diff --git a/headers/modsecurity/rule.h b/headers/modsecurity/rule.h
index b46abcfdb..e73f73d38 100644
--- a/headers/modsecurity/rule.h
+++ b/headers/modsecurity/rule.h
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ using MatchActions = std::vector<actions::Action *>;
 
 class Rule {
  public:
-    Rule(std::unique_ptr<std::string> fileName, int lineNumber)
-        : m_fileName(*fileName),
+    Rule(const std::string &fileName, int lineNumber)
+        : m_fileName(fileName),
         m_lineNumber(lineNumber),
         m_phase(modsecurity::Phases::RequestHeadersPhase) {
         }
diff --git a/headers/modsecurity/rule_marker.h b/headers/modsecurity/rule_marker.h
index bd66ddcf5..9710cab2e 100644
--- a/headers/modsecurity/rule_marker.h
+++ b/headers/modsecurity/rule_marker.h
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ class RuleMarker : public Rule {
  public:
     RuleMarker(
         const std::string &name,
-        std::unique_ptr<std::string> fileName,
+        const std::string &fileName,
         int lineNumber)
-        : Rule(std::move(fileName), lineNumber),
+        : Rule(fileName, lineNumber),
         m_name(name) { }
 
     RuleMarker(const RuleMarker &r) = delete;
diff --git a/headers/modsecurity/rule_unconditional.h b/headers/modsecurity/rule_unconditional.h
index 2acf4dd5a..9769dc219 100644
--- a/headers/modsecurity/rule_unconditional.h
+++ b/headers/modsecurity/rule_unconditional.h
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ class RuleUnconditional : public RuleWithActions {
     RuleUnconditional(
         std::vector<actions::Action *> *actions,
         Transformations *transformations,
-        std::unique_ptr<std::string> fileName,
+        const std::string &fileName,
         int lineNumber)
-        : RuleWithActions(actions, transformations, std::move(fileName), lineNumber) { }
+        : RuleWithActions(actions, transformations, fileName, lineNumber) { }
 
     RuleUnconditional(const RuleUnconditional& r) = delete;
 
diff --git a/headers/modsecurity/rule_with_actions.h b/headers/modsecurity/rule_with_actions.h
index 4e7344488..21c989681 100644
--- a/headers/modsecurity/rule_with_actions.h
+++ b/headers/modsecurity/rule_with_actions.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class RuleWithActions : public Rule {
     RuleWithActions(
         Actions *a,
         Transformations *t,
-        std::unique_ptr<std::string> fileName,
+        const std::string &fileName,
         int lineNumber);
 
     virtual ~RuleWithActions();
diff --git a/headers/modsecurity/rule_with_operator.h b/headers/modsecurity/rule_with_operator.h
index 42fa0f9ec..a1048b986 100644
--- a/headers/modsecurity/rule_with_operator.h
+++ b/headers/modsecurity/rule_with_operator.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class RuleWithOperator : public RuleWithActions {
         variables::Variables *variables,
         std::vector<actions::Action *> *actions,
         Transformations *transformations,
-        std::unique_ptr<std::string> fileName,
+        const std::string &fileName,
         int lineNumber);
 
     virtual ~RuleWithOperator();
diff --git a/src/parser/driver.cc b/src/parser/driver.cc
index a6a9755c9..a42942fbd 100644
--- a/src/parser/driver.cc
+++ b/src/parser/driver.cc
@@ -43,11 +43,10 @@ Driver::~Driver() {
 }
 
 
-int Driver::addSecMarker(const std::string& marker, std::unique_ptr<std::string> fileName, int lineNumber) {
+int Driver::addSecMarker(const std::string& marker, const std::string &fileName, int lineNumber) {
     // FIXME: we might move this to the parser.
     for (int i = 0; i < modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES; i++) {
-        RuleMarker *r = new RuleMarker(marker, std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*fileName)), lineNumber);
-        std::unique_ptr<RuleMarker> rule(r);
+        auto rule = std::make_unique<RuleMarker>(marker, fileName, lineNumber);
         rule->setPhase(i);
         m_rulesSetPhases.insert(std::move(rule));
     }
diff --git a/src/parser/driver.h b/src/parser/driver.h
index 20e7ef3c6..dadb978d9 100644
--- a/src/parser/driver.h
+++ b/src/parser/driver.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class Driver : public RulesSetProperties {
 
     int addSecRule(std::unique_ptr<RuleWithActions> rule);
     int addSecAction(std::unique_ptr<RuleWithActions> rule);
-    int addSecMarker(const std::string& marker, std::unique_ptr<std::string> fileName, int lineNumber);
+    int addSecMarker(const std::string& marker, const std::string &fileName, int lineNumber);
     int addSecRuleScript(std::unique_ptr<RuleScript> rule);
 
     bool scan_begin();
diff --git a/src/parser/seclang-parser.cc b/src/parser/seclang-parser.cc
index fbce57040..3d90430af 100644
--- a/src/parser/seclang-parser.cc
+++ b/src/parser/seclang-parser.cc
@@ -2313,7 +2313,7 @@ namespace yy {
             /* variables */ v,
             /* actions */ a,
             /* transformations */ t,
-            /* file name */ std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*yystack_[3].location.end.filename)),
+            /* file name */ std::string(*yystack_[3].location.end.filename),
             /* line number */ yystack_[3].location.end.line
             ));
 
