diff --git a/doc/jsoncpp.dox b/doc/jsoncpp.dox
index f340591fd..381fb9185 100644
--- a/doc/jsoncpp.dox
+++ b/doc/jsoncpp.dox
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ CharReaders and StreamWriters are not thread-safe, but they are re-usable.
 \code
 Json::CharReaderBuilder rbuilder;
 cfg >> rbuilder.settings_;
-std::unique_ptr<Json::CharReader> const reader(rbuilder.newCharReader());
+std::unique_ptr<Json::CharReader> const reader = rbuilder.makeCharReader();
 reader->parse(start, stop, &value1, &errs);
 // ...
 reader->parse(start, stop, &value2, &errs);
diff --git a/include/json/reader.h b/include/json/reader.h
index d745378fc..9df30511f 100644
--- a/include/json/reader.h
+++ b/include/json/reader.h
@@ -282,6 +282,9 @@ class JSON_API CharReader {
      * \throw std::exception if something goes wrong (e.g. invalid settings)
      */
     virtual CharReader* newCharReader() const = 0;
+
+    /** Wrap newCharReader's result in a std::unique_ptr. Throws if newCharReader throws. */
+    std::unique_ptr<CharReader> makeCharReader() const;
   }; // Factory
 
 protected:
@@ -362,6 +365,9 @@ class JSON_API CharReaderBuilder : public CharReader::Factory {
   CharReaderBuilder();
   ~CharReaderBuilder() override;
 
+  /*
+   * \deprecated Use makeCharReader.
+   */
   CharReader* newCharReader() const override;
 
   /** \return true if 'settings' are legal and consistent;
diff --git a/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp b/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp
index 10c97aecb..717549305 100644
--- a/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp
+++ b/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp
@@ -1842,6 +1842,10 @@ OurReader::getStructuredErrors() const {
   return allErrors;
 }
 
+std::unique_ptr<CharReader> CharReader::Factory::makeCharReader() const {
+  return std::unique_ptr<CharReader>(newCharReader());
+}
+
 class OurCharReader : public CharReader {
 
 public:
diff --git a/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp b/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
index 5a0ce01ce..5c98ad42c 100644
--- a/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
+++ b/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
@@ -3009,6 +3009,19 @@ JSONTEST_FIXTURE_LOCAL(ReaderTest, allowNumericKeysTest) {
   checkParse(R"({ 123 : "abc" })");
 }
 
+struct UniqueReaderTest : JsonTest::TestCase {};
+
+JSONTEST_FIXTURE_LOCAL(UniqueReaderTest, parseWithNoErrors) {
+  Json::CharReaderBuilder b;
+  CharReaderPtr reader = b.makeCharReader();
+  Json::String errs;
+  Json::Value root;
+  char const doc[] = R"({ "property" : "value" })";
+  bool ok = reader->parse(doc, doc + std::strlen(doc), &root, &errs);
+  JSONTEST_ASSERT(ok);
+  JSONTEST_ASSERT(errs.empty());
+}
+
 struct CharReaderTest : JsonTest::TestCase {};
 
 JSONTEST_FIXTURE_LOCAL(CharReaderTest, parseWithNoErrors) {