diff --git a/simgear/package/Catalog.cxx b/simgear/package/Catalog.cxx
index 6422bf76..b698a0c3 100644
--- a/simgear/package/Catalog.cxx
+++ b/simgear/package/Catalog.cxx
@@ -619,6 +619,8 @@ void Catalog::setUserEnabled(bool b)
 
 void Catalog::processAlternate(SGPropertyNode_ptr alt)
 {
+    m_refreshRequest.reset();
+
     std::string altId;
     const auto idPtr = alt->getStringValue("id");
     if (idPtr) {
@@ -694,8 +696,8 @@ void Catalog::processAlternate(SGPropertyNode_ptr alt)
 
     SG_LOG(SG_GENERAL, SG_INFO, "Migrating catalog " << id() << " to new URL:" << altUrl);
     setUrl(altUrl);
-    Downloader* dl = new Downloader(this, altUrl);
-    root()->makeHTTPRequest(dl);
+    m_refreshRequest = new Downloader(this, altUrl);
+    root()->makeHTTPRequest(m_refreshRequest);
 }
 
 int Catalog::markPackagesForInstallation(const string_list &packageIds) {
diff --git a/simgear/package/CatalogTest.cxx b/simgear/package/CatalogTest.cxx
index 09246d70..a202ebd1 100644
--- a/simgear/package/CatalogTest.cxx
+++ b/simgear/package/CatalogTest.cxx
@@ -166,7 +166,8 @@ int parseTest()
 {
     SGPath rootPath = simgear::Dir::current().path();
     rootPath.append("testRoot");
-    pkg::Root* root = new pkg::Root(rootPath, "8.1.12");
+
+    pkg::RootRef root(new pkg::Root(rootPath, "8.1.2"));
     root->setLocale("de");
     pkg::CatalogRef cat = pkg::Catalog::createFromPath(root, SGPath(SRC_DIR "/catalogTest1"));
 
@@ -344,7 +345,6 @@ int parseTest()
     SG_CHECK_EQUAL(urls.size(), 3);
     SG_CHECK_EQUAL(urls.at(1), "http://localhost:2000/mirrorB/b737.tar.gz");
 
-    delete root;
     return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -953,7 +953,7 @@ int parseInvalidTest()
 {
     SGPath rootPath = simgear::Dir::current().path();
     rootPath.append("testRoot");
-    pkg::Root* root = new pkg::Root(rootPath, "8.1.12");
+    pkg::RootRef root(new pkg::Root(rootPath, "8.1.12"));
     pkg::CatalogRef cat = pkg::Catalog::createFromPath(root, SGPath(SRC_DIR "/catalogTestInvalid"));
     SG_VERIFY(cat.valid());
 
@@ -1333,25 +1333,25 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     testRefreshCatalog(&cl);
 
     testInstallTarPackage(&cl);
-    
+
     testInstallArchiveType(&cl);
-    
+
     testDisableDueToVersion(&cl);
-    
+
     testOfflineMode(&cl);
-    
+
     testVersionMigrate(&cl);
-    
+
     updateInvalidToValid(&cl);
     updateValidToInvalid(&cl);
     updateInvalidToInvalid(&cl);
-    
+
     removeInvalidCatalog(&cl);
-    
+
     testVersionMigrateToId(&cl);
 
     testInstallBadPackage(&cl);
-    
+
     testMirrorsFailure(&cl);
 
     testMigrateInstalled(&cl);