diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a71a607327..94cdf926c5 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -46,15 +46,6 @@ include(CTest)
 include(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/functions.cmake)
 include(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake_modules/DeveloperTools.cmake)
 
-if(MSVC_VERSION)
-    #enable auto_ptr. Disabled by VS for c++17 but required by exiv 0.27
-    add_definitions(-D_HAS_AUTO_PTR_ETC=1)
-    add_compile_options(/wd4251)
-elseif(APPLE)
-    #enable auto_ptr. Disabled by clang on MacOS for c++17 but required by exiv 0.27
-    add_definitions(-D_LIBCPP_ENABLE_CXX17_REMOVED_AUTO_PTR)
-endif()
-
 #objdump
 if(ENABLE_OBJDUMPING)
     add_custom_target(DumpObjs ALL)
diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 1e9bdcfcb1..283c0e9718 100644
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-find_package(OpenCV REQUIRED)
+find_package(OpenCV           REQUIRED)
 find_package(Qt6              REQUIRED COMPONENTS Core Gui Multimedia)
 find_package(exiv2            REQUIRED)
 find_package(Threads          REQUIRED)
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ find_package(CsLibGuarded     REQUIRED)
 
 include(GenerateExportHeader)
 
+if(exiv2_VERSION  VERSION_LESS 0.28.1)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Exiv2 0.28.1 or higher is required")
+endif()
+
+
 if(TARGET Exiv2::exiv2lib)
     set(EXIV2_LIB Exiv2::exiv2lib)
 else()
diff --git a/src/core/implementation/exiv2_exif_reader.hpp b/src/core/implementation/exiv2_exif_reader.hpp
index 43b85cef89..a212d40af3 100644
--- a/src/core/implementation/exiv2_exif_reader.hpp
+++ b/src/core/implementation/exiv2_exif_reader.hpp
@@ -10,37 +10,6 @@
 #include "aexif_reader.hpp"
 
 
-template<typename, typename = void>
-struct has_auto_ptr_type : std::false_type
-{
-    using ptr_type = int;
-};
-
-template<typename T>
-struct has_auto_ptr_type<T, std::void_t<typename T::AutoPtr>> : std::true_type
-{
-    using ptr_type = typename T::AutoPtr;
-};
-
-template<typename, typename = void>
-struct has_unique_ptr_type : std::false_type
-{
-    using ptr_type = int;
-};
-
-template<typename T>
-struct has_unique_ptr_type<T, std::void_t<typename T::UniquePtr>> : std::true_type
-{
-    using ptr_type = typename T::UniquePtr;
-};
-
-template <typename T>
-struct Exiv2Helper
-{
-    using Ptr = typename std::conditional<has_unique_ptr_type<T>::value, typename has_unique_ptr_type<T>::ptr_type, typename has_auto_ptr_type<T>::ptr_type>::type;
-};
-
-
 class Exiv2ExifReader final: public AExifReader
 {
     public:
@@ -56,7 +25,7 @@ class Exiv2ExifReader final: public AExifReader
         virtual void collect(const QString &) override;
         virtual std::optional<std::string> read(TagType) const override;
 
-        Exiv2Helper<Exiv2::Image>::Ptr m_exif_data;
+        Exiv2::Image::UniquePtr m_exif_data;
         QString m_path;
 };