diff --git a/src/SongSave.cxx b/src/SongSave.cxx
index 039be9d87..ce761e544 100644
--- a/src/SongSave.cxx
+++ b/src/SongSave.cxx
@@ -81,11 +81,11 @@ song_save(BufferedOutputStream &os, const DetachedSong &song)
 	os.Format(SONG_END "\n");
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<DetachedSong>
+DetachedSong
 song_load(TextFile &file, const char *uri,
 	  AudioFormat *audio_format_r)
 {
-	auto song = std::make_unique<DetachedSong>(uri);
+	DetachedSong song(uri);
 
 	TagBuilder tag;
 
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ song_load(TextFile &file, const char *uri,
 		} else if (StringIsEqual(line, "Playlist")) {
 			tag.SetHasPlaylist(StringIsEqual(value, "yes"));
 		} else if (StringIsEqual(line, SONG_MTIME)) {
-			song->SetLastModified(std::chrono::system_clock::from_time_t(atoi(value)));
+			song.SetLastModified(std::chrono::system_clock::from_time_t(atoi(value)));
 		} else if (StringIsEqual(line, "Range")) {
 			char *endptr;
 
@@ -126,13 +126,13 @@ song_load(TextFile &file, const char *uri,
 				? strtoul(endptr + 1, nullptr, 10)
 				: 0;
 
-			song->SetStartTime(SongTime::FromMS(start_ms));
-			song->SetEndTime(SongTime::FromMS(end_ms));
+			song.SetStartTime(SongTime::FromMS(start_ms));
+			song.SetEndTime(SongTime::FromMS(end_ms));
 		} else {
 			throw FormatRuntimeError("unknown line in db: %s", line);
 		}
 	}
 
-	song->SetTag(tag.Commit());
+	song.SetTag(tag.Commit());
 	return song;
 }
diff --git a/src/SongSave.hxx b/src/SongSave.hxx
index 15da0e725..579ec6f30 100644
--- a/src/SongSave.hxx
+++ b/src/SongSave.hxx
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ song_save(BufferedOutputStream &os, const DetachedSong &song);
  *
  * Throws on error.
  */
-std::unique_ptr<DetachedSong>
+DetachedSong
 song_load(TextFile &file, const char *uri,
 	  AudioFormat *audio_format_r=nullptr);
 
diff --git a/src/db/plugins/simple/DirectorySave.cxx b/src/db/plugins/simple/DirectorySave.cxx
index 753e0e1dc..783dcc3f0 100644
--- a/src/db/plugins/simple/DirectorySave.cxx
+++ b/src/db/plugins/simple/DirectorySave.cxx
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ directory_load(TextFile &file, Directory &directory)
 			auto detached_song = song_load(file, name,
 						       &audio_format);
 
-			auto song = std::make_unique<Song>(std::move(*detached_song),
+			auto song = std::make_unique<Song>(std::move(detached_song),
 							   directory);
 			song->audio_format = audio_format;
 
diff --git a/src/queue/QueueSave.cxx b/src/queue/QueueSave.cxx
index f759701f7..464b906ca 100644
--- a/src/queue/QueueSave.cxx
+++ b/src/queue/QueueSave.cxx
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ queue_save(BufferedOutputStream &os, const Queue &queue)
 	}
 }
 
-static std::unique_ptr<DetachedSong>
+static DetachedSong
 LoadQueueSong(TextFile &file, const char *line)
 {
 	std::unique_ptr<DetachedSong> song;
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ LoadQueueSong(TextFile &file, const char *line)
 
 		const char *uri = endptr + 1;
 
-		return std::make_unique<DetachedSong>(uri);
+		return DetachedSong(uri);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ queue_load_song(TextFile &file, const SongLoader &loader,
 
 	auto song = LoadQueueSong(file, line);
 
-	if (!playlist_check_translate_song(*song, nullptr, loader))
+	if (!playlist_check_translate_song(song, nullptr, loader))
 		return;
 
-	queue.Append(std::move(*song), priority);
+	queue.Append(std::move(song), priority);
 }