diff --git a/src/actions.cpp b/src/actions.cpp
index 53e21b7f..f2eb9d11 100644
--- a/src/actions.cpp
+++ b/src/actions.cpp
@@ -114,6 +114,18 @@ namespace Action {
         return *instance_;
     } // TaskFactory::instance
 
+    void TaskFactory::cleanup()
+    {
+        if (instance_ != 0) {
+            Registry::iterator e = registry_.end();
+            for (Registry::iterator i = registry_.begin(); i != e; ++i) {
+                delete i->second;
+            }
+            delete instance_;
+            instance_ = 0;
+        }
+    } //TaskFactory::cleanup
+
     void TaskFactory::registerTask(TaskType type, Task::AutoPtr task)
     {
         Registry::iterator i = registry_.find(type);
diff --git a/src/actions.hpp b/src/actions.hpp
index 593122a5..6a932056 100644
--- a/src/actions.hpp
+++ b/src/actions.hpp
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ namespace Action {
           this method.
         */
         static TaskFactory& instance();
+        //! Destructor
+        void cleanup();
 
         /*!
           @brief  Create a task.
diff --git a/src/exiv2.cpp b/src/exiv2.cpp
index 98d0e3df..c97e069b 100644
--- a/src/exiv2.cpp
+++ b/src/exiv2.cpp
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@ int main(int argc, char* const argv[])
         }
         task->run(*i);
     }
+
+    taskFactory.cleanup();
+    params.cleanup();
+
     return 0;
 } // main
 
@@ -157,6 +161,12 @@ Params& Params::instance()
     return *instance_;
 }
 
+void Params::cleanup()
+{
+    delete instance_;
+    instance_ = 0;
+}
+
 void Params::version(std::ostream& os) const
 {
     os << EXV_PACKAGE_STRING << ", " 
diff --git a/src/exiv2.hpp b/src/exiv2.hpp
index 17d388cd..dbdbc1a4 100644
--- a/src/exiv2.hpp
+++ b/src/exiv2.hpp
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ public:
       @return Reference to the global Params instance.
     */
     static Params& instance();
+    //! Destructor
+    void cleanup();
 
     //! Enumerates print modes
     enum PrintMode { pmSummary, pmInterpreted, pmValues, pmHexdump, pmIptc, 
diff --git a/src/image.cpp b/src/image.cpp
index 64595955..3934700d 100644
--- a/src/image.cpp
+++ b/src/image.cpp
@@ -66,8 +66,28 @@ EXIV2_RCSID("@(#) $Id$");
 // class member definitions
 namespace Exiv2 {
 
+    int ImageFactory::Init::count = 0;
+
+    ImageFactory::Init::Init()
+    {
+        ++count;
+    }
+
+    ImageFactory::Init::~Init()
+    {
+        if (--count == 0) {
+            Exiv2::ImageFactory::cleanup();
+        }
+    }
+
     ImageFactory::Registry* ImageFactory::registry_ = 0;
 
+    void ImageFactory::cleanup()
+    {
+        delete registry_;
+        registry_ = 0;
+    }
+
     void ImageFactory::init()
     {
         if (0 == registry_) {
diff --git a/src/image.hpp b/src/image.hpp
index ae7a43bb..f6343e57 100644
--- a/src/image.hpp
+++ b/src/image.hpp
@@ -252,6 +252,8 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
     public:
         //! @name Manipulators
         //@{
+        //! Destructor.
+        static void cleanup();
         /*!
           @brief Register image type together with its function pointers.
 
@@ -372,6 +374,24 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
         static Image::Type getType(BasicIo& io);
         //@}
 
+        /*!
+          @brief Class Init is used to execute initialisation and termination 
+                 code exactly once, at the begin and end of the program.
+
+          See Bjarne Stroustrup, 'The C++ Programming Language 3rd
+          Edition', section 21.5.2 for details about this pattern.
+        */
+        class Init {
+            static int count;           //!< Counts calls to constructor
+        public:
+            //! @name Creators
+            //@{                            
+            //! Perform one-time initialisations.
+            Init();
+            //! Perform one-time cleanup operations.
+            ~Init();
+            //@}
+        };
 
     private:
         //! @name Creators
@@ -458,4 +478,16 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
 
