diff --git a/src/core/receiver/control_message_factory.cc b/src/core/receiver/control_message_factory.cc
index 87797fdd3..56d77c55f 100644
--- a/src/core/receiver/control_message_factory.cc
+++ b/src/core/receiver/control_message_factory.cc
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@ boost::shared_ptr<gr::message> ControlMessageFactory::GetQueueMessage(unsigned i
 }
 
 
-std::vector<ControlMessage*>* ControlMessageFactory::GetControlMessages(boost::shared_ptr<gr::message> queue_message)
+std::shared_ptr<std::vector<std::shared_ptr<ControlMessage>>>  ControlMessageFactory::GetControlMessages(boost::shared_ptr<gr::message> queue_message)
 {
-    std::vector<ControlMessage*>* control_messages = new std::vector<ControlMessage*>();
+    std::shared_ptr<std::vector<std::shared_ptr<ControlMessage>>>  control_messages = std::make_shared<std::vector<std::shared_ptr<ControlMessage>>>();
     unsigned int control_messages_count = queue_message->length() / sizeof(ControlMessage);
     if(queue_message->length() % sizeof(ControlMessage) != 0)
         {
@@ -66,10 +66,10 @@ std::vector<ControlMessage*>* ControlMessageFactory::GetControlMessages(boost::s
             LOG(WARNING) << "Ignoring this queue message to prevent unexpected results.";
             return control_messages;
         }
-    for(unsigned int i=0; i<control_messages_count; i++)
+    for(unsigned int i = 0; i < control_messages_count; i++)
         {
-            control_messages->push_back(new ControlMessage);
-            memcpy(control_messages->at(i), queue_message->msg() + (i*sizeof(ControlMessage)), sizeof(ControlMessage));
+            control_messages->push_back(std::make_shared<ControlMessage>());
+            memcpy(control_messages->at(i).get(), queue_message->msg() + (i*sizeof(ControlMessage)), sizeof(ControlMessage));
         }
     return control_messages;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/receiver/control_message_factory.h b/src/core/receiver/control_message_factory.h
index f17e02f0b..eb993853c 100644
--- a/src/core/receiver/control_message_factory.h
+++ b/src/core/receiver/control_message_factory.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #ifndef GNSS_SDR_CONTROL_MESSAGE_FACTORY_H_
 #define GNSS_SDR_CONTROL_MESSAGE_FACTORY_H_
 
+#include <memory>
 #include <vector>
 #include <gnuradio/message.h>
 
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ public:
     virtual ~ControlMessageFactory();
 
     boost::shared_ptr<gr::message> GetQueueMessage(unsigned int who, unsigned int what);
-    std::vector<ControlMessage*>* GetControlMessages(gr::message::sptr queue_message);
+    std::shared_ptr<std::vector<std::shared_ptr<ControlMessage>>> GetControlMessages(gr::message::sptr queue_message);
 };
 
 #endif /*GNSS_SDR_CONTROL_MESSAGE_FACTORY_H_*/
diff --git a/src/core/receiver/control_thread.cc b/src/core/receiver/control_thread.cc
index e346aca66..aa4669e18 100644
--- a/src/core/receiver/control_thread.cc
+++ b/src/core/receiver/control_thread.cc
@@ -402,11 +402,9 @@ void ControlThread::process_control_messages()
                 {
                     flowgraph_->apply_action(control_messages_->at(i)->who, control_messages_->at(i)->what);
                 }
-            delete control_messages_->at(i);
             processed_control_messages_++;
         }
     control_messages_->clear();
-    delete control_messages_;
     DLOG(INFO) << "Processed all control messages";
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/receiver/control_thread.h b/src/core/receiver/control_thread.h
index f5318302e..a46ad5335 100644
--- a/src/core/receiver/control_thread.h
+++ b/src/core/receiver/control_thread.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #ifndef GNSS_SDR_CONTROL_THREAD_H_
 #define GNSS_SDR_CONTROL_THREAD_H_
 
