diff --git a/include/boost/asio/detail/config.hpp b/include/boost/asio/detail/config.hpp
index baeb86d7..754cfa48 100644
--- a/include/boost/asio/detail/config.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/asio/detail/config.hpp
@@ -283,6 +283,14 @@
 # endif // !defined(BOOST_ASIO_DISABLE_STD_SHARED_PTR)
 #endif // !defined(BOOST_ASIO_HAS_STD_SHARED_PTR)
 
+// owning pointer, either (removed in c++17) auto_ptr or unique_ptr
+// take presence of shared_ptr as proxy for unique_ptr
+#if defined(BOOST_ASIO_HAS_STD_SHARED_PTR) && (BOOST_ASIO_HAS_STD_SHARED_PTR == 1)
+# define BOOST_ASIO_RAII_PTR std::unique_ptr
+#else
+# define BOOST_ASIO_RAII_PTR std::auto_ptr
+#endif
+
 // Standard library support for atomic operations.
 #if !defined(BOOST_ASIO_HAS_STD_ATOMIC)
 # if !defined(BOOST_ASIO_DISABLE_STD_ATOMIC)
diff --git a/include/boost/asio/detail/winapi_thread.hpp b/include/boost/asio/detail/winapi_thread.hpp
index 204e73f4..294f4b44 100644
--- a/include/boost/asio/detail/winapi_thread.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/asio/detail/winapi_thread.hpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class winapi_thread
   template <typename Function>
   winapi_thread(Function f, unsigned int = 0)
   {
-    std::auto_ptr<func_base> arg(new func<Function>(f));
+    BOOST_ASIO_RAII_PTR<func_base> arg(new func<Function>(f));
     DWORD thread_id = 0;
     thread_ = ::CreateThread(0, 0, winapi_thread_function,
         arg.get(), 0, &thread_id);
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ class winapi_thread
 
 inline DWORD WINAPI winapi_thread_function(LPVOID arg)
 {
-  std::auto_ptr<winapi_thread::func_base> func(
+  BOOST_ASIO_RAII_PTR<winapi_thread::func_base> func(
       static_cast<winapi_thread::func_base*>(arg));
   func->run();
   return 0;
diff --git a/include/boost/asio/io_service.hpp b/include/boost/asio/io_service.hpp
index f2b46673..8161f596 100644
--- a/include/boost/asio/io_service.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/asio/io_service.hpp
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ namespace detail {
  * be allowed to finish normally, the work object may be explicitly destroyed.
  *
  * @code boost::asio::io_service io_service;
- * auto_ptr<boost::asio::io_service::work> work(
+ * unique_ptr<boost::asio::io_service::work> work(
  *     new boost::asio::io_service::work(io_service));
  * ...
  * work.reset(); // Allow run() to exit. @endcode
diff --git a/include/boost/asio/ssl/old/detail/openssl_stream_service.hpp b/include/boost/asio/ssl/old/detail/openssl_stream_service.hpp
index afccf365..e8039671 100644
--- a/include/boost/asio/ssl/old/detail/openssl_stream_service.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/asio/ssl/old/detail/openssl_stream_service.hpp
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class openssl_stream_service
     Handler handler_;
     void handler_impl(const boost::system::error_code& error, size_t size)
     {
-      std::auto_ptr<io_handler<Stream, Handler> > this_ptr(this);
+      BOOST_ASIO_RAII_PTR<io_handler<Stream, Handler> > this_ptr(this);
       handler_(error, size);
     }
   };  // class io_handler 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class openssl_stream_service
     Handler handler_;
     void handler_impl(const boost::system::error_code& error, size_t)
     {
-      std::auto_ptr<handshake_handler<Stream, Handler> > this_ptr(this);
+      BOOST_ASIO_RAII_PTR<handshake_handler<Stream, Handler> > this_ptr(this);
       handler_(error);
     }
 
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ class openssl_stream_service
     Handler handler_;
     void handler_impl(const boost::system::error_code& error, size_t)
     {
-      std::auto_ptr<shutdown_handler<Stream, Handler> > this_ptr(this);
+      BOOST_ASIO_RAII_PTR<shutdown_handler<Stream, Handler> > this_ptr(this);
       handler_(error);
     }
   };  // class shutdown_handler