diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/Dimension.cpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/Dimension.cpp
index 64d369605..018c0ba3d 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/Dimension.cpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/Dimension.cpp
@@ -47,10 +47,11 @@ namespace Opm {
         return m_name;
     }
 
-    Dimension Dimension::makeComposite(const std::string& dim , double SIfactor) {
-        Dimension dimension;
-        dimension.m_name = dim;
-        dimension.m_SIfactor = SIfactor;
+
+    Dimension * Dimension::newComposite(const std::string& dim , double SIfactor) {
+        Dimension * dimension = new Dimension();
+        dimension->m_name = dim;
+        dimension->m_SIfactor = SIfactor;
 
         return dimension;
     }
diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/Dimension.hpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/Dimension.hpp
index bea732fa3..87fbc0c14 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/Dimension.hpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/Dimension.hpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ namespace Opm {
         Dimension(const std::string& name, double SI_factor);
         double getSIScaling() const;
         const std::string& getName() const;
-        static Dimension makeComposite(const std::string& dim , double SIfactor);
+        static Dimension * newComposite(const std::string& dim , double SIfactor);
 
     private:
         Dimension();
diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/UnitSystem.cpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/UnitSystem.cpp
index 5ade6492a..14dc11f7d 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/UnitSystem.cpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/UnitSystem.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ namespace Opm {
     }
 
 
-    Dimension UnitSystem::parseFactor(const std::string& dimension) const {
+    std::shared_ptr<Dimension> UnitSystem::parseFactor(const std::string& dimension) const {
         std::vector<std::string> dimensionList;
         boost::split(dimensionList , dimension , boost::is_any_of("*"));
         double SIfactor = 1.0;
@@ -69,12 +69,12 @@ namespace Opm {
             Dimension dim = getDimension( *iter );
             SIfactor *= dim.getSIScaling();
         }
-        return Dimension::makeComposite( dimension , SIfactor );
+        return std::shared_ptr<Dimension>(Dimension::newComposite( dimension , SIfactor ));
     }
     
 
 
-    Dimension UnitSystem::parse(const std::string& dimension) const {
+    std::shared_ptr<Dimension> UnitSystem::parse(const std::string& dimension) const {
         bool haveDivisor;
         {
             size_t divCount = std::count( dimension.begin() , dimension.end() , '/' );
@@ -89,10 +89,10 @@ namespace Opm {
         if (haveDivisor) {
             std::vector<std::string> parts;
             boost::split(parts , dimension , boost::is_any_of("/"));
-            Dimension dividend = parseFactor( parts[0] );
-            Dimension divisor = parseFactor( parts[1] );
+            std::shared_ptr<const Dimension> dividend = parseFactor( parts[0] );
+            std::shared_ptr<const Dimension> divisor = parseFactor( parts[1] );
         
-            return Dimension::makeComposite( dimension , dividend.getSIScaling() / divisor.getSIScaling() );
+            return std::shared_ptr<Dimension>( Dimension::newComposite( dimension , dividend->getSIScaling() / divisor->getSIScaling() ));
         } else {
             return parseFactor( dimension );
         }
diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/UnitSystem.hpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/UnitSystem.hpp
index 76921036f..69abf1de4 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/UnitSystem.hpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/UnitSystem.hpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <map>
+#include <memory>
 
 #include <opm/parser/eclipse/Units/Dimension.hpp>
 
@@ -36,13 +37,13 @@ namespace Opm {
         const Dimension& getDimension(const std::string& dimension) const;
         bool hasDimension(const std::string& dimension) const;
         
-        Dimension parse(const std::string& dimension) const;
+        std::shared_ptr<Dimension> parse(const std::string& dimension) const;
 
         static UnitSystem * newMETRIC();
         static UnitSystem * newFIELD();
     private:
-        Dimension parseFactor(const std::string& dimension) const;
-
+        std::shared_ptr<Dimension> parseFactor(const std::string& dimension) const;
+        
         const std::string m_name;
         std::map<std::string , Dimension> m_dimensions;
     };
diff --git a/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/tests/UnitTests.cpp b/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/tests/UnitTests.cpp
index 6094ab349..462ea2e5e 100644
--- a/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/tests/UnitTests.cpp
+++ b/opm/parser/eclipse/Units/tests/UnitTests.cpp
@@ -18,14 +18,15 @@
 */
 
 #define BOOST_TEST_MODULE UnitTests
-#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
 
 #include <opm/parser/eclipse/Units/UnitSystemMap.hpp>
 #include <opm/parser/eclipse/Units/UnitSystem.hpp>
 #include <opm/parser/eclipse/Units/Dimension.hpp>
 #include <opm/parser/eclipse/Units/ConversionFactors.hpp>
 
+#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
 
+#include <memory>
 
 using namespace Opm;
 
@@ -36,9 +37,9 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(CreateDimension) {
 }
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(makeComposite) {
-    Dimension composite = Dimension::makeComposite("L*L*L/t" , 100);
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL("L*L*L/t" , composite.getName());
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(100 , composite.getSIScaling());
+    std::shared_ptr<Dimension> composite(Dimension::newComposite("L*L*L/t" , 100));
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL("L*L*L/t" , composite->getName());
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(100 , composite->getSIScaling());
 }
 
 
@@ -96,9 +97,9 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(UnitSystemParseInvalidThrows) {
     system.addDimension("L" , 3.00 );
     system.addDimension("t" , 9.0 );
     
-    Dimension volumePerTime = system.parse("L*L*L/t");
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL("L*L*L/t" , volumePerTime.getName() );
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(3.0 , volumePerTime.getSIScaling());
+    std::shared_ptr<Dimension> volumePerTime = system.parse("L*L*L/t");
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL("L*L*L/t" , volumePerTime->getName() );
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(3.0 , volumePerTime->getSIScaling());
 }