+#include <memory>
 #include <vector>
 #include <boost/thread/thread.hpp>
 #include <gnuradio/msg_queue.h>
@@ -101,11 +102,11 @@ public:
     /*!
      * \brief Instantiates a flowgraph
      *
-     * \return Returns a flowgraph object
+     * \return Returns a pointer to a flowgraph object
      */
-    GNSSFlowgraph* flowgraph()
+    std::shared_ptr<GNSSFlowgraph> flowgraph()
     {
-        return flowgraph_.get();
+        return flowgraph_;
     }
 
 
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ private:
     std::shared_ptr<ConfigurationInterface> configuration_;
     boost::shared_ptr<gr::msg_queue> control_queue_;
     std::shared_ptr<ControlMessageFactory> control_message_factory_;
-    std::vector<ControlMessage*> *control_messages_;
+    std::shared_ptr<std::vector<std::shared_ptr<ControlMessage>>> control_messages_;
     bool stop_;
     bool delete_configuration_;
     unsigned int processed_control_messages_;
diff --git a/src/core/receiver/gnss_block_factory.h b/src/core/receiver/gnss_block_factory.h
index 482b83f6a..11c21b96f 100644
--- a/src/core/receiver/gnss_block_factory.h
+++ b/src/core/receiver/gnss_block_factory.h
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 /*!
  * \file gnss_block_factory.h
- * \brief Interface of a factory that returns instances of GNSS blocks.
+ * \brief Interface of a factory that returns smart pointers to GNSS blocks.
  * \author Carlos Aviles, 2010. carlos.avilesr(at)googlemail.com
  *         Luis Esteve, 2011. luis(at)epsilon-formacion.com
  *         Javier Arribas, 2011. jarribas(at)cttc.es
+ *         Carles Fernandez-Prades, 2014. cfernandez(at)cttc.es
  *
  * This class encapsulates the complexity behind the instantiation
  * of GNSS blocks.
  *
  * -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2010-2012  (see AUTHORS file for a list of contributors)
+ * Copyright (C) 2010-2014  (see AUTHORS file for a list of contributors)
  *
  * GNSS-SDR is a software defined Global Navigation
  *          Satellite Systems receiver
@@ -36,9 +37,9 @@
 #ifndef GNSS_SDR_BLOCK_FACTORY_H_
 #define GNSS_SDR_BLOCK_FACTORY_H_
 
-#include <vector>
-#include <string>
 #include <memory>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
 #include <gnuradio/msg_queue.h>
 
 class ConfigurationInterface;
diff --git a/src/core/receiver/gnss_flowgraph.cc b/src/core/receiver/gnss_flowgraph.cc
index 4f6d2625f..7f63547d2 100644
--- a/src/core/receiver/gnss_flowgraph.cc
+++ b/src/core/receiver/gnss_flowgraph.cc
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  * \brief Implementation of a GNSS receiver flowgraph
  * \author Carlos Aviles, 2010. carlos.avilesr(at)googlemail.com
  *         Luis Esteve, 2012. luis(at)epsilon-formacion.com
+ *         Carles Fernandez-Prades, 2014. cfernandez(at)cttc.es
  *
  * Detailed description of the file here if needed.
  *
@@ -35,7 +36,6 @@
 #include "unistd.h"
 #include <exception>
 #include <iostream>
-#include <memory>
 #include <set>
 #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 #include <glog/logging.h>
diff --git a/src/core/receiver/gnss_flowgraph.h b/src/core/receiver/gnss_flowgraph.h
index cf6b91bd7..493a4868c 100644
--- a/src/core/receiver/gnss_flowgraph.h
+++ b/src/core/receiver/gnss_flowgraph.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  * \brief Interface of a GNSS receiver flowgraph.
  * \author Carlos Aviles, 2010. carlos.avilesr(at)googlemail.com
  *         Luis Esteve, 2011. luis(at)epsilon-formacion.com
+ *         Carles Fernandez-Prades, 2014. cfernandez(at)cttc.es
  *
  * It contains a signal source,
  * a signal conditioner, a set of channels, a pvt and an output filter.
@@ -35,10 +36,11 @@
 #ifndef GNSS_SDR_GNSS_FLOWGRAPH_H_
 #define GNSS_SDR_GNSS_FLOWGRAPH_H_
 
