diff --git a/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.cpp b/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.cpp
index 2176667..a5e9231 100644
--- a/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.cpp
+++ b/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.cpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <vector>
 
-CollectionInfoBuilder::CollectionInfoBuilder(Configuration *c)
+CollectionInfoBuilder::CollectionInfoBuilder(Configuration &c)
     : Conf(c)
 {
 }
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ bool CollectionInfoBuilder::LoadAllCollections()
 {
     std::vector<std::string> collections;
 
-    Conf->GetChildKeyCrumbs("collections", collections);
+    Conf.GetChildKeyCrumbs("collections", collections);
 
     if(collections.size() == 0)
     {
@@ -92,22 +92,22 @@ bool CollectionInfoBuilder::ImportCollection(std::string name)
     std::string metadataType;
     std::string metadataPath;
 
-    if(!Conf->GetPropertyAbsolutePath(listItemsPathKey, listItemsPath))
+    if(!Conf.GetPropertyAbsolutePath(listItemsPathKey, listItemsPath))
     {
         Logger::Write(Logger::ZONE_INFO, "Collections", "Property \"" + listItemsPathKey + "\" does not exist. Assuming \"" + name + "\" is a menu");
         return false;
     }
 
-    if(!Conf->GetProperty(extensionsKey, extensions))
+    if(!Conf.GetProperty(extensionsKey, extensions))
     {
         Logger::Write(Logger::ZONE_INFO, "Collections", "Property \"" + extensionsKey + "\" does not exist. Assuming \"" + name + "\" is a menu");
         return false;
     }
 
-    (void)Conf->GetProperty(metadataTypeKey, metadataType);
-    (void)Conf->GetProperty(metadataPathKey, metadataPath);
+    (void)Conf.GetProperty(metadataTypeKey, metadataType);
+    (void)Conf.GetProperty(metadataPathKey, metadataPath);
 
-    if(!Conf->GetProperty(launcherKey, launcherName))
+    if(!Conf.GetProperty(launcherKey, launcherName))
     {
         std::stringstream ss;
         ss        << "Warning: launcher property  \""
diff --git a/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.h b/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.h
index efba4e3..f512bcf 100644
--- a/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.h
+++ b/Source/Collection/CollectionInfoBuilder.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class CollectionInfo;
 class CollectionInfoBuilder
 {
 public:
-    CollectionInfoBuilder(Configuration *c);
+    CollectionInfoBuilder(Configuration &c);
     virtual ~CollectionInfoBuilder();
     bool LoadAllCollections();
     void GetCollections(std::vector<CollectionInfo *> &keys);
@@ -21,5 +21,5 @@ public:
 private:
     bool ImportCollection(std::string name);
     std::map<std::string, CollectionInfo *> InfoMap;
-    Configuration *Conf;
+    Configuration &Conf;
 };
diff --git a/Source/Database/CollectionDatabase.cpp b/Source/Database/CollectionDatabase.cpp
index d9f0ea0..0a2542f 100644
--- a/Source/Database/CollectionDatabase.cpp
+++ b/Source/Database/CollectionDatabase.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include <zlib.h>
 #include <exception>
 
-CollectionDatabase::CollectionDatabase(DB *db, Configuration *c)
+CollectionDatabase::CollectionDatabase(DB &db, Configuration &c)
     : Config(c)
     , DBInstance(db)
 {
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ bool CollectionDatabase::ResetDatabase()
     bool retVal = true;
     int rc;
     char *error = NULL;
-    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance->GetHandle();
+    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance.GetHandle();
 
     Logger::Write(Logger::ZONE_INFO, "Database", "Erasing");
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ bool CollectionDatabase::Initialize()
 {
     int rc;
     char *error = NULL;
-    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance->GetHandle();
+    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance.GetHandle();
 
     std::string sql;
     sql.append("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS CollectionItems(");
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ bool CollectionDatabase::CollectionChanged(CollectionInfo *info, unsigned long c
 {
     bool retVal = true;
 
-    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance->GetHandle();
+    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance.GetHandle();
     int rc;
     sqlite3_stmt *stmt;
 
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ bool CollectionDatabase::SetHidden(std::string collectionName, Item *item, bool
 {
     bool retVal = true;
     char *error = NULL;
-    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance->GetHandle();
+    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance.GetHandle();
     std::string mode = (hidden) ? "hidden":"visible";
     int isHidden = (hidden)?1:0;
 
