diff --git a/include/mbgl/util/image_reader.hpp b/include/mbgl/util/image_reader.hpp
index 589653ec5..4bdaf420f 100644
--- a/include/mbgl/util/image_reader.hpp
+++ b/include/mbgl/util/image_reader.hpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ struct image_reader : private noncopyable
     virtual ~image_reader() {}
 };
 
-image_reader* get_image_reader(char const* data, size_t size);
+std::unique_ptr<image_reader> get_image_reader(char const* data, size_t size);
 
 }}
 
diff --git a/platform/default/image.cpp b/platform/default/image.cpp
index 9a76ef33f..8d0374c64 100644
--- a/platform/default/image.cpp
+++ b/platform/default/image.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ Image::Image(std::string const& data)
 {
     try
     {
-        std::unique_ptr<image_reader> reader(get_image_reader(data.c_str(), data.size()));
+        auto reader = get_image_reader(data.c_str(), data.size());
         width = reader->width();
         height = reader->height();
         img = ::std::unique_ptr<char[]>(new char[width * height * 4]());
diff --git a/platform/default/image_reader.cpp b/platform/default/image_reader.cpp
index 599ccb13a..71b8e0991 100644
--- a/platform/default/image_reader.cpp
+++ b/platform/default/image_reader.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include "mbgl/util/std.hpp"
 #include "mbgl/util/image_reader.hpp"
 #include "mbgl/util/png_reader.hpp"
 #include "mbgl/util/jpeg_reader.hpp"
@@ -42,18 +43,18 @@ inline boost::optional<std::string> type_from_bytes(char const* data, size_t siz
     return result_type();
 }
 
-image_reader* get_image_reader(char const* data, size_t size)
+std::unique_ptr<image_reader> get_image_reader(char const* data, size_t size)
 {
     boost::optional<std::string> type = type_from_bytes(data,size);
     if (type)
     {
         if (*type == "png")
         {
-            return new png_reader<boost::iostreams::array_source>(data, size);
+            return std::make_unique<png_reader<boost::iostreams::array_source>>(data, size);
         }
         else if (*type == "jpeg")
         {
-            return new jpeg_reader<boost::iostreams::array_source>(data, size);
+            return std::make_unique<jpeg_reader<boost::iostreams::array_source>>(data, size);
         }
     }
     throw image_reader_exception("image_reader: can't determine type from input data");