diff --git a/taglib/mpeg/id3v1/id3v1tag.cpp b/taglib/mpeg/id3v1/id3v1tag.cpp
index 4a1d69b2..1457c81b 100644
--- a/taglib/mpeg/id3v1/id3v1tag.cpp
+++ b/taglib/mpeg/id3v1/id3v1tag.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ public:
   static const StringHandler *stringHandler;
 };
 
-const ID3v1::StringHandler *ID3v1::Tag::TagPrivate::stringHandler = new StringHandler;
+static const StringHandler defaultStringHandler;
+const ID3v1::StringHandler *ID3v1::Tag::TagPrivate::stringHandler = &defaultStringHandler;
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // StringHandler implementation
@@ -189,7 +190,9 @@ void ID3v1::Tag::setTrack(uint i)
 
 void ID3v1::Tag::setStringHandler(const StringHandler *handler)
 {
-  delete TagPrivate::stringHandler;
+  if(TagPrivate::stringHandler != &defaultStringHandler)
+    delete TagPrivate::stringHandler;
+
   TagPrivate::stringHandler = handler;
 }