diff --git a/src/Menus.cpp b/src/Menus.cpp
index b9ea5a88e..b13c0f769 100644
--- a/src/Menus.cpp
+++ b/src/Menus.cpp
@@ -3999,7 +3999,7 @@ void AudacityProject::OnPaste()
    double t1 = mViewInfo.selectedRegion.t1();
 
    TrackListIterator iter(mTracks);
-   TrackListIterator clipIter(msClipboard);
+   TrackListIterator clipIter(msClipboard.get());
 
    Track *n = iter.First();
    Track *c = clipIter.First();
@@ -4139,7 +4139,7 @@ void AudacityProject::OnPaste()
    // selected tracks.
    if ( n && !c )
    {
-      TrackListOfKindIterator clipWaveIter(Track::Wave, msClipboard);
+      TrackListOfKindIterator clipWaveIter(Track::Wave, msClipboard.get());
       c = clipWaveIter.Last();
 
       while (n) {
@@ -4246,7 +4246,7 @@ bool AudacityProject::HandlePasteNothingSelected()
       return false;
    else
    {
-      TrackListIterator iterClip(msClipboard);
+      TrackListIterator iterClip(msClipboard.get());
       Track* pClip = iterClip.First();
       if (!pClip)
          return true; // nothing to paste
diff --git a/src/Project.cpp b/src/Project.cpp
index 35b7ccc42..a90444844 100644
--- a/src/Project.cpp
+++ b/src/Project.cpp
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ scroll information.  It also has some status flags.
 
 #include "../images/AudacityLogoAlpha.xpm"
 
-TrackList *AudacityProject::msClipboard = new TrackList();
+std::unique_ptr<TrackList> AudacityProject::msClipboard{ safenew TrackList() };
 double AudacityProject::msClipT0 = 0.0;
 double AudacityProject::msClipT1 = 0.0;
 AudacityProject *AudacityProject::msClipProject = NULL;
@@ -4166,17 +4166,13 @@ void AudacityProject::UpdateMixerBoard()
 //static
 TrackList *AudacityProject::GetClipboardTracks()
 {
-   return msClipboard;
+   return msClipboard.get();
 }
 
 //static
 void AudacityProject::DeleteClipboard()
 {
-   if (msClipboard) {
-      msClipboard->Clear();
-      delete msClipboard;
-      msClipboard = NULL;
-   }
+   msClipboard.reset();
 }
 
 //static
diff --git a/src/Project.h b/src/Project.h
index 93a628274..a27a09cc8 100644
--- a/src/Project.h
+++ b/src/Project.h
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ public:
    TrackList *mLastSavedTracks;
 
    // Clipboard (static because it is shared by all projects)
-   static TrackList *msClipboard;
+   static std::unique_ptr<TrackList> msClipboard;
    static AudacityProject *msClipProject;
    static double msClipT0;
    static double msClipT1;