diff --git a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControlReference/ControlReference.cpp b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControlReference/ControlReference.cpp
index 1d3d62e8c3..56a1ad133f 100644
--- a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControlReference/ControlReference.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControlReference/ControlReference.cpp
@@ -29,22 +29,16 @@ bool ControlReference::InputGateOn()
 void ControlReference::UpdateReference(ciface::Core::DeviceContainer& devices,
                                        const ciface::Core::DeviceQualifier& default_device)
 {
-  delete parsed_expression;
-  parsed_expression = nullptr;
-
+  Expression* expr;
   ControlFinder finder(devices, default_device, IsInput());
-  m_parse_status = ParseExpression(expression, finder, &parsed_expression);
-}
-
-ControlReference::~ControlReference()
-{
-  delete parsed_expression;
+  m_parse_status = ParseExpression(expression, finder, &expr);
+  m_parsed_expression.reset(expr);
 }
 
 int ControlReference::BoundCount() const
 {
-  if (parsed_expression)
-    return parsed_expression->num_controls;
+  if (m_parsed_expression)
+    return m_parsed_expression->num_controls;
   else
     return 0;
 }
@@ -54,7 +48,7 @@ ExpressionParseStatus ControlReference::GetParseStatus() const
   return m_parse_status;
 }
 
-ControlReference::ControlReference() : range(1), parsed_expression(nullptr)
+ControlReference::ControlReference() : range(1), m_parsed_expression(nullptr)
 {
 }
 
@@ -83,8 +77,8 @@ bool OutputReference::IsInput() const
 //
 ControlState InputReference::State(const ControlState ignore)
 {
-  if (parsed_expression && InputGateOn())
-    return parsed_expression->GetValue() * range;
+  if (m_parsed_expression && InputGateOn())
+    return m_parsed_expression->GetValue() * range;
   return 0.0;
 }
 
@@ -98,8 +92,8 @@ ControlState InputReference::State(const ControlState ignore)
 //
 ControlState OutputReference::State(const ControlState state)
 {
-  if (parsed_expression && InputGateOn())
-    parsed_expression->SetValue(state);
+  if (m_parsed_expression && InputGateOn())
+    m_parsed_expression->SetValue(state);
   return 0.0;
 }
 
diff --git a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControlReference/ControlReference.h b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControlReference/ControlReference.h
index 49f08b97ce..e7e6e1a277 100644
--- a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControlReference/ControlReference.h
+++ b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControlReference/ControlReference.h
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <memory>
+
 #include "InputCommon/ControlReference/ExpressionParser.h"
 #include "InputCommon/ControllerInterface/Device.h"
 
@@ -22,7 +24,6 @@ class ControlReference
 public:
   static bool InputGateOn();
 
-  virtual ~ControlReference();
   virtual ControlState State(const ControlState state = 0) = 0;
   virtual ciface::Core::Device::Control* Detect(const unsigned int ms,
                                                 ciface::Core::Device* const device) = 0;
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
   ControlReference();
-  ciface::ExpressionParser::Expression* parsed_expression;
+  std::unique_ptr<ciface::ExpressionParser::Expression> m_parsed_expression;
   ciface::ExpressionParser::ExpressionParseStatus m_parse_status;
 };