diff --git a/hpx/util/io_service_pool.hpp b/hpx/util/io_service_pool.hpp
index 3c28917675fd..afcd639d97b7 100644
--- a/hpx/util/io_service_pool.hpp
+++ b/hpx/util/io_service_pool.hpp
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@
 #include <hpx/config/warnings_prefix.hpp>
 
 #include <vector>
+#include <memory>
 
 #include <boost/asio/io_service.hpp>
 #include <boost/thread.hpp>
 #include <boost/thread/mutex.hpp>
 #include <boost/noncopyable.hpp>
-#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 namespace hpx { namespace util
@@ -89,17 +89,32 @@ namespace hpx { namespace util
         void clear_locked();
 
     private:
-        typedef boost::shared_ptr<boost::asio::io_service> io_service_ptr;
-        typedef boost::shared_ptr<boost::asio::io_service::work> work_ptr;
+        typedef std::unique_ptr<boost::asio::io_service> io_service_ptr;
+#if (defined(HPX_GCC_VERSION) && HPX_GCC_VERSION < 40700)
+        typedef std::unique_ptr<boost::asio::io_service::work> work_type;
+#else
+        typedef boost::asio::io_service::work work_type;
+#endif
+
+        BOOST_FORCEINLINE work_type initialize_work(boost::asio::io_service& io_service)
+        {
+            return work_type(
+#if (defined(HPX_GCC_VERSION) && HPX_GCC_VERSION < 40700)
+                    new boost::asio::io_service::work(io_service)
+#else
+                    io_service
+#endif
+            );
+        }
 
         boost::mutex mtx_;
 
         /// The pool of io_services.
         std::vector<io_service_ptr> io_services_;
-        std::vector<boost::shared_ptr<boost::thread> > threads_;
+        std::vector<boost::thread> threads_;
 
         /// The work that keeps the io_services running.
-        std::vector<work_ptr> work_;
+        std::vector<work_type> work_;
 
         /// The next io_service to use for a connection.
         std::size_t next_io_service_;
diff --git a/src/util/io_service_pool.cpp b/src/util/io_service_pool.cpp
index 563f0aa2da50..c0999095c72f 100644
--- a/src/util/io_service_pool.cpp
+++ b/src/util/io_service_pool.cpp
@@ -44,10 +44,8 @@ namespace hpx { namespace util
         // will not exit until they are explicitly stopped.
         for (std::size_t i = 0; i < pool_size; ++i)
         {
-            io_service_ptr io_service(new boost::asio::io_service);
-            work_ptr work(new boost::asio::io_service::work(*io_service));
-            io_services_.push_back(io_service);
-            work_.push_back(work);
+            io_services_.emplace_back(new boost::asio::io_service);
+            work_.emplace_back(initialize_work(*io_services_[i]));
         }
     }
 
@@ -62,10 +60,8 @@ namespace hpx { namespace util
     {
         for (std::size_t i = 0; i < pool_size_; ++i)
         {
-            io_service_ptr io_service(new boost::asio::io_service);
-            work_ptr work(new boost::asio::io_service::work(*io_service));
-            io_services_.push_back(io_service);
-            work_.push_back(work);
+            io_services_.emplace_back(new boost::asio::io_service);
+            work_.emplace_back(initialize_work(*io_services_[i]));
         }
     }
 
@@ -115,18 +111,16 @@ namespace hpx { namespace util
         {
             for (std::size_t i = 0; i < pool_size_; ++i)
             {
-                io_service_ptr io_service(new boost::asio::io_service);
-                work_ptr work(new boost::asio::io_service::work(*io_service));
-                io_services_.push_back(io_service);
-                work_.push_back(work);
+                io_services_.emplace_back(new boost::asio::io_service);
+                work_.emplace_back(initialize_work(*io_services_[i]));
             }
         }
 
         for (std::size_t i = 0; i < pool_size_; ++i)
         {
-            boost::shared_ptr<boost::thread> thread(new boost::thread(
-                boost::bind(&io_service_pool::thread_run, this, i)));
-            threads_.push_back(thread);
+            boost::thread thread(boost::bind(
+                        &io_service_pool::thread_run, this, i));
+            threads_.emplace_back(std::move(thread));
         }
 
         next_io_service_ = 0;
@@ -152,7 +146,7 @@ namespace hpx { namespace util
     {
         // Wait for all threads in the pool to exit.
         for (std::size_t i = 0; i < threads_.size(); ++i)
-            threads_[i]->join();
+            threads_[i].join();
         threads_.clear();
     }
 
@@ -166,8 +160,6 @@ namespace hpx { namespace util
     {
         if (!stopped_) {
             // Explicitly inform all work to exit.
-            for (std::size_t i = 0; i < work_.size(); ++i)
-                work_[i].reset();
             work_.clear();
 
             // Explicitly stop all io_services.