diff --git a/alloc/arena.hpp b/alloc/arena.hpp
index 28a812ac..c0a3a6f5 100644
--- a/alloc/arena.hpp
+++ b/alloc/arena.hpp
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #define __UTIL_ALLOC_ARENA_HPP
 
 #include <memory>
+#include "../memory/deleter.hpp"
+
 
 namespace util { namespace alloc {
     template <class T>
@@ -25,20 +27,44 @@ namespace util { namespace alloc {
     public:
         arena (T &store);
 
+        //---------------------------------------------------------------------
+        template <typename U, typename ...Args>
+        U*
+        acquire (Args&&...);
+
+        //---------------------------------------------------------------------
         template <typename U>
-        U* acquire (void);
+        void
+        release (U*);
+
+        //---------------------------------------------------------------------
+        template <typename U>
+        using deleter_t = util::memory::owner_deleter<
+            U,arena<T>,&arena::release
+        >;
 
         template <typename U>
-        std::unique_ptr<U> unique (void);
+        using unique_t = std::unique_ptr<U,deleter_t<U>>;
+
+        // the return type must be auto and the implementation must be inline
+        // otherwise we trigger an internal compiler error in gcc-5.2.0
+        // "sorry, unimplemented: mangling offset_ref"
+        template <typename U, typename ...Args>
+        auto
+        unique (Args&& ...args)
+        {
+            return unique_t<U> {
+                acquire<U> (std::forward<Args> (args)...),
+                deleter_t<U> (*this)
+            };
+        }
 
-        template <typename U>
-        void release (U*);
 
     private:
         T &m_store;
     };
 } }
 
-#include "./arena.hpp"
+#include "./arena.ipp"
 
 #endif
diff --git a/alloc/arena.ipp b/alloc/arena.ipp
index 0fa7f2ec..dddfb3f2 100644
--- a/alloc/arena.ipp
+++ b/alloc/arena.ipp
@@ -34,24 +34,18 @@ template <typename U, typename ...Args>
 U*
 util::alloc::arena<T>::acquire (Args&& ...args)
 {
-    U *data = m_store.allocate (sizeof (U), alignof (U));
+    U *data = reinterpret_cast<U*> (
+        m_store.allocate (sizeof (U), alignof (U))
+    );
     
     try {
-        new (data) U (std::forward (args)...);
+        new (data) U (std::forward<Args> (args)...);
     } catch (...) {
         m_store.deallocate (data, sizeof (U));
         throw;
     }
-}
 
-
-//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-template <class T>
-template <typename U, typename ...Args>
-std::unique_ptr<U>
-util::alloc::arena<T>::unique (Args&& ...args)
-{
-    return std::unique_ptr<U> (acquire (std::forward (args)...));
+    return data;
 }
 
 
@@ -62,7 +56,7 @@ void
 util::alloc::arena<T>::release (U *u)
 {
     u->~U ();
-    m_store.deallocate (u);
+    m_store.deallocate (reinterpret_cast<void*> (u), sizeof (U));
 }