diff --git a/code/Common/SceneCombiner.cpp b/code/Common/SceneCombiner.cpp
index 4d799f53f..4884383c1 100644
--- a/code/Common/SceneCombiner.cpp
+++ b/code/Common/SceneCombiner.cpp
@@ -250,8 +250,8 @@ void SceneCombiner::AttachToGraph(aiScene *master, std::vector<NodeAttachmentInf
 }
 
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void SceneCombiner::MergeScenes(aiScene **_dest, aiScene *master, std::vector<AttachmentInfo> &srcList, unsigned int flags) {
-    std::unique_ptr<aiScene> masterAutoPtr(master);
+void SceneCombiner::MergeScenes(aiScene **_dest, aiScene *master_raw, std::vector<AttachmentInfo> &srcList, unsigned int flags) {
+    std::unique_ptr<aiScene> master(master_raw);
     if (nullptr == _dest) {
         return;
     }
@@ -259,9 +259,9 @@ void SceneCombiner::MergeScenes(aiScene **_dest, aiScene *master, std::vector<At
     // if _dest points to nullptr allocate a new scene. Otherwise clear the old and reuse it
     if (srcList.empty()) {
         if (*_dest) {
-            SceneCombiner::CopySceneFlat(_dest, master);
+            SceneCombiner::CopySceneFlat(_dest, master.get());
         } else
-            *_dest = masterAutoPtr.release();
+            *_dest = master.release();
         return;
     }
     if (*_dest) {
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ void SceneCombiner::MergeScenes(aiScene **_dest, aiScene *master, std::vector<At
     aiScene *dest = *_dest;
 
     std::vector<SceneHelper> src(srcList.size() + 1);
-    src[0].scene = masterAutoPtr.release();
+    src[0].scene = master.release();
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < srcList.size(); ++i) {
         src[i + 1] = SceneHelper(srcList[i].scene);
     }
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@ void SceneCombiner::MergeScenes(aiScene **_dest, aiScene *master, std::vector<At
     }
 
     // Now build the output graph
-    AttachToGraph(master, nodes);
+    AttachToGraph(master.get(), nodes);
     dest->mRootNode = master->mRootNode;
 
     // Check whether we succeeded at building the output graph
diff --git a/include/assimp/SceneCombiner.h b/include/assimp/SceneCombiner.h
index ff92af18c..d6096900c 100644
--- a/include/assimp/SceneCombiner.h
+++ b/include/assimp/SceneCombiner.h
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ public:
      *    deletes the input scenes afterwards. There may be duplicate scenes.
      *  @param flags Combination of the AI_INT_MERGE_SCENE flags defined above
      */
-    static void MergeScenes(aiScene **dest, std::unique_ptr<aiScene>& master,
+    static void MergeScenes(aiScene **dest, aiScene *master,
             std::vector<AttachmentInfo> &src,
             unsigned int flags = 0);