diff --git a/dw/layout.cc b/dw/layout.cc
index 82b0feb..aef5ec0 100644
--- a/dw/layout.cc
+++ b/dw/layout.cc
@@ -327,10 +327,8 @@ Layout::~Layout ()
    if (bgImage)
       bgImage->unref ();
    if (topLevel) {
-      detachWidget (topLevel);
-      Widget *w = topLevel;
-      topLevel = NULL;
-      delete w;
+      detachWidget (topLevel.get());
+      topLevel.reset();
    }
 
    delete queueResizeList;
@@ -379,7 +377,9 @@ void Layout::addWidget (Widget *widget)
       widget->stackingContextWidget = widget;
    }
 
-   topLevel = widget;
+   std::unique_ptr< Widget > widget_unique;
+   widget_unique.reset( widget );
+   topLevel = std::move( widget_unique );
    widget->layout = this;
    widget->container = NULL;
    DBG_OBJ_SET_PTR_O (widget, "container", widget->container);
@@ -432,9 +432,7 @@ void Layout::setWidget (Widget *widget)
 
    widgetAtPoint = NULL;
    if (topLevel) {
-      Widget *w = topLevel;
-      topLevel = NULL;
-      delete w;
+      topLevel.reset();
    }
    textZone->zoneFree ();
    addWidget (widget);
diff --git a/dw/layout.hh b/dw/layout.hh
index 8389b3a..757ce3a 100644
--- a/dw/layout.hh
+++ b/dw/layout.hh
@@ -158,7 +158,8 @@ private:
 
    Platform *platform;
    View *view;
-   Widget *topLevel, *widgetAtPoint;
+   std::unique_ptr< Widget > topLevel;
+   Widget *widgetAtPoint;
    lout::container::typed::Vector<Widget> *queueResizeList;
 
    /* The state, which must be projected into the view. */
diff --git a/dw/widget.cc b/dw/widget.cc
index 79ea4be..8874f70 100644
--- a/dw/widget.cc
+++ b/dw/widget.cc
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ void Widget::drawInterruption (View *view, Rectangle *area,
                                DrawingContext *context)
 {
    Rectangle thisArea;
-   if (intersects (layout->topLevel, context->getToplevelArea (), &thisArea))
+   if (intersects (layout->topLevel.get(), context->getToplevelArea (), &thisArea))
       draw (view, &thisArea, context);
 
    context->addWidgetProcessedAsInterruption (this);