diff --git a/components/nif/niffile.cpp b/components/nif/niffile.cpp
index 1a1bbd7217..e976a9d96a 100644
--- a/components/nif/niffile.cpp
+++ b/components/nif/niffile.cpp
@@ -17,17 +17,11 @@ NIFFile::NIFFile(Files::IStreamPtr stream, const std::string &name)
     parse(stream);
 }
 
-NIFFile::~NIFFile()
-{
-    for (Record* record : records)
-        delete record;
-}
-
-template <typename NodeType> static Record* construct() { return new NodeType; }
+template <typename NodeType> static std::unique_ptr<Record> construct() { return std::make_unique<NodeType>(); }
 
 struct RecordFactoryEntry {
 
-    using create_t = Record* (*)();
+    using create_t = std::unique_ptr<Record> (*)();
 
     create_t        mCreate;
     RecordType      mType;
@@ -290,7 +284,7 @@ void NIFFile::parse(Files::IStreamPtr stream)
     const bool hasRecordSeparators = ver >= NIFStream::generateVersion(10,0,0,0) && ver < NIFStream::generateVersion(10,2,0,0);
     for (std::size_t i = 0; i < recNum; i++)
     {
-        Record *r = nullptr;
+        std::unique_ptr<Record> r;
 
         std::string rec = hasRecTypeListings ? recTypes[recTypeIndices[i]] : nif.getString();
         if(rec.empty())
@@ -315,7 +309,7 @@ void NIFFile::parse(Files::IStreamPtr stream)
 
         if (entry != factories.end())
         {
-            r = entry->second.mCreate ();
+            r = entry->second.mCreate();
             r->recType = entry->second.mType;
         }
         else
@@ -328,8 +322,8 @@ void NIFFile::parse(Files::IStreamPtr stream)
         assert(r->recType != RC_MISSING);
         r->recName = rec;
         r->recIndex = i;
-        records[i] = r;
         r->read(&nif);
+        records[i] = std::move(r);
     }
 
     const std::size_t rootNum = nif.getUInt();
@@ -341,7 +335,7 @@ void NIFFile::parse(Files::IStreamPtr stream)
         int idx = nif.getInt();
         if (idx >= 0 && static_cast<std::size_t>(idx) < records.size())
         {
-            roots[i] = records[idx];
+            roots[i] = records[idx].get();
         }
         else
         {
@@ -351,7 +345,7 @@ void NIFFile::parse(Files::IStreamPtr stream)
     }
 
     // Once parsing is done, do post-processing.
-    for (Record* record : records)
+    for (const auto& record : records)
         record->post(this);
 }
 
diff --git a/components/nif/niffile.hpp b/components/nif/niffile.hpp
index 6884f51d58..d9f46795c1 100644
--- a/components/nif/niffile.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/niffile.hpp
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class NIFFile final : public File
     std::string hash;
 
     /// Record list
-    std::vector<Record*> records;
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Record>> records;
 
     /// Root list.  This is a select portion of the pointers from records
     std::vector<Record*> roots;
@@ -107,13 +107,11 @@ public:
 
     /// Open a NIF stream. The name is used for error messages.
     NIFFile(Files::IStreamPtr stream, const std::string &name);
-    ~NIFFile();
 
     /// Get a given record
     Record *getRecord(size_t index) const override
     {
-        Record *res = records.at(index);
-        return res;
+        return records.at(index).get();
     }
     /// Number of records
     size_t numRecords() const override { return records.size(); }