diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/live_tile_data.cpp b/src/mbgl/map/live_tile_data.cpp
index d45b973a987..1582b0190ec 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/live_tile_data.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/live_tile_data.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ using namespace mbgl;
 LiveTileData::LiveTileData(const TileID& id_,
                            AnnotationManager& annotationManager_,
                            float mapMaxZoom,
-                           util::ptr<Style> style_,
+                           Style& style_,
                            GlyphAtlas& glyphAtlas_,
                            GlyphStore& glyphStore_,
                            SpriteAtlas& spriteAtlas_,
@@ -35,27 +35,16 @@ void LiveTileData::parse() {
 
     if (tile) {
         try {
-            if (!style) {
-                throw std::runtime_error("style isn't present in LiveTileData object anymore");
-            }
-
             // Parsing creates state that is encapsulated in TileParser. While parsing,
             // the TileParser object writes results into this objects. All other state
             // is going to be discarded afterwards.
             TileParser parser(*tile, *this, style, glyphAtlas, glyphStore, spriteAtlas, sprite);
-
-            // Clear the style so that we don't have a cycle in the shared_ptr references.
-            style.reset();
-
             parser.parse();
         } catch (const std::exception& ex) {
             Log::Error(Event::ParseTile, "Live-parsing [%d/%d/%d] failed: %s", id.z, id.x, id.y, ex.what());
             state = State::obsolete;
             return;
         }
-    } else {
-        // Clear the style so that we don't have a cycle in the shared_ptr references.
-        style.reset();
     }
 
     if (state != State::obsolete) {
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/live_tile_data.hpp b/src/mbgl/map/live_tile_data.hpp
index d40cfdfd69e..e56a7bf7e1a 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/live_tile_data.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/live_tile_data.hpp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ class LiveTileData : public VectorTileData {
     LiveTileData(const TileID&,
                  AnnotationManager&,
                  float mapMaxZoom,
-                 util::ptr<Style>,
+                 Style&,
                  GlyphAtlas&,
                  GlyphStore&,
                  SpriteAtlas&,
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/map_context.cpp b/src/mbgl/map/map_context.cpp
index 15541a84d13..6640fddd9ae 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/map_context.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/map_context.cpp
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ void MapContext::loadStyleJSON(const std::string& json, const std::string& base)
     assert(Environment::currentlyOn(ThreadType::Map));
 
     sprite.reset();
-    style = std::make_shared<Style>();
+    style = util::make_unique<Style>();
     style->base = base;
     style->loadJSON((const uint8_t *)json.c_str());
     style->cascade(data.getClasses());
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ void MapContext::updateTiles() {
     assert(Environment::currentlyOn(ThreadType::Map));
     if (!style) return;
     for (const auto& source : style->sources) {
-        source->update(data, transformState, style, *glyphAtlas, *glyphStore, *spriteAtlas,
+        source->update(data, transformState, *style, *glyphAtlas, *glyphStore, *spriteAtlas,
                        getSprite(), *texturePool, [this]() {
             assert(Environment::currentlyOn(ThreadType::Map));
             triggerUpdate();
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/map_context.hpp b/src/mbgl/map/map_context.hpp
index ba8a4db9d76..93670fd1f2c 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/map_context.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/map_context.hpp
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ class MapContext {
     std::unique_ptr<LineAtlas> lineAtlas;
     std::unique_ptr<TexturePool> texturePool;
     std::unique_ptr<Painter> painter;
+    std::unique_ptr<Style> style;
 
     util::ptr<Sprite> sprite;
-    util::ptr<Style> style;
 
     std::string styleURL;
     std::string styleJSON;
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/source.cpp b/src/mbgl/map/source.cpp
index 2d4c4ec50c8..12684bb6c43 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/source.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/source.cpp
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ TileData::State Source::hasTile(const TileID& id) {
 
 TileData::State Source::addTile(MapData& data,
                                 const TransformState& transformState,
-                                util::ptr<Style> style,
+                                Style& style,
                                 GlyphAtlas& glyphAtlas,
                                 GlyphStore& glyphStore,
                                 SpriteAtlas& spriteAtlas,
@@ -269,15 +269,15 @@ TileData::State Source::addTile(MapData& data,
             new_tile.data =
                 std::make_shared<VectorTileData>(normalized_id, data.transform.getMaxZoom(), style, glyphAtlas,
                                                  glyphStore, spriteAtlas, sprite, info);
-            new_tile.data->request(style->workers, transformState.getPixelRatio(), callback);
+            new_tile.data->request(style.workers, transformState.getPixelRatio(), callback);
         } else if (info.type == SourceType::Raster) {
             new_tile.data = std::make_shared<RasterTileData>(normalized_id, texturePool, info);
-            new_tile.data->request(style->workers, transformState.getPixelRatio(), callback);
+            new_tile.data->request(style.workers, transformState.getPixelRatio(), callback);
         } else if (info.type == SourceType::Annotations) {
             new_tile.data = std::make_shared<LiveTileData>(normalized_id, data.annotationManager,
                                                            data.transform.getMaxZoom(), style, glyphAtlas,
                                                            glyphStore, spriteAtlas, sprite, info);
-            new_tile.data->reparse(style->workers, callback);
+            new_tile.data->reparse(style.workers, callback);
         } else {
             throw std::runtime_error("source type not implemented");
         }
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ bool Source::findLoadedParent(const TileID& id, int32_t minCoveringZoom, std::fo
 
