diff --git a/src/gui/effects/qgseffectstackpropertieswidget.cpp b/src/gui/effects/qgseffectstackpropertieswidget.cpp
index 4ab7161e1566..9072cbf2f1e3 100644
--- a/src/gui/effects/qgseffectstackpropertieswidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/effects/qgseffectstackpropertieswidget.cpp
@@ -153,15 +153,11 @@ QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget::QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget( QgsEffectStack *
   setPanelTitle( tr( "Effects Properties" ) );
 }
 
-QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget::~QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget()
-{
-  delete mPreviewPicture;
-}
+QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget::~QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget() = default;
 
 void QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget::setPreviewPicture( const QPicture &picture )
 {
-  delete mPreviewPicture;
-  mPreviewPicture = new QPicture( picture );
+  mPreviewPicture = picture;
   updatePreview();
 }
 
@@ -215,7 +211,7 @@ void QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget::updatePreview()
   painter.begin( &previewImage );
   painter.setRenderHint( QPainter::Antialiasing );
   QgsRenderContext context = QgsRenderContext::fromQPainter( &painter );
-  if ( !mPreviewPicture )
+  if ( mPreviewPicture.isNull() )
   {
     QPicture previewPic;
     QPainter previewPicPainter;
@@ -229,7 +225,7 @@ void QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget::updatePreview()
   else
   {
     context.painter()->translate( 20, 20 );
-    mStack->render( *mPreviewPicture, context );
+    mStack->render( mPreviewPicture, context );
   }
   painter.end();
 
@@ -423,10 +419,7 @@ QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::QgsEffectStackCompactWidget( QWidget *parent, QgsPa
   setPaintEffect( effect );
 }
 
-QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::~QgsEffectStackCompactWidget()
-{
-  delete mPreviewPicture;
-}
+QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::~QgsEffectStackCompactWidget() = default;
 
 void QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::setPaintEffect( QgsPaintEffect *effect )
 {
@@ -460,8 +453,7 @@ QgsPaintEffect *QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::paintEffect() const
 
 void QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::setPreviewPicture( const QPicture &picture )
 {
-  delete mPreviewPicture;
-  mPreviewPicture = new QPicture( picture );
+  mPreviewPicture = picture;
 }
 
 void QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::showDialog()
@@ -474,10 +466,7 @@ void QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::showDialog()
   if ( panel && panel->dockMode() )
   {
     QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget *widget = new QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget( clone, nullptr );
-    if ( mPreviewPicture )
-    {
-      widget->setPreviewPicture( *mPreviewPicture );
-    }
+    widget->setPreviewPicture( mPreviewPicture );
 
     connect( widget, &QgsPanelWidget::widgetChanged, this, &QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::updateEffectLive );
     connect( widget, &QgsPanelWidget::panelAccepted, this, &QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::updateAcceptWidget );
@@ -486,10 +475,7 @@ void QgsEffectStackCompactWidget::showDialog()
   else
   {
     QgsEffectStackPropertiesDialog dlg( clone, this );
-    if ( mPreviewPicture )
-    {
-      dlg.setPreviewPicture( *mPreviewPicture );
-    }
+    dlg.setPreviewPicture( mPreviewPicture );
 
     if ( dlg.exec() == QDialog::Accepted )
     {
diff --git a/src/gui/effects/qgseffectstackpropertieswidget.h b/src/gui/effects/qgseffectstackpropertieswidget.h
index e6d91d6eceb1..dd5aa1accffa 100644
--- a/src/gui/effects/qgseffectstackpropertieswidget.h
+++ b/src/gui/effects/qgseffectstackpropertieswidget.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "qgis.h"
 #include <QWidget>
 #include <QStandardItemModel>
+#include <QPicture>
 #include "qgspanelwidget.h"
 
 #include "ui_qgseffectstackpropertieswidgetbase.h"
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsEffectStackPropertiesWidget : public QgsPanelWidget, private
     QgsEffectStack *mStack = nullptr;
     QStandardItemModel *mModel = nullptr;
     QWidget *mPresentWidget = nullptr;
-    QPicture *mPreviewPicture = nullptr;
+    QPicture mPreviewPicture;
 
     /**
      * Refreshes the widget to reflect the current state of the stack.
@@ -272,7 +273,7 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsEffectStackCompactWidget: public QgsPanelWidget
     QgsEffectStack *mStack = nullptr;
     QCheckBox *mEnabledCheckBox = nullptr;
     QToolButton *mButton = nullptr;
-    QPicture *mPreviewPicture = nullptr;
+    QPicture mPreviewPicture;
 
 };