diff --git a/src/core/pointcloud/qgspointcloudlayerrenderer.cpp b/src/core/pointcloud/qgspointcloudlayerrenderer.cpp
index bdfc7976e8085..7194fe8184876 100644
--- a/src/core/pointcloud/qgspointcloudlayerrenderer.cpp
+++ b/src/core/pointcloud/qgspointcloudlayerrenderer.cpp
@@ -209,11 +209,12 @@ bool QgsPointCloudLayerRenderer::render()
     }
     const bool zoomedOut = renderExtent.width() > vpcProvider->averageSubIndexWidth() ||
                            renderExtent.height() > vpcProvider->averageSubIndexHeight();
+    QgsPointCloudIndex overviewIndex = vpcProvider->overview();
     // if the overview of virtual point cloud exists, and we are zoomed out, we render just overview
     if ( vpcProvider->overview() && zoomedOut &&
          mRenderer->zoomOutBehavior() == Qgis::PointCloudZoomOutRenderBehavior::RenderOverview )
     {
-      renderIndex( vpcProvider->overview() );
+      renderIndex( overviewIndex );
     }
     else
     {
@@ -222,7 +223,7 @@ bool QgsPointCloudLayerRenderer::render()
       if ( vpcProvider->overview() && zoomedOut &&
            mRenderer->zoomOutBehavior() == Qgis::PointCloudZoomOutRenderBehavior::RenderOverviewAndExtents )
       {
-        renderIndex( vpcProvider->overview() );
+        renderIndex( overviewIndex );
       }
       mSubIndexExtentRenderer->startRender( context );
       for ( const QgsPointCloudSubIndex &si : visibleIndexes )
@@ -233,7 +234,7 @@ bool QgsPointCloudLayerRenderer::render()
         QgsPointCloudIndex pc = si.index();
         // if the index of point cloud is invalid, or we are zoomed out and want extents, we render the point cloud extent
         if ( !pc || !pc.isValid() || ( ( mRenderer->zoomOutBehavior() == Qgis::PointCloudZoomOutRenderBehavior::RenderExtents || mRenderer->zoomOutBehavior() == Qgis::PointCloudZoomOutRenderBehavior::RenderOverviewAndExtents ) &&
-                                        zoomedOut ) )
+                                       zoomedOut ) )
         {
           mSubIndexExtentRenderer->renderExtent( si.polygonBounds(), context );
           if ( mSubIndexExtentRenderer->showLabels() )
diff --git a/src/core/providers/vpc/qgsvirtualpointcloudprovider.cpp b/src/core/providers/vpc/qgsvirtualpointcloudprovider.cpp
index 9342c3c37ef5b..5d9d2cc19c9fc 100644
--- a/src/core/providers/vpc/qgsvirtualpointcloudprovider.cpp
+++ b/src/core/providers/vpc/qgsvirtualpointcloudprovider.cpp
@@ -213,8 +213,8 @@ void QgsVirtualPointCloudProvider::parseFile()
     // look for vpc overview reference
     if ( !mOverview && f["assets"].contains( "overview" ) && f["assets"]["overview"].contains( "href" ) )
     {
-      mOverview = std::make_unique<QgsCopcPointCloudIndex>();
-      mOverview->load( fInfo.absoluteDir().absoluteFilePath( QString::fromStdString( f["assets"]["overview"]["href"] ) ) );
+      mOverview = QgsPointCloudIndex( new QgsCopcPointCloudIndex() );
+      mOverview.load( fInfo.absoluteDir().absoluteFilePath( QString::fromStdString( f["assets"]["overview"]["href"] ) ) );
     }
     // if it doesn't exist look for overview file in the directory
     else if ( !mOverview )
@@ -225,8 +225,8 @@ void QgsVirtualPointCloudProvider::parseFile()
       vpcDir.setFilter( QDir::Files );
       if ( !vpcDir.entryList().empty() )
       {
-        mOverview = std::make_unique<QgsCopcPointCloudIndex>();
-        mOverview->load( vpcDir.absoluteFilePath( vpcDir.entryList().first() ) );
+        mOverview = QgsPointCloudIndex( new QgsCopcPointCloudIndex() );;
+        mOverview.load( vpcDir.absoluteFilePath( vpcDir.entryList().first() ) );
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/core/providers/vpc/qgsvirtualpointcloudprovider.h b/src/core/providers/vpc/qgsvirtualpointcloudprovider.h
index 27bf5736c7513..c9a49bb674f08 100644
--- a/src/core/providers/vpc/qgsvirtualpointcloudprovider.h
+++ b/src/core/providers/vpc/qgsvirtualpointcloudprovider.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsVirtualPointCloudProvider: public QgsPointCloudDataProvider
      * Returns pointer to the overview index. May be NULLPTR if it doesn't exist.
      * \since QGIS 3.42
      */
-    QgsPointCloudIndex *overview() const { return mOverview.get(); }
+    QgsPointCloudIndex overview() const { return mOverview; }
 
     /**
      * Returns the calculated average width of point clouds.
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsVirtualPointCloudProvider: public QgsPointCloudDataProvider
     QVector<QgsPointCloudSubIndex> mSubLayers;
     std::unique_ptr<QgsGeometry> mPolygonBounds;
     QgsPointCloudAttributeCollection mAttributes;
-    std::unique_ptr<QgsPointCloudIndex> mOverview;
+    QgsPointCloudIndex mOverview = QgsPointCloudIndex( nullptr );
 
     QStringList mUriList;
     QgsRectangle mExtent;