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ bool CollectionDatabase::ImportDirectory(CollectionInfo *info, unsigned long crc
     std::map<std::string, Item *> metaList;
     bool retVal = true;
     char *error = NULL;
-    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance->GetHandle();
+    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance.GetHandle();
     std::string includeFile = Configuration::GetAbsolutePath() + "/Collections/" + info->GetName() + "/Include.txt";
     std::string excludeFile = Configuration::GetAbsolutePath() + "/Collections/" + info->GetName() + "/Exclude.txt";
     std::string includeHyperListFile = Configuration::GetAbsolutePath() + "/Collections/" + info->GetName() + "/Include.xml";
@@ -652,15 +652,15 @@ bool CollectionDatabase::GetCollection(std::string collectionName, std::vector<I
 {
     bool retVal = true;
 
-    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance->GetHandle();
+    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance.GetHandle();
     int rc;
     sqlite3_stmt *stmt;
 
     bool showParenthesis = true;
     bool showSquareBrackets = true;
 
-    (void)Config->GetProperty("showParenthesis", showParenthesis);
-    (void)Config->GetProperty("showSquareBrackets", showSquareBrackets);
+    (void)Config.GetProperty("showParenthesis", showParenthesis);
+    (void)Config.GetProperty("showSquareBrackets", showSquareBrackets);
 
     //todo: program crashes if this query fails
     sqlite3_prepare_v2(handle,
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ bool CollectionDatabase::GetCollection(std::string collectionName, std::vector<I
         item->SetCloneOf(cloneOf);
 
         //std::cout << "loading " << title << std::endl;
-        if(Config->GetProperty("collections." + collectionName + ".launcher", launcher))
+        if(Config.GetProperty("collections." + collectionName + ".launcher", launcher))
         {
             item->SetLauncher(launcher);
         }
diff --git a/Source/Database/CollectionDatabase.h b/Source/Database/CollectionDatabase.h
index 1287b79..ff656b2 100644
--- a/Source/Database/CollectionDatabase.h
+++ b/Source/Database/CollectionDatabase.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class Item;
 class CollectionDatabase
 {
 public:
-    CollectionDatabase(DB *db, Configuration *c);
+    CollectionDatabase(DB &db, Configuration &c);
     virtual ~CollectionDatabase();
     bool Initialize();
     bool Import();
@@ -39,6 +39,6 @@ private:
                          std::string file,
                          std::map<std::string, Item *> &list);
     std::map<std::string, Item *> *ImportHyperList(CollectionInfo *info);
-    Configuration *Config;
-    DB *DBInstance;
+    Configuration &Config;
+    DB &DBInstance;
 };
diff --git a/Source/Database/MamelistMetadata.cpp b/Source/Database/MamelistMetadata.cpp
index 2c6074f..dbd701b 100644
--- a/Source/Database/MamelistMetadata.cpp
+++ b/Source/Database/MamelistMetadata.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #include <sqlite3.h>
 
 
-MamelistMetadata::MamelistMetadata(DB *dbInstance)
+MamelistMetadata::MamelistMetadata(DB &dbInstance)
     : DBInstance(dbInstance)
 {
 }
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ bool MamelistMetadata::Import(std::string filename, std::string collection)
     rapidxml::xml_document<> doc;
     rapidxml::xml_node<> * rootNode;
     char *error = NULL;
-    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance->GetHandle();
+    sqlite3 *handle = DBInstance.GetHandle();
 
     std::ifstream f(filename.c_str());
 
diff --git a/Source/Database/MamelistMetadata.h b/Source/Database/MamelistMetadata.h
index 3ad87a0..cb328fb 100644
--- a/Source/Database/MamelistMetadata.h
+++ b/Source/Database/MamelistMetadata.h
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ class DB;
 class MamelistMetadata : Metadata
 {
 public:
-    MamelistMetadata(DB *dbInstance);
+    MamelistMetadata(DB &dbInstance);
     virtual ~MamelistMetadata();
     bool Import(std::string file, std::string collectionName);
 private:
-    DB *DBInstance;
+    DB &DBInstance;
 };
diff --git a/Source/Main.cpp b/Source/Main.cpp
index 6d3e7c1..e3a1210 100644
--- a/Source/Main.cpp
+++ b/Source/Main.cpp
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ CollectionDatabase *InitializeCollectionDatabase(DB &db, Configuration &config)
     std::string dbFile = (Configuration::GetAbsolutePath() + "/cache.db");
     std::ifstream infile(dbFile.c_str());
 
-    cdb = new CollectionDatabase(&db, &config);
+    cdb = new CollectionDatabase(db, config);
 
     if(!cdb->Initialize())
     {