diff --git a/src/neighbor/Glue.cxx b/src/neighbor/Glue.cxx
index ad56acd94..5037ba8ac 100644
--- a/src/neighbor/Glue.cxx
+++ b/src/neighbor/Glue.cxx
@@ -30,14 +30,10 @@
 
 #include <stdexcept>
 
-NeighborGlue::Explorer::~Explorer() noexcept
-{
-	delete explorer;
-}
-
+NeighborGlue::NeighborGlue() noexcept {}
 NeighborGlue::~NeighborGlue() noexcept {}
 
-static NeighborExplorer *
+static std::unique_ptr<NeighborExplorer>
 CreateNeighborExplorer(EventLoop &loop, NeighborListener &listener,
 		       const ConfigBlock &block)
 {
@@ -59,9 +55,9 @@ NeighborGlue::Init(EventLoop &loop, NeighborListener &listener)
 	for (const auto *block = config_get_block(ConfigBlockOption::NEIGHBORS);
 	     block != nullptr; block = block->next) {
 		try {
-			auto *explorer =
-				CreateNeighborExplorer(loop, listener, *block);
-			explorers.emplace_front(explorer);
+			explorers.emplace_front(CreateNeighborExplorer(loop,
+								       listener,
+								       *block));
 		} catch (...) {
 			std::throw_with_nested(FormatRuntimeError("Line %i: ",
 								  block->line));
diff --git a/src/neighbor/Glue.hxx b/src/neighbor/Glue.hxx
index e4ca84bf3..914419845 100644
--- a/src/neighbor/Glue.hxx
+++ b/src/neighbor/Glue.hxx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "thread/Mutex.hxx"
 
 #include <forward_list>
+#include <memory>
 
 class EventLoop;
 class NeighborExplorer;
@@ -36,13 +37,13 @@ struct NeighborInfo;
  */
 class NeighborGlue {
 	struct Explorer {
-		NeighborExplorer *const explorer;
+		std::unique_ptr<NeighborExplorer> explorer;
 
-		Explorer(NeighborExplorer *_explorer) noexcept
-			:explorer(_explorer) {}
+		template<typename E>
+		Explorer(E &&_explorer) noexcept
+			:explorer(std::forward<E>(_explorer)) {}
 
 		Explorer(const Explorer &) = delete;
-		~Explorer() noexcept;
 	};
 
 	Mutex mutex;
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ class NeighborGlue {
 public:
 	typedef std::forward_list<NeighborInfo> List;
 
-	NeighborGlue() = default;
+	NeighborGlue() noexcept;
 	NeighborGlue(const NeighborGlue &) = delete;
 	~NeighborGlue() noexcept;
 
diff --git a/src/neighbor/NeighborPlugin.hxx b/src/neighbor/NeighborPlugin.hxx
index a390d2997..4cbc502f5 100644
--- a/src/neighbor/NeighborPlugin.hxx
+++ b/src/neighbor/NeighborPlugin.hxx
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #ifndef MPD_NEIGHBOR_PLUGIN_HXX
 #define MPD_NEIGHBOR_PLUGIN_HXX
 
+#include <memory>
+
 struct ConfigBlock;
 class EventLoop;
 class NeighborListener;
@@ -31,8 +33,9 @@ struct NeighborPlugin {
 	/**
 	 * Allocates and configures a #NeighborExplorer instance.
 	 */
-	NeighborExplorer *(*create)(EventLoop &loop, NeighborListener &listener,
-				    const ConfigBlock &block);
+	std::unique_ptr<NeighborExplorer> (*create)(EventLoop &loop,
+						    NeighborListener &listener,
+						    const ConfigBlock &block);
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/neighbor/plugins/SmbclientNeighborPlugin.cxx b/src/neighbor/plugins/SmbclientNeighborPlugin.cxx
index 97437add9..287cc8d07 100644
--- a/src/neighbor/plugins/SmbclientNeighborPlugin.cxx
+++ b/src/neighbor/plugins/SmbclientNeighborPlugin.cxx
@@ -252,14 +252,14 @@ SmbclientNeighborExplorer::ThreadFunc()
 	mutex.unlock();
 }
 
-static NeighborExplorer *
+static std::unique_ptr<NeighborExplorer>
 smbclient_neighbor_create(gcc_unused EventLoop &loop,
 			  NeighborListener &listener,
 			  gcc_unused const ConfigBlock &block)
 {
 	SmbclientInit();
 
-	return new SmbclientNeighborExplorer(listener);
+	return std::make_unique<SmbclientNeighborExplorer>(listener);
 }
 
 const NeighborPlugin smbclient_neighbor_plugin = {
diff --git a/src/neighbor/plugins/UpnpNeighborPlugin.cxx b/src/neighbor/plugins/UpnpNeighborPlugin.cxx
index b034fa96d..1180133d2 100644
--- a/src/neighbor/plugins/UpnpNeighborPlugin.cxx
+++ b/src/neighbor/plugins/UpnpNeighborPlugin.cxx
@@ -127,12 +127,12 @@ UpnpNeighborExplorer::LostUPnP(const ContentDirectoryService &service)
 	listener.LostNeighbor(n);
 }
 
-static NeighborExplorer *
+static std::unique_ptr<NeighborExplorer>
 upnp_neighbor_create(EventLoop &event_loop,
 		     NeighborListener &listener,
 		     gcc_unused const ConfigBlock &block)
 {
-	return new UpnpNeighborExplorer(event_loop, listener);
+	return std::make_unique<UpnpNeighborExplorer>(event_loop, listener);
 }
 
 const NeighborPlugin upnp_neighbor_plugin = {