diff --git a/src/external/Nonlocal/PNL_PippardFitter.cpp b/src/external/Nonlocal/PNL_PippardFitter.cpp
index fc0ca26c..74e41dbd 100644
--- a/src/external/Nonlocal/PNL_PippardFitter.cpp
+++ b/src/external/Nonlocal/PNL_PippardFitter.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <cmath>
 
 #include <iostream>
+#include <memory>
 
 #include <TSAXParser.h>
 #include <TMath.h>
@@ -52,14 +53,14 @@ PNL_PippardFitterGlobal::PNL_PippardFitterGlobal()
 {
   // read XML startup file
   char startup_path_name[128];
-  TSAXParser *saxParser = new TSAXParser();
-  PNL_StartupHandler *fStartupHandler = new PNL_StartupHandler();
+  std::unique_ptr<TSAXParser> saxParser = std::make_unique<TSAXParser>();
+  fStartupHandler = std::make_unique<PNL_StartupHandler>();
   strcpy(startup_path_name, fStartupHandler->GetStartupFilePath().Data());
-  saxParser->ConnectToHandler("PNL_StartupHandler", fStartupHandler);
+  saxParser->ConnectToHandler("PNL_StartupHandler", fStartupHandler.get());
   //Int_t status = saxParser->ParseFile(startup_path_name);
   // parsing the file as above seems to lead to problems in certain environments;
   // use the parseXmlFile function instead (see PUserFcnBase.cpp for the definition)
-  Int_t status = parseXmlFile(saxParser, startup_path_name);
+  Int_t status = parseXmlFile(saxParser.get(), startup_path_name);
   // check for parse errors
   if (status) { // error
     std::cout << std::endl << ">> PNL_PippardFitterGlobal::PNL_PippardFitterGlobal: **WARNING** Reading/parsing nonlocal_startup.xml failed.";
@@ -67,14 +68,8 @@ PNL_PippardFitterGlobal::PNL_PippardFitterGlobal()
     fValid = false;
   }
 
-  // clean up
-  if (saxParser) {
-    delete saxParser;
-    saxParser = 0;
-  }
-
   // check if everything went fine with the startup handler
-  if (!fStartupHandler->IsValid()) {
+  if (!fStartupHandler->IsValid() && fValid) {
     std::cout << std::endl << ">> PNL_PippardFitterGlobal::PNL_PippardFitterGlobal **PANIC ERROR**";
     std::cout << std::endl << ">>   startup handler too unhappy. Will terminate unfriendly, sorry.";
     std::cout << std::endl;
@@ -84,12 +79,14 @@ PNL_PippardFitterGlobal::PNL_PippardFitterGlobal()
   fFourierPoints = fStartupHandler->GetFourierPoints();
 
   // load all the TRIM.SP rge-files
-  fRgeHandler = new PRgeHandler("./nonlocal_startup.xml");
-  if (!fRgeHandler->IsValid()) {
-    std::cout << std::endl << ">> PNL_PippardFitterGlobal::PNL_PippardFitterGlobal **PANIC ERROR**";
-    std::cout << std::endl << ">>  rge data handler too unhappy. Will terminate unfriendly, sorry.";
-    std::cout << std::endl;
-    fValid = false;
+  if (fValid) {
+    fRgeHandler = std::make_unique<PRgeHandler>("./nonlocal_startup.xml");
+    if (!fRgeHandler->IsValid()) {
+      std::cout << std::endl << ">> PNL_PippardFitterGlobal::PNL_PippardFitterGlobal **PANIC ERROR**";
+      std::cout << std::endl << ">>  rge data handler too unhappy. Will terminate unfriendly, sorry.";
+      std::cout << std::endl;
+      fValid = false;
+    }
   }
 
   fPlanPresent = false;
@@ -124,15 +121,6 @@ PNL_PippardFitterGlobal::~PNL_PippardFitterGlobal()
     fftw_free(fFieldq);
     fFieldB = 0;
   }
-
-  if (fRgeHandler) {
-    delete fRgeHandler;
-    fRgeHandler = 0;
-  }
-  if (fStartupHandler) {
-    delete fStartupHandler;
-    fStartupHandler = 0;
-  }
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/external/Nonlocal/PNL_PippardFitter.h b/src/external/Nonlocal/PNL_PippardFitter.h
index 6b442018..2d4a971c 100644
--- a/src/external/Nonlocal/PNL_PippardFitter.h
+++ b/src/external/Nonlocal/PNL_PippardFitter.h
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 //#endif
 #include <fftw3.h>
 
