diff --git a/src/tools/PlumedHandle.cpp b/src/tools/PlumedHandle.cpp
index e1d0a3efe3..952e07540c 100644
--- a/src/tools/PlumedHandle.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/PlumedHandle.cpp
@@ -86,4 +86,21 @@ void PlumedHandle::cmd(const std::string & key,const TypesafePtr & ptr) {
   } else plumed_error() << "should never arrive here (either one or the other should work)";
 }
 
+PlumedHandle::PlumedHandle(PlumedHandle && other) noexcept:
+  local(std::move(other.local)),
+  loaded(other.loaded)
+{
+  other.loaded=nullptr;
+}
+
+PlumedHandle & PlumedHandle::operator=(PlumedHandle && other) noexcept {
+  if(this!=&other) {
+    if(loaded) plumed_finalize(plumed_v2c(loaded));
+    local=std::move(other.local);
+    loaded=other.loaded;
+    other.loaded=nullptr;
+  }
+  return *this;
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/tools/PlumedHandle.h b/src/tools/PlumedHandle.h
index c0ea543249..d3e1d5d77c 100644
--- a/src/tools/PlumedHandle.h
+++ b/src/tools/PlumedHandle.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class PlumedHandle :
 /// Used when using the current kernel in order to avoid unneeded indirections.
   std::unique_ptr<PlumedMain> local;
 /// Pointer to loaded Plumed object;
-  void* const loaded=nullptr;
+  void* loaded=nullptr;
 /// Constructor using the path to a kernel.
 /// I keep it private to avoid confusion wrt the
 /// similar constructor of PLMD::Plumed that accepts a string (conversion from FORTRAN).
@@ -94,7 +94,9 @@ class PlumedHandle :
 /// I make it virtual for future extensibility, though this is not necessary now.
   virtual ~PlumedHandle();
 /// Move constructor.
-  PlumedHandle(PlumedHandle &&) = default;
+  PlumedHandle(PlumedHandle && other) noexcept;
+/// Move assignment.
+  PlumedHandle & operator=(PlumedHandle && other) noexcept;
 /// Execute cmd.
   void cmd(const std::string & key,const TypesafePtr & ptr=nullptr);
 /// Bring in the possibility to pass shape/nelem