diff --git a/nestkernel/connection_creator_impl.h b/nestkernel/connection_creator_impl.h
index 7aa224347f..e094ab59d5 100644
--- a/nestkernel/connection_creator_impl.h
+++ b/nestkernel/connection_creator_impl.h
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ ConnectionCreator::PoolWrapper_< D >::PoolWrapper_()
 }
 
 template < int D >
-ConnectionCreator::PoolWrapper_< D >::~PoolWrapper_()
+ConnectionCreator::PoolWrapper_< D >::~PoolWrapper_< D >()
 {
   if ( masked_layer_ )
   {
diff --git a/sli/parser.h b/sli/parser.h
index dc5d67aae9..79f70bcba4 100644
--- a/sli/parser.h
+++ b/sli/parser.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 
 class Parser
 {
-  Scanner* s;
+  Scanner* s = nullptr;
 
   Token arraytoken;
   Token proctoken;
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ class Parser
 public:
   Parser();
   Parser( std::istream& );
+  ~Parser()
+  {
+    delete s;
+  }
 
   bool operator()( Token& );
   bool
diff --git a/sli/slistartup.cc b/sli/slistartup.cc
index 61dcd706cb..a090c701f9 100644
--- a/sli/slistartup.cc
+++ b/sli/slistartup.cc
@@ -214,53 +214,55 @@ SLIStartup::SLIStartup( int argc, char** argv )
     StringDatum* sd = new StringDatum( argv[ i ] );
     args_array.push_back( Token( sd ) );
 
-    if ( *sd == "-d" or *sd == "--debug" )
+    const std::string myarg = argv[ i ];
+
+    if ( myarg == "-d" or myarg == "--debug" )
     {
       debug_ = true;
       verbosity_ = SLIInterpreter::M_ALL; // make the interpreter verbose.
       continue;
     }
-    if ( *sd == "--verbosity=ALL" )
+    if ( myarg == "--verbosity=ALL" )
     {
       verbosity_ = SLIInterpreter::M_ALL;
       continue;
     }
-    if ( *sd == "--verbosity=DEBUG" )
+    if ( myarg == "--verbosity=DEBUG" )
     {
       verbosity_ = SLIInterpreter::M_DEBUG;
       continue;
     }
-    if ( *sd == "--verbosity=STATUS" )
+    if ( myarg == "--verbosity=STATUS" )
     {
       verbosity_ = SLIInterpreter::M_STATUS;
       continue;
     }
-    if ( *sd == "--verbosity=INFO" )
+    if ( myarg == "--verbosity=INFO" )
     {
       verbosity_ = SLIInterpreter::M_INFO;
       continue;
     }
-    if ( *sd == "--verbosity=DEPRECATED" )
+    if ( myarg == "--verbosity=DEPRECATED" )
     {
       verbosity_ = SLIInterpreter::M_DEPRECATED;
       continue;
     }
-    if ( *sd == "--verbosity=WARNING" )
+    if ( myarg == "--verbosity=WARNING" )
     {
       verbosity_ = SLIInterpreter::M_WARNING;
       continue;
     }
-    if ( *sd == "--verbosity=ERROR" )
+    if ( myarg == "--verbosity=ERROR" )
     {
       verbosity_ = SLIInterpreter::M_ERROR;
       continue;
     }
-    if ( *sd == "--verbosity=FATAL" )
+    if ( myarg == "--verbosity=FATAL" )
     {
       verbosity_ = SLIInterpreter::M_FATAL;
       continue;
     }
-    if ( *sd == "--verbosity=QUIET" )
+    if ( myarg == "--verbosity=QUIET" )
     {
       verbosity_ = SLIInterpreter::M_QUIET;
       continue;