diff --git a/Ghidra/Features/Decompiler/src/decompile/cpp/xml.cc b/Ghidra/Features/Decompiler/src/decompile/cpp/xml.cc
index 13bf3ccf233..3d8ea8208e0 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Features/Decompiler/src/decompile/cpp/xml.cc
+++ b/Ghidra/Features/Decompiler/src/decompile/cpp/xml.cc
@@ -2380,13 +2380,14 @@ int4 xml_parse(istream &i,ContentHandler *hand,int4 dbg)
 #if YYDEBUG
   yydebug = dbg;
 #endif
-  global_scan = new XmlScan(i);
+  auto scan = make_unique<XmlScan>(i);
+  global_scan = scan.get();		// raw observer pointer for yyparse / yylex / grammar actions
   handler = hand;
   handler->startDocument();
   int4 res = yyparse();
   if (res == 0)
     handler->endDocument();
-  delete global_scan;
+  global_scan = (XmlScan *)0;		// scan goes out of scope below — null the observer first
   return res;
 }
 
diff --git a/Ghidra/Features/Decompiler/src/decompile/cpp/xml.y b/Ghidra/Features/Decompiler/src/decompile/cpp/xml.y
index f50093b8c31..28896aa347a 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Features/Decompiler/src/decompile/cpp/xml.y
+++ b/Ghidra/Features/Decompiler/src/decompile/cpp/xml.y
@@ -522,13 +522,14 @@ int4 xml_parse(istream &i,ContentHandler *hand,int4 dbg)
 #if YYDEBUG
   yydebug = dbg;
 #endif
-  global_scan = new XmlScan(i);
+  auto scan = make_unique<XmlScan>(i);
+  global_scan = scan.get();		// raw observer pointer for yyparse / yylex / grammar actions
   handler = hand;
   handler->startDocument();
   int4 res = yyparse();
   if (res == 0)
     handler->endDocument();
-  delete global_scan;
+  global_scan = (XmlScan *)0;		// scan goes out of scope below — null the observer first
   return res;
 }