diff --git a/src/unit_animation.cpp b/src/unit_animation.cpp
index 9e6df5b17c20..7702944dbf41 100644
--- a/src/unit_animation.cpp
+++ b/src/unit_animation.cpp
@@ -328,11 +328,11 @@ unit_animation::unit_animation(const config& cfg,const std::string& frame_string
 		directions_.push_back(d);
 	}
 	BOOST_FOREACH(const config &filter, cfg.child_range("filter")) {
-		unit_filter_.push_back(filter);
+		unit_filter_.push_back(unit_filter(vconfig(filter), game_display::get_singleton()));
 	}
 
 	BOOST_FOREACH(const config &filter, cfg.child_range("filter_second")) {
-		secondary_unit_filter_.push_back(filter);
+		secondary_unit_filter_.push_back(unit_filter(vconfig(filter), game_display::get_singleton()));
 	}
 
 	std::vector<std::string> value_str = utils::split(cfg["value"]);
@@ -402,18 +402,18 @@ int unit_animation::matches(const display &disp, const map_location& loc,const m
 				result ++;
 			}
 		}
-		std::vector<config>::const_iterator myitor;
+		std::vector<unit_filter>::const_iterator myitor;
 		for(myitor = unit_filter_.begin(); myitor != unit_filter_.end(); ++myitor) {
-			if (!unit_filter(vconfig(*myitor), &disp).matches(*my_unit, loc)) return MATCH_FAIL; //TODO: Precalculate these
+			if (!myitor->matches(*my_unit, loc)) return MATCH_FAIL;
 			++result;
 		}
 		if(!secondary_unit_filter_.empty()) {
 			unit_map::const_iterator unit;
 			for(unit=disp.get_units().begin() ; unit != disp.get_units().end() ; ++unit) {
 				if (unit->get_location() == second_loc) {
-					std::vector<config>::const_iterator second_itor;
+					std::vector<unit_filter>::const_iterator second_itor;
 					for(second_itor = secondary_unit_filter_.begin(); second_itor != secondary_unit_filter_.end(); ++second_itor) {
-						if (!unit_filter(vconfig(*second_itor), &disp).matches(*unit, second_loc)) return MATCH_FAIL; //TODO: Precalculate these
+						if (!second_itor->matches(*unit, second_loc)) return MATCH_FAIL;
 						result++;
 					}
 
@@ -1148,16 +1148,18 @@ std::ostream& operator << (std::ostream& outstream, const unit_animation& u_anim
 
 	if (u_animation.unit_filter_.size() > 0) {
 		std::cout << "[filter]\n";
-		BOOST_FOREACH(const config cfg, u_animation.unit_filter_) {
-			std::cout << cfg.debug();
-		}
+		//BOOST_FOREACH(const config cfg, u_animation.unit_filter_) {
+		//	std::cout << cfg.debug();
+		//}
+		std::cout << "TODO: create debugging output for unit filters";
 		std::cout << "[/filter]\n";
 	}
 	if (u_animation.secondary_unit_filter_.size() > 0) {
 		std::cout << "[filter_second]\n";
-		BOOST_FOREACH(const config cfg, u_animation.secondary_unit_filter_) {
-			std::cout << cfg.debug();
-		}
+		//BOOST_FOREACH(const config cfg, u_animation.secondary_unit_filter_) {
+		//	std::cout << cfg.debug();
+		//}
+		std::cout << "TODO: create debugging output for unit filters";
 		std::cout << "[/filter_second]\n";
 	}
 	if (u_animation.primary_attack_filter_.size() > 0) {
diff --git a/src/unit_animation.hpp b/src/unit_animation.hpp
index 6450ee346f6b..09435f0b48a7 100644
--- a/src/unit_animation.hpp
+++ b/src/unit_animation.hpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "animated.hpp"
 #include "config.hpp"
 #include "halo.hpp"
+#include "unit_filter.hpp"
 #include "unit_frame.hpp"
 #include "unit_ptr.hpp"
 
