diff --git a/src/httprpc.cpp b/src/httprpc.cpp
--- a/src/httprpc.cpp
+++ b/src/httprpc.cpp
@@ -393,8 +393,7 @@
     RegisterHTTPHandler("/wallet/", false, rpcFunction);
 #endif
     assert(EventBase());
-    httpRPCTimerInterface = std::unique_ptr<HTTPRPCTimerInterface>(
-        new HTTPRPCTimerInterface(EventBase()));
+    httpRPCTimerInterface = MakeUnique<HTTPRPCTimerInterface>(EventBase());
     RPCSetTimerInterface(httpRPCTimerInterface.get());
     return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -2459,12 +2459,12 @@
 
     if (semOutbound == nullptr) {
         // initialize semaphore
-        semOutbound = std::unique_ptr<CSemaphore>(new CSemaphore(
-            std::min((nMaxOutbound + nMaxFeeler), nMaxConnections)));
+        semOutbound = MakeUnique<CSemaphore>(
+            std::min((nMaxOutbound + nMaxFeeler), nMaxConnections));
     }
     if (semAddnode == nullptr) {
         // initialize semaphore
-        semAddnode = std::unique_ptr<CSemaphore>(new CSemaphore(nMaxAddnode));
+        semAddnode = MakeUnique<CSemaphore>(nMaxAddnode);
     }
 
     //
@@ -2886,7 +2886,7 @@
     nNextInvSend = 0;
     fRelayTxes = false;
     fSentAddr = false;
-    pfilter = std::unique_ptr<CBloomFilter>(new CBloomFilter());
+    pfilter = MakeUnique<CBloomFilter>();
     timeLastMempoolReq = 0;
     nLastBlockTime = 0;
     nLastTXTime = 0;
diff --git a/src/test/dbwrapper_tests.cpp b/src/test/dbwrapper_tests.cpp
--- a/src/test/dbwrapper_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/dbwrapper_tests.cpp
@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@
     create_directories(ph);
 
     // Set up a non-obfuscated wrapper to write some initial data.
-    std::unique_ptr<CDBWrapper> dbw = std::unique_ptr<CDBWrapper>(
-        new CDBWrapper(ph, (1 << 10), false, false, false));
+    std::unique_ptr<CDBWrapper> dbw =
+        MakeUnique<CDBWrapper>(ph, (1 << 10), false, false, false);
     char key = 'k';
     uint256 in = InsecureRand256();
     uint256 res;
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@
     create_directories(ph);
 
     // Set up a non-obfuscated wrapper to write some initial data.
-    std::unique_ptr<CDBWrapper> dbw = std::unique_ptr<CDBWrapper>(
-        new CDBWrapper(ph, (1 << 10), false, false, false));
+    std::unique_ptr<CDBWrapper> dbw =
+        MakeUnique<CDBWrapper>(ph, (1 << 10), false, false, false);
     char key = 'k';
     uint256 in = InsecureRand256();
     uint256 res;
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -258,4 +258,10 @@
 
 std::string CopyrightHolders(const std::string &strPrefix);
 
+//! Substitute for C++14 std::make_unique.
+template <typename T, typename... Args>
+std::unique_ptr<T> MakeUnique(Args &&... args) {
+    return std::unique_ptr<T>(new T(std::forward<Args>(args)...));
+}
+
 #endif // BITCOIN_UTIL_H
diff --git a/src/wallet/db.cpp b/src/wallet/db.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/db.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/db.cpp
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@
     }
     LogPrintf("Salvage(aggressive) found %u records\n", salvagedData.size());
 
-    std::unique_ptr<Db> pdbCopy(new Db(bitdb.dbenv.get(), 0));
+    std::unique_ptr<Db> pdbCopy = MakeUnique<Db>(bitdb.dbenv.get(), 0);
     int ret = pdbCopy->open(nullptr,          // Txn pointer
                             filename.c_str(), // Filename
                             "main",           // Logical db name
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@
 
         pdb = env->mapDb[strFilename];
         if (pdb == nullptr) {
-            std::unique_ptr<Db> pdb_temp(new Db(env->dbenv.get(), 0));
+            std::unique_ptr<Db> pdb_temp = MakeUnique<Db>(env->dbenv.get(), 0);
 
             bool fMockDb = env->IsMock();
             if (fMockDb) {
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@
                     // surround usage of db with extra {}
                     CDB db(dbw, "r");
                     std::unique_ptr<Db> pdbCopy =
-                        std::unique_ptr<Db>(new Db(env->dbenv.get(), 0));
+                        MakeUnique<Db>(env->dbenv.get(), 0);
 
                     int ret = pdbCopy->open(nullptr,            // Txn pointer
                                             strFileRes.c_str(), // Filename
diff --git a/src/wallet/test/wallet_test_fixture.cpp b/src/wallet/test/wallet_test_fixture.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/test/wallet_test_fixture.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/test/wallet_test_fixture.cpp
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@
     bool fFirstRun;
     std::unique_ptr<CWalletDBWrapper> dbw(
         new CWalletDBWrapper(&bitdb, "wallet_test.dat"));
-    pwalletMain =
-        std::unique_ptr<CWallet>(new CWallet(Params(), std::move(dbw)));
+    pwalletMain = MakeUnique<CWallet>(Params(), std::move(dbw));
     pwalletMain->LoadWallet(fFirstRun);
     RegisterValidationInterface(pwalletMain.get());
 
diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
--- a/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet.cpp
@@ -3977,8 +3977,8 @@
 
         std::unique_ptr<CWalletDBWrapper> dbw(
             new CWalletDBWrapper(&bitdb, walletFile));
-        std::unique_ptr<CWallet> tempWallet(
-            new CWallet(chainParams, std::move(dbw)));
+        std::unique_ptr<CWallet> tempWallet =
+            MakeUnique<CWallet>(chainParams, std::move(dbw));
         DBErrors nZapWalletRet = tempWallet->ZapWalletTx(vWtx);
         if (nZapWalletRet != DB_LOAD_OK) {
             InitError(