diff --git a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.i b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.i
index 01689ef041..88d690f54d 100644
--- a/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.i
+++ b/libgnucash/app-utils/gnc-optiondb.i
@@ -1,7 +1,42 @@
 /*
  * Temporary swig interface file while developing C++ options.
+ *
+ * unique_ptr SWIG wrapper from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27693812/how-to-handle-unique-ptrs-with-swig
  */
 
+namespace std {
+  %feature("novaluewrapper") unique_ptr;
+  template <typename Type>
+  struct unique_ptr {
+     typedef Type* pointer;
+
+     explicit unique_ptr( pointer Ptr );
+     unique_ptr (unique_ptr&& Right);
+     template<class Type2, Class Del2> unique_ptr( unique_ptr<Type2, Del2>&& Right );
+     unique_ptr( const unique_ptr& Right) = delete;
+
+
+     pointer operator-> () const;
+     pointer release ();
+     void reset (pointer __p=pointer());
+     void swap (unique_ptr &__u);
+     pointer get () const;
+     operator bool () const;
+
+     ~unique_ptr();
+  };
+}
+
+%define wrap_unique_ptr(Name, Type)
+  %template(Name) std::unique_ptr<Type>;
+  %newobject std::unique_ptr<Type>::release;
+
+  %typemap(out) std::unique_ptr<Type> %{
+    $result = SWIG_NewPointerObj(new $1_ltype(std::move($1)), $&1_descriptor, SWIG_POINTER_OWN);
+  %}
+
+%enddef
+
 %module sw_gnc_optiondb
 %{
 #include <libguile.h>
@@ -15,4 +50,6 @@ extern "C" SCM scm_init_sw_gnc_optiondb_module(void);
 %ignore OptionUIItem;
 %ignore GncOption;
 
+wrap_unique_ptr(GncOptionDBPtr, GncOptionDB);
+
 %include "gnc-optiondb.hpp"
diff --git a/libgnucash/app-utils/test/test-gnc-optiondb.scm b/libgnucash/app-utils/test/test-gnc-optiondb.scm
index 4d26a803f7..f46b4303e4 100644
--- a/libgnucash/app-utils/test/test-gnc-optiondb.scm
+++ b/libgnucash/app-utils/test/test-gnc-optiondb.scm
@@ -37,10 +37,9 @@
 
 (define (test-gnc-make-text-option)
   (test-begin "test-gnc-test-string-option")
-  (let* ((option-db (new-GncOptionDB))
+  (let* ((option-db (gnc-option-db-new))
          (string-opt (gnc-register-string-option option-db "foo" "bar" "baz"
                                                  "Phony Option" "waldo")))
-    (test-equal (GncOptionDB-lookup-option option-db "foo" "bar") "waldo")
-    (delete-GncOptionDB option-db))
+    (test-equal (GncOptionDB-lookup-option (GncOptionDBPtr-get option-db) "foo" "bar") "waldo"))
 
   (test-end "test-gnc-make-string-option"))