diff --git a/src/text.cpp b/src/text.cpp
index 9e44f9fefbb48..4bc72b8c8c9de 100644
--- a/src/text.cpp
+++ b/src/text.cpp
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ Segment::Segment( const std::string_view( sv ), nc_color c )
     , color( u32_from_color( c ) )
 {}
 
-Paragraph *parse_colored_text( const std::string_view str, nc_color default_color )
+std::shared_ptr<Paragraph> parse_colored_text( const std::string_view str, nc_color default_color )
 {
-    return ( new cataimgui::Paragraph() )->append_colored_text( str, default_color );
+    std::shared_ptr<Paragraph> p = std::make_shared<Paragraph>();
+    p->append_colored_text( str, default_color );
+    return p;
 }
 
 Paragraph::Paragraph( )
diff --git a/src/text.h b/src/text.h
index 3c715becbebd2..7d9fcf3087939 100644
--- a/src/text.h
+++ b/src/text.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ struct Paragraph {
     Paragraph *separated();
 };
 
-Paragraph *parse_colored_text( std::string_view str, nc_color default_color );
+std::shared_ptr<Paragraph> parse_colored_text( std::string_view str, nc_color default_color );
 void TextStyled( std::shared_ptr<Paragraph> para, float wrap_width = 0.0f );
 void TextUnstyled( std::shared_ptr<Paragraph> para, float wrap_width = 0.0f );
 void TextParagraph( nc_color color, std::string_view para, float wrap_width = 0.0f );