diff --git a/Analysis/Core/src/CorrelationContainer.cxx b/Analysis/Core/src/CorrelationContainer.cxx
index 96eaaa7187819..ff28029d6ff9c 100644
--- a/Analysis/Core/src/CorrelationContainer.cxx
+++ b/Analysis/Core/src/CorrelationContainer.cxx
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@
 
 using namespace o2::framework;
 
-ClassImp(CorrelationContainer)
+ClassImp(CorrelationContainer);
 
-  const Int_t CorrelationContainer::fgkCFSteps = 11;
+const Int_t CorrelationContainer::fgkCFSteps = 11;
 
 CorrelationContainer::CorrelationContainer() : TNamed(),
                                                mPairHist(nullptr),
@@ -94,11 +94,10 @@ CorrelationContainer::CorrelationContainer(const char* name, const char* objTitl
 
   LOGF(info, "Creating CorrelationContainer");
 
-  // TODO Remove Clone() pending change in HistogramRegistry
-  mPairHist = (StepTHnF*)HistFactory::createHist<StepTHnF>({"mPairHist", "d^{2}N_{ch}/d#varphid#eta", {HistType::kStepTHnF, {axisList[0], axisList[1], axisList[2], axisList[3], axisList[4], axisList[5]}, fgkCFSteps}})->Clone();
-  mTriggerHist = (StepTHnF*)HistFactory::createHist<StepTHnF>({"mTriggerHist", "d^{2}N_{ch}/d#varphid#eta", {HistType::kStepTHnF, {axisList[2], axisList[3], axisList[5]}, fgkCFSteps}})->Clone();
-  mTrackHistEfficiency = (StepTHnD*)HistFactory::createHist<StepTHnD>({"mTrackHistEfficiency", "Tracking efficiency", {HistType::kStepTHnD, {axisList[6], axisList[7], {4, -0.5, 3.5, "species"}, axisList[3], axisList[8]}, fgkCFSteps}})->Clone();
-  mEventCount = (TH2F*)(HistFactory::createHist<TH2F>({"mEventCount", ";step;centrality;count", {HistType::kTH2F, {{fgkCFSteps + 2, -2.5, -0.5 + fgkCFSteps, "step"}, axisList[3]}}})->Clone());
+  mPairHist = HistFactory::createHist<StepTHnF>({"mPairHist", "d^{2}N_{ch}/d#varphid#eta", {HistType::kStepTHnF, {axisList[0], axisList[1], axisList[2], axisList[3], axisList[4], axisList[5]}, fgkCFSteps}}).release();
+  mTriggerHist = HistFactory::createHist<StepTHnF>({"mTriggerHist", "d^{2}N_{ch}/d#varphid#eta", {HistType::kStepTHnF, {axisList[2], axisList[3], axisList[5]}, fgkCFSteps}}).release();
+  mTrackHistEfficiency = HistFactory::createHist<StepTHnD>({"mTrackHistEfficiency", "Tracking efficiency", {HistType::kStepTHnD, {axisList[6], axisList[7], {4, -0.5, 3.5, "species"}, axisList[3], axisList[8]}, fgkCFSteps}}).release();
+  mEventCount = HistFactory::createHist<TH2F>({"mEventCount", ";step;centrality;count", {HistType::kTH2F, {{fgkCFSteps + 2, -2.5, -0.5 + fgkCFSteps, "step"}, axisList[3]}}}).release();
 }
 
 //_____________________________________________________________________________
diff --git a/Framework/Core/include/Framework/HistogramRegistry.h b/Framework/Core/include/Framework/HistogramRegistry.h
index b7ec8f4d189f8..0e84387777d1c 100644
--- a/Framework/Core/include/Framework/HistogramRegistry.h
+++ b/Framework/Core/include/Framework/HistogramRegistry.h
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@
 #include "Framework/OutputSpec.h"
 #include "Framework/SerializationMethods.h"
 #include "Framework/TableBuilder.h"
-#include "Framework/RuntimeError.h"
 
 #define HIST(name) CONST_STR(name)
 
 namespace o2::framework
 {
+
 //**************************************************************************************************
 /**
  * Static helper class to generate histograms from the specifications.
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ struct HistFactory {
 
   // create histogram of type T with the axes defined in HistogramSpec
   template <typename T>
-  static std::shared_ptr<T> createHist(const HistogramSpec& histSpec)
+  static std::unique_ptr<T> createHist(const HistogramSpec& histSpec)
   {
     constexpr std::size_t MAX_DIM{10};
     const std::size_t nAxes{histSpec.config.axes.size()};
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct HistFactory {
     }
 
     // create histogram
-    std::shared_ptr<T> hist{generateHist<T>(histSpec.name, histSpec.title, nAxes, nBins, lowerBounds, upperBounds, histSpec.config.nSteps)};
+    std::unique_ptr<T> hist{generateHist<T>(histSpec.name, histSpec.title, nAxes, nBins, lowerBounds, upperBounds, histSpec.config.nSteps)};
     if (!hist) {
       LOGF(FATAL, "The number of dimensions specified for histogram %s does not match the type.", histSpec.name);
       return nullptr;
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ struct HistFactory {
 
     // set axis properties
     for (std::size_t i = 0; i < nAxes; i++) {
-      TAxis* axis{getAxis(i, hist)};
+      TAxis* axis{getAxis(i, hist.get())};
       if (axis) {
         if (histSpec.config.axes[i].title) {
           axis->SetTitle((*histSpec.config.axes[i].title).data());
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ struct HistFactory {
 
   // helper function to get the axis via index for any type of root histogram
   template <typename T>
-  static TAxis* getAxis(const int i, std::shared_ptr<T>& hist)
+  static TAxis* getAxis(const int i, T* hist)
   {
     if constexpr (std::is_base_of_v<THnBase, T> || std::is_base_of_v<StepTHn, T>) {
       return hist->GetAxis(i);
diff --git a/Framework/Core/include/Framework/HistogramSpec.h b/Framework/Core/include/Framework/HistogramSpec.h
index b391dc8b91802..c6af69a2e42fe 100644
--- a/Framework/Core/include/Framework/HistogramSpec.h
+++ b/Framework/Core/include/Framework/HistogramSpec.h
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 #ifndef FRAMEWORK_HISTOGRAMSPEC_H_
 #define FRAMEWORK_HISTOGRAMSPEC_H_
 
+#include <string>
+#include <variant>
+#include <deque>
+
 #include <TH1.h>
 #include <TH2.h>
 #include <TH3.h>
@@ -23,13 +27,10 @@
 #include <TDataMember.h>
 #include <TDataType.h>
 
-#include <string>
-#include <variant>
-#include <deque>
-
 #include "Framework/StepTHn.h"
 #include "Framework/Configurable.h"
 #include "Framework/StringHelpers.h"
+#include "Framework/RuntimeError.h"
 
 namespace o2::framework
 {
diff --git a/Framework/Core/src/HistogramRegistry.cxx b/Framework/Core/src/HistogramRegistry.cxx
index f833f2ec8f9ce..88ca417bc9084 100644
--- a/Framework/Core/src/HistogramRegistry.cxx
+++ b/Framework/Core/src/HistogramRegistry.cxx
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ void HistogramRegistry::print(bool showAxisDetails)
           nDim = hist->GetDimension();
         }
         for (int d = 0; d < nDim; ++d) {
-          TAxis* axis = HistFactory::getAxis(d, hist);
+          TAxis* axis = HistFactory::getAxis(d, hist.get());
           LOGF(INFO, "- Axis %d: %-20s (%d bins)", d, axis->GetTitle(), axis->GetNbins());
         }
       }