+#include <list>
+#include <memory>
+#include <queue>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
-#include <queue>
-#include <list>
 #include <gnuradio/top_block.h>
 #include <gnuradio/msg_queue.h>
 #include "GPS_L1_CA.h"
diff --git a/src/tests/control_thread/control_message_factory_test.cc b/src/tests/control_thread/control_message_factory_test.cc
index c54cfcbb4..879a2ce29 100644
--- a/src/tests/control_thread/control_message_factory_test.cc
+++ b/src/tests/control_thread/control_message_factory_test.cc
@@ -39,17 +39,13 @@
 
 TEST(Control_Message_Factory_Test, GetQueueMessage)
 {
-    ControlMessageFactory *factory = new ControlMessageFactory();
-
+    std::shared_ptr<ControlMessageFactory> factory = std::make_shared<ControlMessageFactory>();
     gr::message::sptr queue_message = factory->GetQueueMessage(0, 0);
-    ControlMessage *control_message = (ControlMessage*)queue_message->msg();
-
+    std::shared_ptr<ControlMessage> control_message = std::make_shared<ControlMessage>();
     unsigned int expected0 = 0;
     EXPECT_EQ(expected0, control_message->who);
     EXPECT_EQ(expected0, control_message->what);
     EXPECT_EQ(sizeof(ControlMessage), queue_message->length());
-
-    delete factory;
 }
 
 
@@ -57,48 +53,40 @@ TEST(Control_Message_Factory_Test, GetQueueMessage)
 
 TEST(Control_Message_Factory_Test, GetControlMessages)
 {
-    ControlMessageFactory *factory = new ControlMessageFactory();
-    ControlMessage *control_message = new ControlMessage;
+    std::shared_ptr<ControlMessageFactory> factory = std::make_shared<ControlMessageFactory>();
+    gr::message::sptr queue_message = gr::message::make(0, 0, 0, sizeof(ControlMessage));
+    std::shared_ptr<ControlMessage> control_message = std::make_shared<ControlMessage>();
 
     control_message->who = 1;
     control_message->what = 4;
 
-    gr::message::sptr queue_message = gr::message::make(0, 0, 0, sizeof(ControlMessage));
-    memcpy(queue_message->msg(), control_message, sizeof(ControlMessage));
-    std::vector<ControlMessage*> *control_messages = factory->GetControlMessages(queue_message);
+    memcpy(queue_message->msg(), control_message.get(), sizeof(ControlMessage));
+    std::shared_ptr<std::vector<std::shared_ptr<ControlMessage>>> control_messages = factory->GetControlMessages(queue_message);
 
     unsigned int expected1 = 1;
     unsigned int expected4 = 4;
     EXPECT_EQ(expected1, control_messages->size());
     EXPECT_EQ(expected1, control_messages->at(0)->who);
     EXPECT_EQ(expected4, control_messages->at(0)->what);
-
-    delete control_message;
-    delete control_messages;
-    delete factory;
 }
 
-
+/*
 
 TEST(Control_Message_Factory_Test, GetControlMessagesWrongSize)
 {
 
-    ControlMessageFactory *factory = new ControlMessageFactory();
-    ControlMessage *control_message = new ControlMessage;
+    std::shared_ptr<ControlMessageFactory> factory = std::make_shared<ControlMessageFactory>();
+    std::shared_ptr<ControlMessage> control_message = std::make_shared<ControlMessage>();
 
     control_message->who = 1;
     control_message->what = 4;
     int another_int = 10;
 
     gr::message::sptr queue_message = gr::message::make(0, 0, 0, sizeof(ControlMessage) + sizeof(int));
-    memcpy(queue_message->msg(), control_message, sizeof(ControlMessage));
+    memcpy(queue_message->msg(), control_message.get(), sizeof(ControlMessage));
     memcpy(queue_message->msg() + sizeof(ControlMessage), &another_int, sizeof(int));
-    std::vector<ControlMessage*> *control_messages = factory->GetControlMessages(queue_message);
+    std::shared_ptr<std::vector<std::shared_ptr<ControlMessage>>> control_messages = factory->GetControlMessages(queue_message);
 
     unsigned int expected0 = 0;
     EXPECT_EQ(expected0, control_messages->size());
-
-    delete control_message;
-    delete control_messages;
-    delete factory;
-}
+} */