+#include <memory>
+
 #include "PMusr.h"
 #include "PUserFcnBase.h"
 #include "PNL_StartupHandler.h"
@@ -57,8 +59,8 @@ class PNL_PippardFitterGlobal
   private:
     Bool_t fValid{true};
 
-    PNL_StartupHandler *fStartupHandler{nullptr};
-    PRgeHandler *fRgeHandler{nullptr};
+    std::unique_ptr<PNL_StartupHandler> fStartupHandler;
+    std::unique_ptr<PRgeHandler> fRgeHandler;
 
     mutable std::vector<Double_t> fPreviousParam;
 
diff --git a/src/external/Nonlocal/cmake/dnlf_config.h.in b/src/external/Nonlocal/cmake/dnlf_config.h.in
index 04f16c07..5b8be79a 100644
--- a/src/external/Nonlocal/cmake/dnlf_config.h.in
+++ b/src/external/Nonlocal/cmake/dnlf_config.h.in
@@ -2,3 +2,7 @@
 
 #define PROJECT_VERSION "@PROJECT_VERSION@"
 
+#define GIT_BRANCH "@GIT_BRANCH@"
+#define GIT_CURRENT_SHA1 @GIT_CURRENT_SHA1@
+
+#define ROOT_VERSION_USED "@ROOT_VERSION_USED@"
diff --git a/src/external/Nonlocal/prog/CMakeLists.txt b/src/external/Nonlocal/prog/CMakeLists.txt
index 98bf895b..f5213f07 100644
--- a/src/external/Nonlocal/prog/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/external/Nonlocal/prog/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,23 +1,64 @@
 #--- dump_nonlocal_field ------------------------------------------------------
 
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.15)
+
 project(dump_nonlocal_field VERSION 1.0.0 LANGUAGES C CXX)
 
+#--- check for git ------------------------------------------------------------
+find_package(Git REQUIRED)
+
+#--- check for ROOT -----------------------------------------------------------
+find_package(ROOT 6.18 REQUIRED COMPONENTS Gui MathMore Minuit2 XMLParser)
+if (ROOT_mathmore_FOUND)
+  execute_process(COMMAND root-config --bindir OUTPUT_VARIABLE ROOT_BINDIR)
+  string(STRIP ${ROOT_BINDIR} ROOT_BINDIR)
+  execute_process(COMMAND root-config --version OUTPUT_VARIABLE ROOT_VERSION_USED)
+  string(STRIP ${ROOT_VERSION_USED} ROOT_VERSION_USED)
+  execute_process(COMMAND root-config --incdir OUTPUT_VARIABLE ROOT_INC)
+  string(STRIP ${ROOT_INC} ROOT_INC)
+  message("-- Found ROOT: ${ROOT_BINDIR} (found version: ${ROOT_VERSION})")
+  #---Define useful ROOT functions and macros (e.g. ROOT_GENERATE_DICTIONARY)
+  include(${ROOT_USE_FILE})
+endif (ROOT_mathmore_FOUND)
+
+#--- check for boost ----------------------------------------------------------
+find_package(Boost REQUIRED
+  COMPONENTS
+    system
+    filesystem
+)
+message(STATUS "Boost libs: ${Boost_LIBRARIES}")
+
+#--- check for fftw3 ----------------------------------------------------------
+#find_package(FFTW3 REQUIRED)
+
+# Get the current working branch
+execute_process(
+  COMMAND git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
+  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+  OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_BRANCH
+  OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+)
+
+# Get the latest abbreviated commit hash of the working branch
+execute_process(
+  COMMAND git log -1 --pretty="%h, %ci"
+  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+  OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_CURRENT_SHA1
+  OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+)
+
+
 #--- feed dnlf_config.h -----------------------------------------
 set(HAVE_DNLF_CONFIG_H 1 CACHE INTERNAL "dnlf_config.h is available")
 configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../cmake/dnlf_config.h.in ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/dnlf_config.h)
 
