diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/log.h b/include/libcamera/internal/log.h
index b66bf55bc57d..1032bdd93e7c 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/log.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/log.h
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ class LogCategory
 {
 public:
 	explicit LogCategory(const char *name);
-	~LogCategory();
 
 	const char *name() const { return name_; }
 	LogSeverity severity() const { return severity_; }
@@ -48,8 +47,8 @@ extern const LogCategory &_LOG_CATEGORY(name)();
 #define LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(name)					\
 const LogCategory &_LOG_CATEGORY(name)()				\
 {									\
-	static LogCategory category(#name);				\
-	return category;						\
+	static LogCategory *category = new LogCategory(#name);		\
+	return *category;						\
 }
 
 class LogMessage
diff --git a/src/libcamera/log.cpp b/src/libcamera/log.cpp
index dd991647b9bc..74829a56916e 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/log.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/log.cpp
@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@ void LogOutput::writeStream(const std::string &str)
 class Logger
 {
 public:
+	~Logger();
+
 	static Logger *instance();
 
 	void write(const LogMessage &msg);
@@ -267,7 +269,6 @@ private:
 
 	friend LogCategory;
 	void registerCategory(LogCategory *category);
-	void unregisterCategory(LogCategory *category);
 
 	std::unordered_set<LogCategory *> categories_;
 	std::list<std::pair<std::string, LogSeverity>> levels_;
@@ -369,6 +370,12 @@ void logSetLevel(const char *category, const char *level)
 	Logger::instance()->logSetLevel(category, level);
 }
 
+Logger::~Logger()
+{
+	for (LogCategory *category : categories_)
+		delete category;
+}
+
 /**
  * \brief Retrieve the logger instance
  *
@@ -665,18 +672,6 @@ void Logger::registerCategory(LogCategory *category)
 	}
 }
 
-/**
- * \brief Unregister a log category from the logger
- * \param[in] category The log category
- *
- * If the \a category hasn't been registered with the logger this function
- * performs no operation.
- */
-void Logger::unregisterCategory(LogCategory *category)
-{
-	categories_.erase(category);
-}
-
 /**
  * \enum LogSeverity
  * Log message severity
@@ -711,11 +706,6 @@ LogCategory::LogCategory(const char *name)
 	Logger::instance()->registerCategory(this);
 }
 
-LogCategory::~LogCategory()
-{
-	Logger::instance()->unregisterCategory(this);
-}
-
 /**
  * \fn LogCategory::name()
  * \brief Retrieve the log category name
@@ -746,12 +736,12 @@ void LogCategory::setSeverity(LogSeverity severity)
  * The default log category is named "default" and is used by the LOG() macro
  * when no log category is specified.
  *
- * \return A pointer to the default log category
+ * \return A reference to the default log category
  */
 const LogCategory &LogCategory::defaultCategory()
 {
-	static const LogCategory category("default");
-	return category;
+	static const LogCategory *category = new LogCategory("default");
+	return *category;
 }
 
 /**