@@ -2337,7 +2337,7 @@ namespace yy {
             /* variables */ v,
             /* actions */ NULL,
             /* transformations */ NULL,
-            /* file name */ std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*yystack_[2].location.end.filename)),
+            /* file name */ std::string(*yystack_[2].location.end.filename),
             /* line number */ yystack_[2].location.end.line
             ));
         if (driver.addSecRule(std::move(rule)) == false) {
@@ -2363,7 +2363,7 @@ namespace yy {
         std::unique_ptr<RuleUnconditional> rule(new RuleUnconditional(
             /* actions */ a,
             /* transformations */ t,
-            /* file name */ std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*yystack_[1].location.end.filename)),
+            /* file name */ std::string(*yystack_[1].location.end.filename),
             /* line number */ yystack_[1].location.end.line
             ));
         driver.addSecAction(std::move(rule));
@@ -2389,7 +2389,7 @@ namespace yy {
             /* path to script */ yystack_[1].value.as < std::string > (),
             /* actions */ a,
             /* transformations */ t,
-            /* file name */ std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*yystack_[1].location.end.filename)),
+            /* file name */ std::string(*yystack_[1].location.end.filename),
             /* line number */ yystack_[1].location.end.line
             ));
 
@@ -2469,7 +2469,7 @@ namespace yy {
 #line 1241 "seclang-parser.yy"
       {
         driver.addSecMarker(modsecurity::utils::string::removeBracketsIfNeeded(yystack_[0].value.as < std::string > ()),
-            /* file name */ std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*yystack_[0].location.end.filename)),
+            /* file name */ std::string(*yystack_[0].location.end.filename),
             /* line number */ yystack_[0].location.end.line
         );
       }
diff --git a/src/parser/seclang-parser.yy b/src/parser/seclang-parser.yy
index 41583768f..5de56e218 100644
--- a/src/parser/seclang-parser.yy
+++ b/src/parser/seclang-parser.yy
@@ -1104,7 +1104,7 @@ expression:
             /* variables */ v,
             /* actions */ a,
             /* transformations */ t,
-            /* file name */ std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*@1.end.filename)),
+            /* file name */ std::string(*@1.end.filename),
             /* line number */ @1.end.line
             ));
 
@@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ expression:
             /* variables */ v,
             /* actions */ NULL,
             /* transformations */ NULL,
-            /* file name */ std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*@1.end.filename)),
+            /* file name */ std::string(*@1.end.filename),
             /* line number */ @1.end.line
             ));
         if (driver.addSecRule(std::move(rule)) == false) {
@@ -1146,7 +1146,7 @@ expression:
         std::unique_ptr<RuleUnconditional> rule(new RuleUnconditional(
             /* actions */ a,
             /* transformations */ t,
-            /* file name */ std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*@1.end.filename)),
+            /* file name */ std::string(*@1.end.filename),
             /* line number */ @1.end.line
             ));
         driver.addSecAction(std::move(rule));
@@ -1168,7 +1168,7 @@ expression:
             /* path to script */ $1,
             /* actions */ a,
             /* transformations */ t,
-            /* file name */ std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*@1.end.filename)),
+            /* file name */ std::string(*@1.end.filename),
             /* line number */ @1.end.line
             ));
 
@@ -1240,7 +1240,7 @@ expression:
     | CONFIG_DIR_SEC_MARKER
       {
         driver.addSecMarker(modsecurity::utils::string::removeBracketsIfNeeded($1),
-            /* file name */ std::unique_ptr<std::string>(new std::string(*@1.end.filename)),
+            /* file name */ std::string(*@1.end.filename),
             /* line number */ @1.end.line
         );
       }
diff --git a/src/rule_script.h b/src/rule_script.h
index 1c22ad60e..d7fb8174b 100644
--- a/src/rule_script.h
+++ b/src/rule_script.h
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@ class RuleScript : public RuleWithActions {
     RuleScript(const std::string &name,
         std::vector<Action *> *actions,
         Transformations *t,
-        std::unique_ptr<std::string> fileName,
+        const std::string &fileName,
         int lineNumber)
-            : RuleWithActions(actions, t, std::move(fileName), lineNumber),
+            : RuleWithActions(actions, t, fileName, lineNumber),
         m_name(name),
         m_lua() { }
 
diff --git a/src/rule_with_actions.cc b/src/rule_with_actions.cc
index 33f600cf5..8f9eae2f4 100644
--- a/src/rule_with_actions.cc
+++ b/src/rule_with_actions.cc
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@ using actions::transformations::Transformation;
 RuleWithActions::RuleWithActions(
     Actions *actions,
     Transformations *transformations,
-    std::unique_ptr<std::string> fileName,
+    const std::string &fileName,
     int lineNumber)
-    : Rule(std::move(fileName), lineNumber),
+    : Rule(fileName, lineNumber),
     m_rev(""),
     m_ver(""),
     m_accuracy(0),
diff --git a/src/rule_with_operator.cc b/src/rule_with_operator.cc
index b043af5c1..edcde6aa9 100644
--- a/src/rule_with_operator.cc
+++ b/src/rule_with_operator.cc
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ RuleWithOperator::RuleWithOperator(Operator *op,
     variables::Variables *_variables,
     std::vector<Action *> *actions,
     Transformations *transformations,
-    std::unique_ptr<std::string> fileName,
+    const std::string &fileName,
     int lineNumber)
     : RuleWithActions(actions, transformations, std::move(fileName), lineNumber),
     m_variables(_variables),
diff --git a/src/variables/variable.h b/src/variables/variable.h
index fc4671bbb..2d8c6ec02 100644
--- a/src/variables/variable.h
+++ b/src/variables/variable.h
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ class VariableMonkeyResolution {
 
     static std::string stringMatchResolve(Transaction *t,
         const std::string &variable) {
-        std::unique_ptr<std::string> vv = nullptr;
+        std::unique_ptr<std::string> vv;
         size_t collection = variable.find(".");
         if (collection == std::string::npos) {
             collection = variable.find(":");