diff --git a/ndn-cpp/encoding/WireFormat.cpp b/ndn-cpp/encoding/WireFormat.cpp
index e208b82..56f37d3 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/encoding/WireFormat.cpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/encoding/WireFormat.cpp
@@ -10,18 +10,17 @@
 
 namespace ndn {
 
-ptr_lib::shared_ptr<WireFormat> WireFormat::initialDefaultWireFormat_;
+static bool gotInitialDefaultWireFormat = false;
 
 WireFormat *WireFormat::defaultWireFormat_ = 0;
 
 WireFormat *WireFormat::getDefaultWireFormat()
 {
-  if (!defaultWireFormat_ && !initialDefaultWireFormat_) {
+  if (!defaultWireFormat_ && !gotInitialDefaultWireFormat) {
     // There is no defaultWireFormat_ and we have not yet initialized initialDefaultWireFormat_, so initialize and use it.
-    // NOTE: This could have been done with a static initializer on initialDefaultWireFormat_, but this does not have
-    //   good cross-platform support, especially for dynamic shared libraries.
-    initialDefaultWireFormat_.reset(newInitialDefaultWireFormat());
-    defaultWireFormat_ = initialDefaultWireFormat_.get();
+    gotInitialDefaultWireFormat = true;
+    // NOTE: This allocates one object which we never free for the life of the application.
+    defaultWireFormat_ = newInitialDefaultWireFormat();
   }
   
   return defaultWireFormat_;
diff --git a/ndn-cpp/encoding/WireFormat.hpp b/ndn-cpp/encoding/WireFormat.hpp
index fb4b9c2..32bf82f 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/encoding/WireFormat.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/encoding/WireFormat.hpp
@@ -48,11 +48,6 @@
    */
   static WireFormat *newInitialDefaultWireFormat();
   
-  /**
-   * Hold the result of newInitialDefaultWireFormat in this shared_ptr which is freed when the application exits.
-   */
-  static ptr_lib::shared_ptr<WireFormat> initialDefaultWireFormat_;
-  
   static WireFormat *defaultWireFormat_;
 };