diff --git a/code/OpenGEXImporter.cpp b/code/OpenGEXImporter.cpp
index a0bef75a9..43c92c4f5 100644
--- a/code/OpenGEXImporter.cpp
+++ b/code/OpenGEXImporter.cpp
@@ -691,7 +691,8 @@ void OpenGEXImporter::handleTransformNode( ODDLParser::DDLNode *node, aiScene *
 void OpenGEXImporter::handleMeshNode( ODDLParser::DDLNode *node, aiScene *pScene ) {
     m_currentMesh = new aiMesh;
     const size_t meshidx( m_meshCache.size() );
-    m_meshCache.push_back( m_currentMesh );
+    // ownership is transfered but a reference remains in m_currentMesh
+    m_meshCache.emplace_back( m_currentMesh );
 
     Property *prop = node->getProperties();
     if( nullptr != prop ) {
@@ -1138,7 +1139,7 @@ void OpenGEXImporter::copyMeshes( aiScene *pScene ) {
     pScene->mNumMeshes = static_cast<unsigned int>(m_meshCache.size());
     pScene->mMeshes = new aiMesh*[ pScene->mNumMeshes ];
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < pScene->mNumMeshes; i++) {
-        pScene->mMeshes[i] = m_meshCache[i];
+        pScene->mMeshes[i] = m_meshCache[i].release();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/code/OpenGEXImporter.h b/code/OpenGEXImporter.h
index 5b87d5ce5..8e86a4aa8 100644
--- a/code/OpenGEXImporter.h
+++ b/code/OpenGEXImporter.h
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ private:
     typedef std::map<aiNode*, std::unique_ptr<ChildInfo> > NodeChildMap;
     NodeChildMap m_nodeChildMap;
 
-    std::vector<aiMesh*> m_meshCache;
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<aiMesh> > m_meshCache;
     typedef std::map<std::string, size_t> ReferenceMap;
     std::map<std::string, size_t> m_mesh2refMap;
     std::map<std::string, size_t> m_material2refMap;