories.
diff --git a/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Model/Rule.php b/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Model/Rule.php
index b502d7c66..4dc4ebd34 100644
--- a/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Model/Rule.php
+++ b/src/module-elasticsuite-virtual-category/Model/Rule.php
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ public function __toString(): string
      *
      * @return QueryInterface|null
      */
-    public function getCategorySearchQuery($category, $excludedCategories = []): ?QueryInterface
+    public function getCategorySearchQuery($category, &$excludedCategories = []): ?QueryInterface
     {
         $query         = null;
 
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ private function getRootCategory(int $rootCategoryId, int $storeId = null)
      *
      * @return QueryInterface
      */
-    private function getStandardCategoryQuery(CategoryInterface $category, $excludedCategories = []): QueryInterface
+    private function getStandardCategoryQuery(CategoryInterface $category, &$excludedCategories = []): QueryInterface
     {
         return $this->getStandardCategoriesQuery([$category->getId()], $excludedCategories);
     }
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ private function getStandardCategoryQuery(CategoryInterface $category, $excluded
      *
      * @return QueryInterface
      */
-    private function getStandardCategoriesQuery(array $categoryIds, $excludedCategories): QueryInterface
+    private function getStandardCategoriesQuery(array $categoryIds, &$excludedCategories): QueryInterface
     {
         $conditionsParams  = ['data' => ['attribute' => 'category_ids', 'operator' => '()', 'value' => $categoryIds]];
         $categoryCondition = $this->productConditionsFactory->create($conditionsParams);
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ private function getStandardCategoriesQuery(array $categoryIds, $excludedCategor
      */
     private function getVirtualCategoryQuery(
         CategoryInterface $category,
-        $excludedCategories = []
+        &$excludedCategories = []
     ): ?QueryInterface {
         $query        = $category->getVirtualRule()->getConditions()->getSearchQuery($excludedCategories);
         $rootCategory = $this->getVirtualRootCategory($category);
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ private function getVirtualCategoryQuery(
      *
      * @return \Smile\ElasticsuiteCore\Search\Request\QueryInterface
      */
-    private function addChildrenQueries($query, CategoryInterface $category, $excludedCategories = []): QueryInterface
+    private function addChildrenQueries($query, CategoryInterface $category, &$excludedCategories = []): QueryInterface
     {
         $childrenCategories    = $this->getChildrenCategories($category, $excludedCategories);
         $childrenCategoriesIds = [];
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ private function addChildrenQueries($query, CategoryInterface $category, $exclud
      *
      * @return Collection
      */
-    private function getChildrenCategories(CategoryInterface $category, $excludedCategories = []): Collection
+    private function getChildrenCategories(CategoryInterface $category, &$excludedCategories = []): Collection
     {
         $storeId            = $category->getStoreId();
         $categoryCollection = $this->categoryCollectionFactory->create()->setStoreId($storeId);