diff --git a/src/external/nexus/PNeXus.cpp b/src/external/nexus/PNeXus.cpp
index 54c74e2c..8c526223 100644
--- a/src/external/nexus/PNeXus.cpp
+++ b/src/external/nexus/PNeXus.cpp
@@ -1951,15 +1951,6 @@ PNeXus::PNeXus(const char* fileName)
  */
 PNeXus::~PNeXus()
 {
-  if (fNxEntry1) {
-    delete fNxEntry1;
-    fNxEntry1 = 0;
-  }
-  if (fNxEntry2) {
-    delete fNxEntry2;
-    fNxEntry2 = 0;
-  }
-
   for (unsigned int i=0; i<fGroupedHisto.size(); i++) {
     fGroupedHisto[i].clear();
   }
@@ -1984,24 +1975,18 @@ void PNeXus::SetIdfVersion(unsigned int idf)
   fIdfVersion = idf;
 
   if (idf == 1) { // IDF 1
-    if (fNxEntry2) {
-      delete fNxEntry2;
-      fNxEntry2 = 0;
-    }
+    fNxEntry2.reset();
 
-    fNxEntry1 = new PNeXusEntry1();
-    if (fNxEntry1 == 0) {
+    fNxEntry1 = std::make_unique<PNeXusEntry1>();
+    if (fNxEntry1 == nullptr) {
       std::cerr << std::endl << ">> **ERROR** couldn't invoke IDF 1 object PNeXusEntry1." << std::endl;
       return;
     }
   } else { // IDF 2
-    if (fNxEntry1) {
-      delete fNxEntry1;
-      fNxEntry1 = 0;
-    }
+    fNxEntry1.reset();
 
-    fNxEntry2 = new PNeXusEntry2();
-    if (fNxEntry2 == 0) {
+    fNxEntry2 = std::make_unique<PNeXusEntry2>();
+    if (fNxEntry2 == nullptr) {
       std::cerr << std::endl << ">> **ERROR** couldn't invoke IDF 2 object PNeXusEntry1." << std::endl;
       return;
     }
@@ -2510,9 +2495,6 @@ void PNeXus::Init()
   fFileName = "n/a";
   fFileTime = "n/a";
   fCreator = "n/a";
-
-  fNxEntry1 = 0;
-  fNxEntry2 = 0;
 }
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -2804,8 +2786,8 @@ int PNeXus::ReadFileIdf1()
   std::cout << std::endl << ">> reading NeXus IDF Version 1 file ..." << std::endl;
 
   // create first the necessary NXentry object for IDF Version 1
-  fNxEntry1 = new PNeXusEntry1();
-  if (fNxEntry1 == 0) {
+  fNxEntry1 = std::make_unique<PNeXusEntry1>();
+  if (fNxEntry1 == nullptr) {
     fErrorCode = PNEXUS_OBJECT_INVOK_ERROR;
     fErrorMsg = ">> **ERROR** couldn't invoke PNeXusEntry1 object.";
     return NX_ERROR;
@@ -3384,8 +3366,8 @@ int PNeXus::ReadFileIdf2()
   std::cout << std::endl << ">> reading NeXus IDF Version 2 file ..." << std::endl;
 
   // create first the necessary NXentry object for IDF Version 2
-  fNxEntry2 = new PNeXusEntry2();
-  if (fNxEntry2 == 0) {
+  fNxEntry2 = std::make_unique<PNeXusEntry2>();
+  if (fNxEntry2 == nullptr) {
     fErrorCode = PNEXUS_OBJECT_INVOK_ERROR;
     fErrorMsg = ">> **ERROR** couldn't invoke PNeXusEntry2 object.";
     return NX_ERROR;
diff --git a/src/external/nexus/PNeXus.h b/src/external/nexus/PNeXus.h
index 6dc48083..8b428502 100644
--- a/src/external/nexus/PNeXus.h
+++ b/src/external/nexus/PNeXus.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
+#include <memory>
 
 #include "napi.h"
 
@@ -574,8 +575,8 @@ class PNeXus {
     virtual void SetFileName(std::string name) { fFileName = name; }
     virtual void SetFileTime(std::string time) { fFileTime = time; }
 
-    virtual PNeXusEntry1* GetEntryIdf1() { return fNxEntry1; }
-    virtual PNeXusEntry2* GetEntryIdf2() { return fNxEntry2; }
+    virtual PNeXusEntry1* GetEntryIdf1() { return fNxEntry1.get(); }
+    virtual PNeXusEntry2* GetEntryIdf2() { return fNxEntry2.get(); }
 
     virtual bool IsValid(bool strict=false);
     virtual int GetErrorCode() { return fErrorCode; }
@@ -605,8 +606,8 @@ class PNeXus {
 
     std::string fCreator; ///< facility of program where the file originated
 
-    PNeXusEntry1 *fNxEntry1; ///< NXentry for IDF 1
-    PNeXusEntry2 *fNxEntry2; ///< NXentry for IDF 2
+    std::unique_ptr<PNeXusEntry1> fNxEntry1; ///< NXentry for IDF 1
+    std::unique_ptr<PNeXusEntry2> fNxEntry2; ///< NXentry for IDF 2
 
     std::vector< std::vector<unsigned int> > fGroupedHisto;