 void Source::update(MapData& data,
                     const TransformState& transformState,
-                    util::ptr<Style> style,
+                    Style& style,
                     GlyphAtlas& glyphAtlas,
                     GlyphStore& glyphStore,
                     SpriteAtlas& spriteAtlas,
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/source.hpp b/src/mbgl/map/source.hpp
index 2e889ccd74f..f7b675d160d 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/source.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/source.hpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class Source : public std::enable_shared_from_this<Source>, private util::noncop
     void load(MapData&, Environment&, std::function<void()> callback);
     void update(MapData&,
                 const TransformState&,
-                util::ptr<Style>,
+                Style&,
                 GlyphAtlas&,
                 GlyphStore&,
                 SpriteAtlas&,
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ class Source : public std::enable_shared_from_this<Source>, private util::noncop
 
     TileData::State addTile(MapData&,
                             const TransformState&,
-                            util::ptr<Style>,
+                            Style&,
                             GlyphAtlas&,
                             GlyphStore&,
                             SpriteAtlas&,
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/tile_parser.cpp b/src/mbgl/map/tile_parser.cpp
index 60228974b04..35c504ab29f 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/tile_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/tile_parser.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ TileParser::~TileParser() = default;
 
 TileParser::TileParser(const GeometryTile& geometryTile_,
                        VectorTileData& tile_,
-                       const util::ptr<const Style>& style_,
+                       const Style& style_,
                        GlyphAtlas& glyphAtlas_,
                        GlyphStore& glyphStore_,
                        SpriteAtlas& spriteAtlas_,
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ TileParser::TileParser(const GeometryTile& geometryTile_,
       spriteAtlas(spriteAtlas_),
       sprite(sprite_),
       collision(util::make_unique<Collision>(tile.id.z, 4096, tile.source.tile_size, tile.depth)) {
-    assert(style);
     assert(sprite);
     assert(collision);
 }
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ TileParser::TileParser(const GeometryTile& geometryTile_,
 bool TileParser::obsolete() const { return tile.state == TileData::State::obsolete; }
 
 void TileParser::parse() {
-    for (const auto& layer_desc : style->layers) {
+    for (const auto& layer_desc : style.layers) {
         // Cancel early when parsing.
         if (obsolete()) {
             return;
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/tile_parser.hpp b/src/mbgl/map/tile_parser.hpp
index 2c16d2a2fdc..2dbb8cb17f9 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/tile_parser.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/tile_parser.hpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class TileParser : private util::noncopyable {
 public:
     TileParser(const GeometryTile& geometryTile,
                VectorTileData& tile,
-               const util::ptr<const Style>& style,
+               const Style& style,
                GlyphAtlas& glyphAtlas,
                GlyphStore& glyphStore,
                SpriteAtlas& spriteAtlas,
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class TileParser : private util::noncopyable {
     VectorTileData& tile;
 
     // Cross-thread shared data.
-    util::ptr<const Style> style;
+    const Style& style;
     GlyphAtlas& glyphAtlas;
     GlyphStore& glyphStore;
     SpriteAtlas& spriteAtlas;
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.cpp b/src/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.cpp
index 39c2d9fce3a..555e1851f4f 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ using namespace mbgl;
 
 VectorTileData::VectorTileData(const TileID& id_,
                                float mapMaxZoom,
-                               util::ptr<Style> style_,
+                               Style& style_,
                                GlyphAtlas& glyphAtlas_,
                                GlyphStore& glyphStore_,
                                SpriteAtlas& spriteAtlas_,
@@ -37,20 +37,12 @@ void VectorTileData::parse() {
     }
 
     try {
-        if (!style) {
-            throw std::runtime_error("style isn't present in VectorTileData object anymore");
-        }
-
         // Parsing creates state that is encapsulated in TileParser. While parsing,
         // the TileParser object writes results into this objects. All other state
         // is going to be discarded afterwards.
         VectorTile vectorTile(pbf((const uint8_t *)data.data(), data.size()));
         const VectorTile* vt = &vectorTile;
         TileParser parser(*vt, *this, style, glyphAtlas, glyphStore, spriteAtlas, sprite);
-
-        // Clear the style so that we don't have a cycle in the shared_ptr references.
-        style.reset();
-
         parser.parse();
     } catch (const std::exception& ex) {
         Log::Error(Event::ParseTile, "Parsing [%d/%d/%d] failed: %s", id.z, id.x, id.y, ex.what());
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.hpp b/src/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.hpp
index e87978c24cd..935ff90878f 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.hpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class VectorTileData : public TileData {
 public:
     VectorTileData(const TileID&,
                    float mapMaxZoom,
-                   util::ptr<Style>,
+                   Style&,
                    GlyphAtlas&,
                    GlyphStore&,
                    SpriteAtlas&,
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class VectorTileData : public TileData {
     GlyphStore& glyphStore;
     SpriteAtlas& spriteAtlas;
     util::ptr<Sprite> sprite;
-    util::ptr<Style> style;
+    Style& style;
 
 public:
     const float depth;