diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/IOManager.cc b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/IOManager.cc
index 0a970e65..889f2f6e 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/IOManager.cc
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/IOManager.cc
@@ -63,23 +63,22 @@ namespace IO {
 
 //=============================================================================
 
-
-_IOManager_  *__IOManager_instance = 0;
-
+// Destructor never called. Moved into singleton  getter function
+// _IOManager_  *__IOManager_instance = 0;
 
 _IOManager_& IOManager()
 {
 
-  if (!__IOManager_instance)
-    __IOManager_instance = new _IOManager_();
+  static _IOManager_  __IOManager_instance;
 
-  return *__IOManager_instance;
+  //if (!__IOManager_instance)
+  //  __IOManager_instance = new _IOManager_();
+
+  return __IOManager_instance;
 }
 
-
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-
 bool
 _IOManager_::
 read(const std::string& _filename, BaseImporter& _bi, Options& _opt)
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/IOManager.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/IOManager.hh
index 7f236f74..4654bb27 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/IOManager.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/IOManager.hh
@@ -101,13 +101,19 @@ class OPENMESHDLLEXPORT _IOManager_
 {
 private:
 
+  /// Constructor has nothing todo for the Manager
   _IOManager_() {}
+
+  /// Destructor has nothing todo for the Manager
+  ~_IOManager_() {};
+
+  /** Declare the singleton getter function as friend to access the private constructor
+      and destructor
+    */
   friend OPENMESHDLLEXPORT _IOManager_& IOManager();
 
-
 public:
 
-
   /**
      Read a mesh from file _filename. The target data structure is specified
      by the given BaseImporter. The \c read method consecutively queries all
@@ -247,12 +253,10 @@ private:
 //=============================================================================
 
 
-extern _IOManager_*  __IOManager_instance;
+//_IOManager_*  __IOManager_instance; Causes memory leak, as destructor is never called
 
 OPENMESHDLLEXPORT _IOManager_& IOManager();
 
-
-
 //=============================================================================
 } // namespace IO
 } // namespace OpenMesh