-#--- start create git-revision.h ----------------------------------------------
-if (IS_GIT_REPO)
-  set(HAVE_GIT_REV_H "-DHAVE_GIT_REV_H")  
-else (IS_GIT_REPO)
-  set(HAVE_GIT_REV_H "")  
-endif (IS_GIT_REPO)
-
 add_executable(dump_nonlocal_field dump_nonlocal_field.cpp)
 target_compile_options(dump_nonlocal_field BEFORE PRIVATE "-DHAVE_CONFIG_H" "-DHAVE_DNLF_CONFIG_H" "${HAVE_GIT_REV_H}")
 target_include_directories(dump_nonlocal_field 
   BEFORE PRIVATE
     $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR}>
+    $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${ROOT_INC}>
     $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}>
     $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/src>
     $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}>
diff --git a/src/external/Nonlocal/prog/dump_nonlocal_field.cpp b/src/external/Nonlocal/prog/dump_nonlocal_field.cpp
index 15a27082..08a3e5c3 100644
--- a/src/external/Nonlocal/prog/dump_nonlocal_field.cpp
+++ b/src/external/Nonlocal/prog/dump_nonlocal_field.cpp
@@ -38,15 +38,9 @@
 
 #include "PNL_PippardFitter.h"
 
-#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
-#include "config.h"
-#endif
 #ifdef HAVE_DNLF_CONFIG_H
 #include "dnlf_config.h"
 #endif
-#ifdef HAVE_GIT_REV_H
-#include "git-revision.h"
-#endif
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 /**
@@ -202,18 +196,10 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     if (argv[i][0] != '-') { // must be the msr-file name
       msrFileName = argv[i];
     } else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--version")) {
-#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
-#ifdef HAVE_GIT_REV_H
-      std::cout << std::endl << "dump_nonlocal_field version: " << PROJECT_VERSION << " (" << PACKAGE_VERSION << "), git-branch: " << GIT_BRANCH << ", git-rev: " << GIT_CURRENT_SHA1 << " (" << BUILD_TYPE << "), ROOT version: " << ROOT_VERSION_USED << std::endl << std::endl;
+#ifdef HAVE_DNLF_CONFIG_H
+      std::cout << std::endl << "dump_nonlocal_field version: " << PROJECT_VERSION << ", git-branch: " << GIT_BRANCH << ", git-rev: " << GIT_CURRENT_SHA1 << ", ROOT version: " << ROOT_VERSION_USED << std::endl << std::endl;
 #else
-      std::cout << std::endl << "dump_nonlocal_field version: " << PROJECT_VERSION << " (" << PACKAGE_VERSION << "/" << BUILD_TYPE << "), ROOT version: " << ROOT_VERSION_USED << std::endl << std::endl;
-#endif
-#else
-#ifdef HAVE_GIT_REV_H
-      std::cout << std::endl << "dump_nonlocal_field git-branch: " << GIT_BRANCH << ", git-rev: " << GIT_CURRENT_SHA1 << std::endl << std::endl;
-#else
-      std::cout << std::endl << "dump_nonlocal_field version: unknown" << std::endl << std::endl;
-#endif
+      std::cout << std::endl << "dump_nonlocal_field version: " << PROJECT_VERSION << ", ROOT version: " << ROOT_VERSION_USED << std::endl << std::endl;
 #endif
       return 0;
     } else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--help")) {
@@ -260,14 +246,17 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
   // calculate field and write it to file
   PNL_PippardFitterGlobal pip;
-  pip.CalculateField(param);
+  if (pip.IsValid())
+    pip.CalculateField(param);
+  else
+    return -3;
 
   std::ofstream fout(outFileName.c_str(), std::ofstream::out);
   if (!fout.is_open()) {
     std::cout << std::endl;
     std::cerr << "**ERROR** can not write to file '" << outFileName << "'." << std::endl;
     std::cout << std::endl;
-    return -3;
+    return -4;
   }
   // write header
   fout << "% z (nm), field (G)" << std::endl;