diff --git a/io.cpp b/io.cpp
index 241f89d91..dfda6e55a 100644
--- a/io.cpp
+++ b/io.cpp
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ io_buffer_t *io_buffer_t::create(bool is_input)
 {
     bool success = true;
     io_buffer_t *buffer_redirect = new io_buffer_t(is_input ? 0 : 1, is_input);
+    buffer_redirect->out_buffer_create();
 
     if (exec_pipe(buffer_redirect->pipe_fd) == -1)
     {
@@ -163,7 +164,6 @@ io_buffer_t *io_buffer_t::create(bool is_input)
 io_buffer_t::~io_buffer_t()
 {
 
-    delete out_buffer;
     /**
        If this is an input buffer, then io_read_buffer will not have
        been called, and we need to close the output fd as well.
diff --git a/io.h b/io.h
index c463836b2..bfe910e33 100644
--- a/io.h
+++ b/io.h
@@ -125,11 +125,11 @@ class io_buffer_t : public io_pipe_t
 {
 private:
     /** buffer to save output in */
-    std::vector<char> *out_buffer;
+    shared_ptr<std::vector<char> > out_buffer;
 
     io_buffer_t(int f, bool i):
         io_pipe_t(IO_BUFFER, f, i),
-        out_buffer(new std::vector<char>)
+        out_buffer()
     {
     }
 
@@ -138,26 +138,36 @@ public:
 
     virtual ~io_buffer_t();
 
+    /** Function to create the output buffer */
+    void out_buffer_create()
+    {
+        out_buffer.reset(new std::vector<char>);
+    }
+
     /** Function to append to the buffer */
     void out_buffer_append(const char *ptr, size_t count)
     {
+        assert(out_buffer.get() != NULL);
         out_buffer->insert(out_buffer->end(), ptr, ptr + count);
     }
 
     /** Function to get a pointer to the buffer */
     char *out_buffer_ptr(void)
     {
+        assert(out_buffer.get() != NULL);
         return out_buffer->empty() ? NULL : &out_buffer->at(0);
     }
 
     const char *out_buffer_ptr(void) const
     {
+        assert(out_buffer.get() != NULL);
         return out_buffer->empty() ? NULL : &out_buffer->at(0);
     }
 
     /** Function to get the size of the buffer */
     size_t out_buffer_size(void) const
     {
+        assert(out_buffer.get() != NULL);
         return out_buffer->size();
     }