diff --git a/src/shogun/kernel/string/WeightedDegreePositionStringKernel.cpp b/src/shogun/kernel/string/WeightedDegreePositionStringKernel.cpp
index 308faf375e0..1a52bff7e84 100644
--- a/src/shogun/kernel/string/WeightedDegreePositionStringKernel.cpp
+++ b/src/shogun/kernel/string/WeightedDegreePositionStringKernel.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel::CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(
 }
 
 CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel::CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(
-	int32_t size, float64_t* w, int32_t d, int32_t mm, int32_t* s, int32_t sl,
+	int32_t size, SGVector<float64_t> w, int32_t d, int32_t mm, SGVector<int32_t> s,
 	int32_t mkls)
 : CStringKernel<char>(size)
 {
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel::CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(
 	for (int32_t i=0; i<d*(1+max_mismatch); i++)
 		weights[i]=w[i];
 
-	set_shifts(SGVector<int32_t>(SGVector<int32_t>::clone_vector(s,sl), sl));
+	set_shifts(s);
 }
 
 CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel::CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(
diff --git a/src/shogun/kernel/string/WeightedDegreePositionStringKernel.h b/src/shogun/kernel/string/WeightedDegreePositionStringKernel.h
index 43299177621..ab73521212c 100644
--- a/src/shogun/kernel/string/WeightedDegreePositionStringKernel.h
+++ b/src/shogun/kernel/string/WeightedDegreePositionStringKernel.h
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ class CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel: public CStringKernel<char>
 		 * @param mkl_stepsize MKL stepsize
 		 */
 		CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(
-			int32_t size, float64_t* weights, int32_t degree,
-			int32_t max_mismatch, int32_t* shift, int32_t shift_len,
+			int32_t size, SGVector<float64_t> weights, int32_t degree,
+			int32_t max_mismatch, SGVector<int32_t> shifts,
 			int32_t mkl_stepsize=1);
 
 		/** constructor
diff --git a/src/shogun/ui/GUIKernel.cpp b/src/shogun/ui/GUIKernel.cpp
index fef0614ecb2..12db549deb9 100644
--- a/src/shogun/ui/GUIKernel.cpp
+++ b/src/shogun/ui/GUIKernel.cpp
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ CKernel* CGUIKernel::create_weighteddegreepositionstring(
 
 	float64_t* weights=get_weights(order, max_mismatch);
 
-	CKernel* kern=new CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(size, weights, order, max_mismatch, shifts, length);
+	CKernel* kern=new CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(size, SGVector<float64_t>(weights, order*(1+max_mismatch)), order, max_mismatch, SGVector<int32_t>(shifts, length).clone());
 	if (!kern)
 		SG_ERROR("Couldn't create WeightedDegreePositionStringKernel with size %d, order %d, max_mismatch %d, length %d, center %d, step %f.\n", size, order, max_mismatch, length, center, step)
 	else
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ CKernel* CGUIKernel::create_weighteddegreepositionstring3(
 {
 	float64_t* weights=get_weights(order, max_mismatch);
 
-	CKernel* kern=new CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(size, weights, order, max_mismatch, shifts, length, mkl_stepsize);
+	CKernel* kern=new CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(size, SGVector<float64_t>(weights, order*(1+max_mismatch)), order, max_mismatch, SGVector<int32_t>(shifts, length).clone(), mkl_stepsize);
 	kern->set_normalizer(new CIdentityKernelNormalizer());
 
 	SG_DEBUG("created WeightedDegreePositionStringKernel (%p) with size %d, order %d, max_mismatch %d, length %d and position_weights (MKL stepsize: %d).\n", kern, size, order, max_mismatch, length, mkl_stepsize)
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ CKernel* CGUIKernel::create_weighteddegreepositionstring2(
 {
 	float64_t* weights=get_weights(order, max_mismatch);
 
-	CKernel* kern=new CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(size, weights, order, max_mismatch, shifts, length);
+	CKernel* kern=new CWeightedDegreePositionStringKernel(size, SGVector<float64_t>(weights, order*(1+max_mismatch)), order, max_mismatch, SGVector<int32_t>(shifts, length).clone());
 	if (!use_normalization)
 		kern->set_normalizer(new CIdentityKernelNormalizer());