diff --git a/quimb/linalg/slepc_linalg.py b/quimb/linalg/slepc_linalg.py
index fde35dac..07d4acd0 100644
--- a/quimb/linalg/slepc_linalg.py
+++ b/quimb/linalg/slepc_linalg.py
@@ -85,11 +85,15 @@ def __init__(self, lo):
         self.lo = lo
         self.real = lo.dtype in (float, np.float64)
 
-    def mult(self, _, x, y):
-        y[:] = self.lo.matvec(x)
-
-    def multHermitian(self, _, x, y):
-        y[:] = self.lo.rmatvec(x)
+    def mult(self, _, xvec, yvec):
+        x = xvec.getArray(readonly=True)
+        y = self.lo.matvec(x)
+        yvec.setArray(y)
+
+    def multHermitian(self, _, xvec, yvec):
+        x = xvec.getArray(readonly=True)
+        y = self.lo.rmatvec(x)
+        yvec.setArray(y)
 
 
 def linear_operator_2_petsc_shell(lo, comm=None):