@@ -126,8 +127,8 @@ class unit_animation
 
 	};
 		t_translation::t_list terrain_types_;
-		std::vector<config> unit_filter_;
-		std::vector<config> secondary_unit_filter_;
+		std::vector<unit_filter> unit_filter_;
+		std::vector<unit_filter> secondary_unit_filter_;
 		std::vector<map_location::DIRECTION> directions_;
 		int frequency_;
 		int base_score_;
diff --git a/src/unit_filter.cpp b/src/unit_filter.cpp
index 42e864749df9..c8b98c2cbfef 100644
--- a/src/unit_filter.cpp
+++ b/src/unit_filter.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@
 
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
 #include <boost/optional.hpp>
+#include <boost/make_shared.hpp>
 #include <boost/ptr_container/ptr_vector.hpp>
+#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 #include <boost/utility/in_place_factory.hpp> //needed for boost::in_place to initialize optionals
 
 #include <vector>
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ bool unit_filter::matches(const unit & u) const {
 
 
 /// Forward declare the "construct" method which constructs an appropriate filter impl
-static unit_filter_abstract_impl * construct(const vconfig & vcfg, const filter_context & fc, bool flat_tod);
+static boost::shared_ptr<unit_filter_abstract_impl> construct(const vconfig & vcfg, const filter_context & fc, bool flat_tod);
 
 /// Null unit filter is built when the input config is null
 class null_unit_filter_impl : public unit_filter_abstract_impl {
@@ -271,12 +273,12 @@ class basic_unit_filter_impl : public unit_filter_abstract_impl {
  *
  */
 
-static unit_filter_abstract_impl * construct(const vconfig & vcfg, const filter_context & fc, bool flat_tod)
+static boost::shared_ptr<unit_filter_abstract_impl> construct(const vconfig & vcfg, const filter_context & fc, bool flat_tod)
 {
 	if (vcfg.null()) {
-		return new null_unit_filter_impl();
+		return boost::make_shared<null_unit_filter_impl> ();
 	}
-	return new basic_unit_filter_impl(vcfg, fc, flat_tod);
+	return boost::make_shared<basic_unit_filter_impl>(vcfg, fc, flat_tod);
 	//TODO: Add more efficient implementations for special cases
 }
 
@@ -288,7 +290,7 @@ unit_filter::unit_filter(const vconfig & vcfg, const filter_context * fc, bool f
 	if (!fc) {
 		assert(false && "attempt to instantiate a unit filter with a null filter context!");
 	}
-	impl_.reset(construct(vcfg, *fc, flat_tod));
+	impl_ = construct(vcfg, *fc, flat_tod);
 }
 
 /** Begin implementations of filter impl's
diff --git a/src/unit_filter.hpp b/src/unit_filter.hpp
index 08f366962fc8..830f3f693b80 100644
--- a/src/unit_filter.hpp
+++ b/src/unit_filter.hpp
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@
  * these to speed up repeated application of the filter.
  */
 
-#include <boost/scoped_ptr.hpp>
+#ifndef INCLUDED_UNIT_FILTER_HPP_
+#define INCLUDED_UNIT_FILTER_HPP_
+
+#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 
 class filter_context;
 class unit;
@@ -40,6 +43,16 @@ class unit_filter {
 public:
 	unit_filter(const vconfig & cfg, const filter_context * fc, bool use_flat_tod = false); //!< Constructs a unit filter from a config and a context. This function should give the most efficient implementation available.
 
+	// Copy and Swap Idiom for the interface -- does not copy the underlying impl
+	unit_filter(const unit_filter & o ) : impl_(o.impl_) {}
+	void swap(unit_filter & o) {
+		impl_.swap(o.impl_);
+	}
+	unit_filter & operator=(unit_filter o) {
+		swap(o);
+		return *this;
+	}
+
 	bool matches(const unit & u, const map_location & loc) const {
 		return impl_->matches(u,loc);
 	}
@@ -56,5 +69,7 @@ class unit_filter {
 		return matches(u);
 	}
 private:
-	boost::scoped_ptr<unit_filter_abstract_impl> impl_;
+	boost::shared_ptr<unit_filter_abstract_impl> impl_;
 };
+
+#endif