diff --git a/simgear/scene/material/Technique.cxx b/simgear/scene/material/Technique.cxx
index b8093f35..aeab9cf3 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/material/Technique.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/material/Technique.cxx
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ Technique::Technique(bool alwaysValid)
 
 Technique::Technique(const Technique& rhs, const osg::CopyOp& copyop) :
     _contextMap(rhs._contextMap), _alwaysValid(rhs._alwaysValid),
-    _shadowingStateSet(copyop(rhs._shadowingStateSet)),
+    _shadowingStateSet(copyop(rhs._shadowingStateSet.get())),
     _validExpression(rhs._validExpression),
     _contextIdLocation(rhs._contextIdLocation)
 {
diff --git a/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.hxx b/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.hxx
index 94931bca..5e303905 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.hxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.hxx
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ public:
             _bvhPolicy.buildBVH(fileName, optimizedNode.get());
             _cachePolicy.addToCache(fileName, optimizedNode.get());
         }
-        return ReaderWriter::ReadResult(optimizedNode);
+        return ReaderWriter::ReadResult(optimizedNode.get());
     }
 protected:
     static osgDB::ReaderWriter::ReadResult
diff --git a/simgear/scene/model/model.cxx b/simgear/scene/model/model.cxx
index 41fe9a30..9d4d4172 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/model/model.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/model/model.cxx
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ void MakeEffectVisitor::apply(osg::Geode& geode)
     makeParametersFromStateSet(ssRoot, ss);
     SGPropertyNode_ptr effectRoot = new SGPropertyNode;
     effect::mergePropertyTrees(effectRoot, ssRoot, _currentEffectParent);
-    Effect* effect = makeEffect(effectRoot, true, _options);
+    Effect* effect = makeEffect(effectRoot, true, _options.get());
     EffectGeode* eg = dynamic_cast<EffectGeode*>(&geode);
     if (eg) {
         eg->setEffect(effect);
diff --git a/simgear/scene/model/placement.cxx b/simgear/scene/model/placement.cxx
index cd38181e..85284492 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/model/placement.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/model/placement.cxx
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ void
 SGModelPlacement::setReferenceTime(const double& referenceTime)
 {
   SGSceneUserData* userData;
-  userData = SGSceneUserData::getOrCreateSceneUserData(_transform);
+  userData = SGSceneUserData::getOrCreateSceneUserData(_transform.get());
   SGSceneUserData::Velocity* vel = userData->getOrCreateVelocity();
   vel->referenceTime = referenceTime;
 }
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ void
 SGModelPlacement::setBodyLinearVelocity(const SGVec3d& linear)
 {
   SGSceneUserData* userData;
-  userData = SGSceneUserData::getOrCreateSceneUserData(_transform);
+  userData = SGSceneUserData::getOrCreateSceneUserData(_transform.get());
   SGSceneUserData::Velocity* vel = userData->getOrCreateVelocity();
   vel->linear = SGVec3d(-linear[0], linear[1], -linear[2]);
 }
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ void
 SGModelPlacement::setBodyAngularVelocity(const SGVec3d& angular)
 {
   SGSceneUserData* userData;
-  userData = SGSceneUserData::getOrCreateSceneUserData(_transform);
+  userData = SGSceneUserData::getOrCreateSceneUserData(_transform.get());
   SGSceneUserData::Velocity* vel = userData->getOrCreateVelocity();
   vel->angular = SGVec3d(-angular[0], angular[1], -angular[2]);
 }
diff --git a/simgear/scene/tgdb/TileEntry.cxx b/simgear/scene/tgdb/TileEntry.cxx
index 92782962..dae9ed26 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/tgdb/TileEntry.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/tgdb/TileEntry.cxx
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ TileEntry::loadTileByFileName(const string& fileName,
     if (found_tile_base) {
         // load tile if found ...
         opt->setCalcLights(true);
-        obj_load( object_base.str(), new_tile, true, opt);
+        obj_load( object_base.str(), new_tile, true, opt.get());
 
     } else {
         // ... or generate an ocean tile on the fly
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ TileEntry::loadTileByFileName(const string& fileName,
             SGPath custom_path = obj->path;
             custom_path.append( obj->name );
             opt->setCalcLights(true);
-            obj_load( custom_path.str(), new_tile, false, opt);
+            obj_load( custom_path.str(), new_tile, false, opt.get());
 
         } else if (obj->type == OBJECT_SHARED || obj->type == OBJECT_STATIC) {
             // object loading is deferred to main render thread,
diff --git a/simgear/scene/tgdb/pt_lights.cxx b/simgear/scene/tgdb/pt_lights.cxx
index bfe3c5ae..5b7cf375 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/tgdb/pt_lights.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/tgdb/pt_lights.cxx
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ Effect* getLightEffect(float size, const Vec3& attenuation,
     point->setDistanceAttenuation(attenuation);
     attenuationPass->setAttributeAndModes(point);
     Pass *spritePass = clone(basicPass, CopyOp::SHALLOW_COPY);
-    spritePass->setTextureAttributeAndModes(0, pointSprite,
+    spritePass->setTextureAttributeAndModes(0, pointSprite.get(),
                                             osg::StateAttribute::ON);
     Texture2D* texture = gen_standard_light_sprite();
     spritePass->setTextureAttribute(0, texture);
diff --git a/simgear/scene/util/SplicingVisitor.cxx b/simgear/scene/util/SplicingVisitor.cxx
index 66558377..1f285949 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/util/SplicingVisitor.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/util/SplicingVisitor.cxx
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ Group* SplicingVisitor::pushResultNode(Group* node, Group* newNode,
             result->addChild(itr->get());
     }
     _childStack.back().push_back(result);
-    recordNewNode(node, result);
-    return result;
+    recordNewNode(node, result.get());
+    return result.get();
 }
 
 Node* SplicingVisitor::pushResultNode(Node* node, Node* newNode)