diff --git a/src/karts/abstract_kart.cpp b/src/karts/abstract_kart.cpp
index e3ed8e993..e8e9044b1 100644
--- a/src/karts/abstract_kart.cpp
+++ b/src/karts/abstract_kart.cpp
@@ -41,10 +41,11 @@ AbstractKart::AbstractKart(const std::string& ident,
              : Moveable()
 {
     m_world_kart_id   = world_kart_id;
-    m_kart_properties = kart_properties_manager->getKart(ident);
+    m_kart_properties.reset(new KartProperties());
+    m_kart_properties->copyForPlayer(kart_properties_manager->getKart(ident));
     m_difficulty = difficulty;
     m_kart_animation  = NULL;
-    assert(m_kart_properties != NULL);
+    assert(m_kart_properties);
 
     // We have to take a copy of the kart model, since otherwise
     // the animations will be mixed up (i.e. different instances of
diff --git a/src/karts/abstract_kart.hpp b/src/karts/abstract_kart.hpp
index 78c6187a4..516c87200 100644
--- a/src/karts/abstract_kart.hpp
+++ b/src/karts/abstract_kart.hpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ private:
 
 protected:
     /** The kart properties. */
-    const KartProperties *m_kart_properties;
+    std::unique_ptr<KartProperties> m_kart_properties;
 
     /** The per-player difficulty. */
     PerPlayerDifficulty m_difficulty;
@@ -128,10 +128,7 @@ public:
     // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     /** Returns the kart properties of this kart. */
     const KartProperties* getKartProperties() const
-                            { return m_kart_properties; }
-    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    /** Sets the kart properties. */
-    void setKartProperties(const KartProperties *kp) { m_kart_properties=kp; }
+                            { return m_kart_properties.get(); }
     // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     /** Returns the characteristics of this kart. */
     const AbstractCharacteristic* getCharacteristic() const;
diff --git a/src/karts/kart.cpp b/src/karts/kart.cpp
index 4ea131bf0..9ab4f1888 100644
--- a/src/karts/kart.cpp
+++ b/src/karts/kart.cpp
@@ -2455,7 +2455,7 @@ void Kart::loadData(RaceManager::KartType type, bool is_animated_model)
 
     if (!CVS->supportsShadows())
     {
-        m_shadow = new Shadow(m_kart_properties, m_node,
+        m_shadow = new Shadow(m_kart_properties.get(), m_node,
                               -m_kart_model->getLowestPoint());
     }
     World::getWorld()->kartAdded(this, m_node);
diff --git a/src/karts/kart_properties.cpp b/src/karts/kart_properties.cpp
index cb9af29f6..882ab7854 100644
--- a/src/karts/kart_properties.cpp
+++ b/src/karts/kart_properties.cpp
@@ -94,14 +94,12 @@ KartProperties::KartProperties(const std::string &filename)
     // The default constructor for stk_config uses filename=""
     if (filename != "")
     {
-        for(unsigned int i=0; i<RaceManager::DIFFICULTY_COUNT; i++)
-            m_ai_properties[i]= NULL;
         load(filename, "kart");
     }
     else
     {
-        for(unsigned int i=0; i<RaceManager::DIFFICULTY_COUNT; i++)
-            m_ai_properties[i]= new AIProperties((RaceManager::Difficulty)i);
+        for (unsigned int i = 0; i < RaceManager::DIFFICULTY_COUNT; i++)
+            m_ai_properties[i].reset(new AIProperties((RaceManager::Difficulty) i));
     }
 }   // KartProperties
 
@@ -110,19 +108,18 @@ KartProperties::KartProperties(const std::string &filename)
 KartProperties::~KartProperties()
 {
     delete m_kart_model;
-    for(unsigned int i=0; i<RaceManager::DIFFICULTY_COUNT; i++)
-        if(m_ai_properties[i])
-            delete m_ai_properties[i];
 }   // ~KartProperties
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-/** Copies this KartProperties to another one. Importnat: if you add any
+/** Copies this KartProperties to another one. Important: if you add any
  *  pointers to kart_properties, the data structure they are pointing to
  *  need to be copied here explicitely!
+ *  The AIProperties won't get cloned here as they don't differ for each player.
+ *  To clone this object for another kart use the copyFrom method.
  *  \param source The source kart properties from which to copy this objects'
  *         values.
  */
-void KartProperties::copyFrom(const KartProperties *source)
+void KartProperties::copyForPlayer(const KartProperties *source)
 {
     *this = *source;
 
@@ -136,10 +133,24 @@ void KartProperties::copyFrom(const KartProperties *source)
         // this object has other pointers (to m_characteristic).
         combineCharacteristics();
     }
+}   // copyForPlayer
 
-    for(unsigned int i=0; i<RaceManager::DIFFICULTY_COUNT; i++)
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/** Copies this KartProperties to another one. Important: if you add any
+ *  pointers to kart_properties, the data structure they are pointing to
+ *  need to be copied here explicitely!
+ *  \param source The source kart properties from which to copy this objects'
+ *         values.
+ */
+void KartProperties::copyFrom(const KartProperties *source)
+{
+    copyForPlayer(source);
+
+    // Also copy the AIProperties because they can differ for each car
+    // (but not for each player).
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < RaceManager::DIFFICULTY_COUNT; i++)
     {
-        m_ai_properties[i] = new AIProperties((RaceManager::Difficulty)i);
+        m_ai_properties[i].reset(new AIProperties((RaceManager::Difficulty) i));
         assert(m_ai_properties);
         *m_ai_properties[i] = *source->m_ai_properties[i];
     }
@@ -337,7 +348,7 @@ void KartProperties::getAllData(const XMLNode * root)
     root->get("shadow-x-offset",   &m_shadow_x_offset  );
     root->get("shadow-z-offset",   &m_shadow_z_offset  );
 
-    root->get("type",     &m_kart_type        );
+    root->get("type",              &m_kart_type        );
 
     if(const XMLNode *dimensions_node = root->getNode("center"))
         dimensions_node->get("gravity-shift", &m_gravity_center_shift);
diff --git a/src/karts/kart_properties.hpp b/src/karts/kart_properties.hpp
index dbd54747d..604feb6a2 100644
--- a/src/karts/kart_properties.hpp
+++ b/src/karts/kart_properties.hpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #ifndef HEADER_KART_PROPERTIES_HPP
 #define HEADER_KART_PROPERTIES_HPP
 
+#include <memory>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ private:
      *  reduce dependencies (and therefore compile time) when changing
      *  any AI property. There is one separate object for each
      *  difficulty. */
-    AIProperties *m_ai_properties[RaceManager::DIFFICULTY_COUNT];
+    std::shared_ptr<AIProperties> m_ai_properties[RaceManager::DIFFICULTY_COUNT];
 
     /** The absolute path of the icon texture to use. */
     Material                *m_icon_material;
@@ -212,6 +213,7 @@ public:
 
           KartProperties    (const std::string &filename="");
          ~KartProperties    ();
+    void  copyForPlayer     (const KartProperties *source);
     void  copyFrom          (const KartProperties *source);
     void  getAllData        (const XMLNode * root);
     void  checkAllSet       (const std::string &filename);
@@ -373,7 +375,7 @@ public:
     /** Returns a pointer to the AI properties. */
     const AIProperties *getAIPropertiesForDifficulty() const
     {
-        return m_ai_properties[race_manager->getDifficulty()];
+        return m_ai_properties[race_manager->getDifficulty()].get();
     }   // getAIProperties
 
     // ------------------------------------------------------------------------