diff --git a/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragemt.cc b/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragemt.cc
index c4df42fa5..ca4a6f7ad 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragemt.cc
+++ b/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragemt.cc
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "inmemorystoragemt.hh"
 
 using maxscale::SpinLockGuard;
+using std::auto_ptr;
 
 InMemoryStorageMT::InMemoryStorageMT(const std::string& name, uint32_t ttl)
     : InMemoryStorage(name, ttl)
@@ -27,11 +28,11 @@ InMemoryStorageMT::~InMemoryStorageMT()
 }
 
 // static
-InMemoryStorageMT* InMemoryStorageMT::create(const std::string& name,
-                                             uint32_t ttl,
-                                             int argc, char* argv[])
+auto_ptr<InMemoryStorageMT> InMemoryStorageMT::create(const std::string& name,
+                                                      uint32_t ttl,
+                                                      int argc, char* argv[])
 {
-    return new InMemoryStorageMT(name, ttl);
+    return auto_ptr<InMemoryStorageMT>(new InMemoryStorageMT(name, ttl));
 }
 
 cache_result_t InMemoryStorageMT::get_info(uint32_t what, json_t** ppInfo) const
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragemt.hh b/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragemt.hh
index af68aa87e..48708d958 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragemt.hh
+++ b/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragemt.hh
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ class InMemoryStorageMT : public InMemoryStorage
 public:
     ~InMemoryStorageMT();
 
-    static InMemoryStorageMT* create(const std::string& name, uint32_t ttl, int argc, char* argv[]);
+    typedef std::auto_ptr<InMemoryStorageMT> SInMemoryStorageMT;
+
+    static SInMemoryStorageMT create(const std::string& name, uint32_t ttl, int argc, char* argv[]);
 
     cache_result_t get_info(uint32_t what, json_t** ppInfo) const;
     cache_result_t get_value(const CACHE_KEY& key, uint32_t flags, GWBUF** ppresult);
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragest.cc b/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragest.cc
index 791e8ee64..61e6fed06 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragest.cc
+++ b/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragest.cc
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 #define MXS_MODULE_NAME "storage_inmemory"
 #include "inmemorystoragest.hh"
 
+using std::auto_ptr;
+
 InMemoryStorageST::InMemoryStorageST(const std::string& name, uint32_t ttl)
     : InMemoryStorage(name, ttl)
 {
@@ -24,11 +26,11 @@ InMemoryStorageST::~InMemoryStorageST()
 }
 
 // static
-InMemoryStorageST* InMemoryStorageST::create(const std::string& name,
-                                             uint32_t ttl,
-                                             int argc, char* argv[])
+auto_ptr<InMemoryStorageST> InMemoryStorageST::create(const std::string& name,
+                                                      uint32_t ttl,
+                                                      int argc, char* argv[])
 {
-    return new InMemoryStorageST(name, ttl);
+    return auto_ptr<InMemoryStorageST>(new InMemoryStorageST(name, ttl));
 }
 
 cache_result_t InMemoryStorageST::get_info(uint32_t what, json_t** ppinfo) const
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragest.hh b/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragest.hh
index 62e84f49e..b86cdf521 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragest.hh
+++ b/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/inmemorystoragest.hh
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ class InMemoryStorageST : public InMemoryStorage
 public:
     ~InMemoryStorageST();
 
-    static InMemoryStorageST* create(const std::string& name, uint32_t ttl, int argc, char* argv[]);
+    typedef std::auto_ptr<InMemoryStorageST> SInMemoryStorageST;
+
+    static SInMemoryStorageST create(const std::string& name, uint32_t ttl, int argc, char* argv[]);
 
     cache_result_t get_info(uint32_t what, json_t** ppinfo) const;
     cache_result_t get_value(const CACHE_KEY& key, uint32_t flags, GWBUF** ppresult);
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/storage_inmemory.cc b/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/storage_inmemory.cc
index 755556f5c..5976e8e09 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/storage_inmemory.cc
+++ b/server/modules/filter/cache/storage/storage_inmemory/storage_inmemory.cc
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #include "inmemorystoragest.hh"
 #include "inmemorystoragemt.hh"
 
+using std::auto_ptr;
+
 namespace
 {
 
@@ -50,33 +52,33 @@ CACHE_STORAGE* createInstance(cache_thread_model_t model,
                     "does not enforce such a limit.", (unsigned long)max_size);
     }
 
-    InMemoryStorage* pStorage = NULL;
+    auto_ptr<InMemoryStorage> sStorage;
 
     switch (model)
     {
     case CACHE_THREAD_MODEL_ST:
-        MXS_EXCEPTION_GUARD(pStorage = InMemoryStorageST::create(zname, ttl, argc, argv));
+        MXS_EXCEPTION_GUARD(sStorage = InMemoryStorageST::create(zname, ttl, argc, argv));
         break;
 
     default:
         ss_dassert(!true);
         MXS_ERROR("Unknown thread model %d, creating multi-thread aware storage.", (int)model);
     case CACHE_THREAD_MODEL_MT:
-        MXS_EXCEPTION_GUARD(pStorage = InMemoryStorageST::create(zname, ttl, argc, argv));
+        MXS_EXCEPTION_GUARD(sStorage = InMemoryStorageST::create(zname, ttl, argc, argv));
         break;
     }
 
-    if (pStorage)
+    if (sStorage.get())
     {
         MXS_NOTICE("Storage module created.");
     }
 
-    return reinterpret_cast<CACHE_STORAGE*>(pStorage);
+    return reinterpret_cast<CACHE_STORAGE*>(sStorage.release());
 }
 
 void freeInstance(CACHE_STORAGE* pinstance)
 {
-    delete reinterpret_cast<InMemoryStorage*>(pinstance);
+    MXS_EXCEPTION_GUARD(delete reinterpret_cast<InMemoryStorage*>(pinstance));
 }
 
 cache_result_t getInfo(CACHE_STORAGE* pStorage,