diff --git a/rtgui/toolbar.cc b/rtgui/toolbar.cc
index 6c44abe57..cf5148d8b 100644
--- a/rtgui/toolbar.cc
+++ b/rtgui/toolbar.cc
@@ -26,10 +26,8 @@ ToolBar::ToolBar () : showColPickers(true), listener (nullptr), pickerListener(n
 
     editingMode = false;
 
-    handimg = Gtk::manage (new RTImage ("openhand.png"));
-    handimg->reference();
-    editinghandimg = Gtk::manage (new RTImage ("editmodehand.png"));
-    editinghandimg->reference();
+    handimg.reset(new RTImage("openhand.png"));
+    editinghandimg.reset(new RTImage("editmodehand.png"));
 
     handTool = Gtk::manage (new Gtk::ToggleButton ());
     handTool->add (*handimg);
@@ -48,10 +46,8 @@ ToolBar::ToolBar () : showColPickers(true), listener (nullptr), pickerListener(n
 
     pack_start (*wbTool);
 
-    showcolpickersimg = Gtk::manage (new RTImage ("colorPickers-show.png"));
-    showcolpickersimg->reference();
-    hidecolpickersimg = Gtk::manage (new RTImage ("colorPickers-hide.png"));
-    hidecolpickersimg->reference();
+    showcolpickersimg.reset(new RTImage("colorPickers-show.png"));
+    hidecolpickersimg.reset(new RTImage("colorPickers-hide.png"));
 
     colPickerTool = Gtk::manage (new Gtk::ToggleButton ());
     colPickerTool->add (*showcolpickersimg);
@@ -97,14 +93,6 @@ ToolBar::ToolBar () : showColPickers(true), listener (nullptr), pickerListener(n
     straTool->set_tooltip_markup (M("TOOLBAR_TOOLTIP_STRAIGHTEN"));
 }
 
-ToolBar::~ToolBar ()
-{
-    handimg->unreference();
-    editinghandimg->unreference();
-    showcolpickersimg->unreference();
-    hidecolpickersimg->unreference();
-
-}
 //
 // Selects the desired tool without notifying the listener
 //
diff --git a/rtgui/toolbar.h b/rtgui/toolbar.h
index 93cefb555..42e764952 100644
--- a/rtgui/toolbar.h
+++ b/rtgui/toolbar.h
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ public:
 class ToolBar : public Gtk::HBox
 {
 private:
-    RTImage* handimg;
-    RTImage* editinghandimg;
-    RTImage* showcolpickersimg;
-    RTImage* hidecolpickersimg;
+    std::unique_ptr<RTImage> handimg;
+    std::unique_ptr<RTImage> editinghandimg;
+    std::unique_ptr<RTImage> showcolpickersimg;
+    std::unique_ptr<RTImage> hidecolpickersimg;
     bool showColPickers;
 
     void hand_pressed ();
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ protected:
 
 public:
     ToolBar ();
-    ~ToolBar ();
 
     void     setTool (ToolMode tool);
     ToolMode getTool ()