diff --git a/src/msr2data.cpp b/src/msr2data.cpp
index 14836761..2bc9ab18 100644
--- a/src/msr2data.cpp
+++ b/src/msr2data.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <limits>
 #include <string>
+#include <memory>
 
 #include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
 #include <boost/algorithm/string/case_conv.hpp> // for to_lower() in std::string
@@ -166,40 +167,6 @@ void msr2data_syntax()
   std::cout << std::endl << std::endl;
 }
 
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-/**
- * <p>Cleaning up some used variables
- *
- * \param msr2dataHandler pointer to PMsr2Data object
- * \param run_vec vector containing the run numbers
- * \param arg vector containing the command line arguments
- *
- */
-void msr2data_cleanup(PMsr2Data *msr2dataHandler, std::vector<unsigned int> &run_vec, std::vector<std::string> &arg)
-{
-  delete msr2dataHandler;
-  msr2dataHandler = nullptr;
-  run_vec.clear();
-  arg.clear();
-  return;
-}
-
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-/**
- * <p>Cleaning up some used variables
- *
- * \param msr2dataHandler pointer to PMsr2Data object
- * \param arg vector containing the command line arguments
- *
- */
-void msr2data_cleanup(PMsr2Data *msr2dataHandler, std::vector<std::string> &arg)
-{
-  delete msr2dataHandler;
-  msr2dataHandler = 0;
-  arg.clear();
-  return;
-}
-
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 /**
  * <p>Checks if only valid options appear in the argument list
@@ -588,8 +555,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         run_list += arg[i] + " ";
       }
       // parse run_list string
-      PStringNumberList *nl = new PStringNumberList(run_list);
-      if (nl == 0) { // couldn't invoke object
+      std::unique_ptr<PStringNumberList> nl = std::unique_ptr<PStringNumberList>(new PStringNumberList(run_list));
+      if (nl == nullptr) { // couldn't invoke object
         std::cerr << std::endl;
         std::cerr << ">> msr2data: **ERROR** Couldn't invoke run_list parser object! Quitting now." << std::endl;
         return 0;
@@ -602,7 +569,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       }
       // get run list vector
       run_vec = nl->GetList();
-      delete nl;
 
       msrExtension = arg[rightbracket + 1];
 
@@ -696,7 +662,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     realOutput = false;
 
   // create the msr2data-object and set the run numbers according to the runTAG above
-  PMsr2Data *msr2dataHandler = new PMsr2Data(msrExtension);
+  std::unique_ptr<PMsr2Data> msr2dataHandler = std::unique_ptr<PMsr2Data>(new PMsr2Data(msrExtension));
+  if (msr2dataHandler == nullptr) {
+    std::cerr << std::endl;
+    std::cerr << ">> msr2data: **ERROR** couldn't invoke msr2dataHandler." << std::endl;
+    return -1;
+  }
 
   int status;
 
@@ -716,17 +687,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     default:
       std::cerr << std::endl;
       std::cerr << ">> msr2data: **ERROR** None of the possible run list specifications has been detected! Quitting now..." << std::endl;
-      msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, run_vec, arg);
       return 0;
   }
 
   if (status == 1) {
     std::cerr << std::endl;
     std::cerr << ">> msr2data: **ERROR** The run numbers are out of range! Quitting..." << std::endl;
-    msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, run_vec, arg);
     return status;
   } else if (status == -1) {
-    msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, run_vec, arg);
     return status;
   }
 
@@ -742,12 +710,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   if (temp == -2) {
     std::cerr << std::endl;
     std::cerr << ">> msr2data: **ERROR** More than one fitting options are specified! Quitting..." << std::endl;
-    msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
     return temp;
   } else if (temp == -3) {
     std::cerr << std::endl;
     std::cerr << ">> msr2data: **ERROR** The given template has not a valid run number! Quitting..." << std::endl;
-    msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
     return temp;
   }
 
