diff --git a/python/core/auto_generated/symbology/qgsrendererregistry.sip.in b/python/core/auto_generated/symbology/qgsrendererregistry.sip.in
index e1a26ab7f82..e9916acd2bc 100644
--- a/python/core/auto_generated/symbology/qgsrendererregistry.sip.in
+++ b/python/core/auto_generated/symbology/qgsrendererregistry.sip.in
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ Returns new instance of settings widget for the renderer. Returns ``None`` on er
 The ``oldRenderer`` argument may refer to previously used renderer (or it is ``None``).
 If not ``None``, it may be used to initialize GUI of the widget from the previous settings.
 The old renderer does not have to be of the same type as returned by createRenderer().
-When using ``oldRenderer`` make sure to make a copy of it - it will be deleted afterwards.
 %End
 
     virtual QgsFeatureRenderer *createRendererFromSld( QDomElement &elem, QgsWkbTypes::GeometryType geomType ) /Factory/;
diff --git a/src/core/symbology/qgsrendererregistry.h b/src/core/symbology/qgsrendererregistry.h
index 42e00d54854..23d450adc61 100644
--- a/src/core/symbology/qgsrendererregistry.h
+++ b/src/core/symbology/qgsrendererregistry.h
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsRendererAbstractMetadata
      * The \a oldRenderer argument may refer to previously used renderer (or it is NULLPTR).
      * If not NULLPTR, it may be used to initialize GUI of the widget from the previous settings.
      * The old renderer does not have to be of the same type as returned by createRenderer().
-     * When using \a oldRenderer make sure to make a copy of it - it will be deleted afterwards.
      */
     virtual QgsRendererWidget *createRendererWidget( QgsVectorLayer *layer, QgsStyle *style, QgsFeatureRenderer *oldRenderer ) SIP_FACTORY
     { Q_UNUSED( layer ) Q_UNUSED( style ); Q_UNUSED( oldRenderer ); return nullptr; }
diff --git a/src/gui/symbology/qgsinvertedpolygonrendererwidget.cpp b/src/gui/symbology/qgsinvertedpolygonrendererwidget.cpp
index ab425aaf6e8..76ecc24bbc1 100644
--- a/src/gui/symbology/qgsinvertedpolygonrendererwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/symbology/qgsinvertedpolygonrendererwidget.cpp
@@ -133,7 +133,8 @@ void QgsInvertedPolygonRendererWidget::mRendererComboBox_currentIndexChanged( in
   QgsRendererAbstractMetadata *m = QgsApplication::rendererRegistry()->rendererMetadata( rendererId );
   if ( m )
   {
-    mEmbeddedRendererWidget.reset( m->createRendererWidget( mLayer, mStyle, const_cast<QgsFeatureRenderer *>( mRenderer->embeddedRenderer() )->clone() ) );
+    std::unique_ptr< QgsFeatureRenderer > oldRenderer( mRenderer->embeddedRenderer()->clone() );
+    mEmbeddedRendererWidget.reset( m->createRendererWidget( mLayer, mStyle, oldRenderer.get() ) );
     connect( mEmbeddedRendererWidget.get(), &QgsRendererWidget::widgetChanged, this, &QgsInvertedPolygonRendererWidget::widgetChanged );
     mEmbeddedRendererWidget->setContext( mContext );
     mEmbeddedRendererWidget->setDockMode( this->dockMode() );
diff --git a/src/gui/symbology/qgspointclusterrendererwidget.cpp b/src/gui/symbology/qgspointclusterrendererwidget.cpp
index aa095de9580..26f5eb9b482 100644
--- a/src/gui/symbology/qgspointclusterrendererwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/symbology/qgspointclusterrendererwidget.cpp
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ void QgsPointClusterRendererWidget::mRendererComboBox_currentIndexChanged( int i
   if ( m )
   {
     // unfortunately renderer conversion is only available through the creation of a widget...
-    QgsRendererWidget *tempRenderWidget = m->createRendererWidget( mLayer, mStyle, mRenderer->embeddedRenderer()->clone() );
+    std::unique_ptr< QgsFeatureRenderer > oldRenderer( mRenderer->embeddedRenderer()->clone() );
+    QgsRendererWidget *tempRenderWidget = m->createRendererWidget( mLayer, mStyle, oldRenderer.get() );
     mRenderer->setEmbeddedRenderer( tempRenderWidget->renderer()->clone() );
     delete tempRenderWidget;
   }
diff --git a/src/gui/symbology/qgspointdisplacementrendererwidget.cpp b/src/gui/symbology/qgspointdisplacementrendererwidget.cpp
index e63168f0c08..edea7d7ee7e 100644
--- a/src/gui/symbology/qgspointdisplacementrendererwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/symbology/qgspointdisplacementrendererwidget.cpp
@@ -245,7 +245,8 @@ void QgsPointDisplacementRendererWidget::mRendererComboBox_currentIndexChanged(
   if ( m )
   {
     // unfortunately renderer conversion is only available through the creation of a widget...
-    QgsRendererWidget *tempRenderWidget = m->createRendererWidget( mLayer, mStyle, mRenderer->embeddedRenderer()->clone() );
+    std::unique_ptr< QgsFeatureRenderer> oldRenderer( mRenderer->embeddedRenderer()->clone() );
+    QgsRendererWidget *tempRenderWidget = m->createRendererWidget( mLayer, mStyle, oldRenderer.get() );
     mRenderer->setEmbeddedRenderer( tempRenderWidget->renderer()->clone() );
     delete tempRenderWidget;
     emit widgetChanged();