 }                                       // namespace Exiv2
 
+namespace {
+    /*!
+      Each translation unit that includes image.hpp declares its own
+      Init object. The destructor ensures that the factory is properly
+      freed exactly once.
+
+      See Bjarne Stroustrup, 'The C++ Programming Language 3rd
+      Edition', section 21.5.2 for details about this pattern.
+    */
+    Exiv2::ImageFactory::Init imageFactoryInit;
+}
+
 #endif                                  // #ifndef IMAGE_HPP_
diff --git a/src/makernote.cpp b/src/makernote.cpp
index b807917a..d792d54d 100644
--- a/src/makernote.cpp
+++ b/src/makernote.cpp
@@ -184,9 +184,42 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
         return AutoPtr(clone_());
     }
 
+    int MakerNoteFactory::Init::count = 0;
+
+    MakerNoteFactory::Init::Init()
+    {
+        ++count;
+    }
+
+    MakerNoteFactory::Init::~Init()
+    {
+        if (--count == 0) {
+            Exiv2::MakerNoteFactory::cleanup();
+        }
+    }
+
     MakerNoteFactory::Registry* MakerNoteFactory::pRegistry_ = 0;
     MakerNoteFactory::IfdIdRegistry* MakerNoteFactory::pIfdIdRegistry_ = 0;
 
+    void MakerNoteFactory::cleanup()
+    {
+        if (pRegistry_ != 0) {
+            Registry::iterator e = pRegistry_->end();
+            for (Registry::iterator i = pRegistry_->begin(); i != e; ++i) {
+                delete i->second;
+            }
+            delete pRegistry_;
+        }
+
+        if (pIfdIdRegistry_ != 0) {
+            IfdIdRegistry::iterator e = pIfdIdRegistry_->end();
+            for (IfdIdRegistry::iterator i = pIfdIdRegistry_->begin(); i != e; ++i) {
+                delete i->second;
+            }
+            delete pIfdIdRegistry_;
+        }
+    }
+
     void MakerNoteFactory::init()
     {
         if (0 == pRegistry_) {
@@ -203,6 +236,11 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
         init();
         MakerNote* pMakerNote = makerNote.release();
         assert(pMakerNote);
+        IfdIdRegistry::iterator pos = pIfdIdRegistry_->find(ifdId);
+        if (pos != pIfdIdRegistry_->end()) {
+            delete pos->second;
+            pos->second = 0;
+        }
         (*pIfdIdRegistry_)[ifdId] = pMakerNote;
     } // MakerNoteFactory::registerMakerNote
 
diff --git a/src/makernote.hpp b/src/makernote.hpp
index a604c159..d792f506 100644
--- a/src/makernote.hpp
+++ b/src/makernote.hpp
@@ -344,6 +344,8 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
     */
     class MakerNoteFactory {
     public:
+        //! Destructor.
+        static void cleanup();
         /*!
           @brief Register a %MakerNote create function for a camera make and
                  model.
@@ -442,6 +444,25 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
          */
         static int match(const std::string& regEntry, const std::string& key);
 
+        /*!
+          @brief Class Init is used to execute initialisation and termination 
+                 code exactly once, at the begin and end of the program.
+
+          See Bjarne Stroustrup, 'The C++ Programming Language 3rd
+          Edition', section 21.5.2 for details about this pattern.
+        */
+        class Init {
+            static int count;           //!< Counts calls to constructor
+        public:
+            //! @name Creators
+            //@{                            
+            //! Perform one-time initialisations.
+            Init();
+            //! Perform one-time cleanup operations.
+            ~Init();
+            //@}
+        };
+
     private:
         //! @name Creators
         //@{                
@@ -471,4 +492,16 @@ namespace Exiv2 {
    
 }                                       // namespace Exiv2
 
+namespace {
+    /*!
+      Each translation unit that includes makernote.hpp declares its own
+      Init object. The destructor ensures that the factory is properly
+      freed exactly once.
+
+      See Bjarne Stroustrup, 'The C++ Programming Language 3rd
+      Edition', section 21.5.2 for details about this pattern.
+    */
+    Exiv2::MakerNoteFactory::Init makerNoteFactoryInit;
+}
+
 #endif                                  // #ifndef MAKERNOTE_HPP_