@@ -775,7 +741,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (temp == -3) {
       std::cerr << std::endl;
       std::cerr << ">> msr2data: **ERROR** The given template has not a valid run number! Quitting..." << std::endl;
-      msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
       return temp;
     }
   }
@@ -794,14 +759,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
   // At this point it should be clear if any template for input-file generation is given or not.
   // Therefore, the number of digits in the run number format is determined only here.
-  if(temp > 0) {
+  if (temp > 0) {
     status = msr2dataHandler->DetermineRunNumberDigits(temp, setNormalMode);
   } else {
     status = msr2dataHandler->DetermineRunNumberDigits(msr2dataHandler->GetPresentRun(), setNormalMode);
   }
 
-  if(status) {
-    msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
+  if (status) {
     return status;
   }
 
@@ -810,7 +774,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   if(status) {
     std::cerr << std::endl;
     std::cerr << ">> msr2data: **ERROR** At least one given run number is out of range! Quitting..." << std::endl;
-    msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
     return status;
   }
 
@@ -820,7 +783,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   //              1 - write header explicitly (even if the file is present already)
   //              2 - write header automatically if a new file is created and do not if the data is appended to an existing file
 
-  std::fstream *fileOutput = nullptr;
+  std::unique_ptr<std::fstream> fileOutput;
   if (realOutput) {
     // check the arguments for the "header" and "noheader" options
     if (!msr2data_useOption(arg, "header")) {
@@ -838,7 +801,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     // delete old db/data file if the "new" option is given
     if (!msr2data_useOption(arg, "new")) {
-      fileOutput = new std::fstream;
+      fileOutput = std::unique_ptr<std::fstream>(new std::fstream);
       fileOutput->open(outputFile.c_str(), std::ios::in);
       if (fileOutput->is_open()) {
         std::cout << std::endl << ">> msr2data: **INFO** Deleting output file " << outputFile << std::endl;
@@ -848,8 +811,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       } else {
         std::cout << std::endl << ">> msr2data: **INFO** Ignoring the 'new' option since " << outputFile << " does not exist yet." << std::endl;
       }
-      delete fileOutput;
-      fileOutput = 0;
       if (writeHeader == 2) {
         writeHeader = 1;
       }
@@ -868,7 +829,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
         if (!success) {
           std::cerr << std::endl << ">> msr2data: **ERROR** Input file generation has not been successful! Quitting..." << std::endl;
-          msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
           return -1;
         }
       }
@@ -922,7 +882,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         // write DB or dat file
         status = msr2dataHandler->WriteOutput(outputFile, param_vec, db, writeHeader, !setNormalMode, counter);
         if (status == -1) {
-          msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
           return status;
         }
         ++counter;
@@ -959,7 +918,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
           if (!success) {
             std::cerr << std::endl << ">> msr2data: **ERROR** Input file generation has not been successful! Quitting..." << std::endl;
-            msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
             return -1;
           }
         }
@@ -997,7 +955,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
           // if the msr-file cannot be read, write no output but proceed to the next run
           status = msr2dataHandler->WriteOutput("none", param_vec, db, writeHeader);
           if (status == -1) {
-            msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
             return status;
           } else {
             continue;
@@ -1012,7 +969,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       // write DB or dat file
       status = msr2dataHandler->WriteOutput(outputFile, param_vec, db, writeHeader);
       if (status == -1) {
-        msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
         return status;
       }
     }
@@ -1024,7 +980,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   // Unfortunately, there are also problems with boost::filesystem::exists(outputFile)
   // Therefore, first try to open the file for reading and if this works, write to it - not clean but it works
   if (realOutput) {
-    fileOutput = new std::fstream;
+    fileOutput = std::unique_ptr<std::fstream>(new std::fstream);
     fileOutput->open(outputFile.c_str(), std::ios::in);
     if (fileOutput->is_open()) {
       fileOutput->close();
@@ -1040,8 +996,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       std::cerr << std::endl << ">> msr2data: **WARNING** No output has been written to the file " << outputFile << "!";
       std::cerr << std::endl << ">> msr2data: **WARNING** Please check the range of runs and the specified options!" << std::endl;
     }
-    delete fileOutput;
-    fileOutput = 0;
   }
 
   if (!arg.empty()) {
@@ -1052,8 +1006,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     std::cout << std::endl;
   }
 
-  msr2data_cleanup(msr2dataHandler, arg);
-
   std::cout << std::endl << ">> msr2data: done ..." << std::endl;
 
   return 1;