diff --git a/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor.cc b/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor.cc
index fa176da..eb4efe6 100644
--- a/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor.cc
+++ b/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor.cc
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@
 }
 
 bool InstallOperationExecutor::ExecuteZeroOrDiscardOperation(
-    const InstallOperation& operation, ExtentWriter* writer) {
+    const InstallOperation& operation, std::unique_ptr<ExtentWriter> writer) {
   TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(operation.type() == InstallOperation::ZERO ||
                         operation.type() == InstallOperation::DISCARD);
   using base::MemoryMappedFile;
@@ -216,12 +216,12 @@
 
 bool InstallOperationExecutor::ExecuteSourceCopyOperation(
     const InstallOperation& operation,
-    ExtentWriter* writer,
+    std::unique_ptr<ExtentWriter> writer,
     FileDescriptorPtr source_fd) {
   TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(operation.type() == InstallOperation::SOURCE_COPY);
   TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(writer->Init(operation.dst_extents(), block_size_));
   return fd_utils::CommonHashExtents(
-      source_fd, operation.src_extents(), writer, block_size_, nullptr);
+      source_fd, operation.src_extents(), writer.get(), block_size_, nullptr);
 }
 
 bool InstallOperationExecutor::ExecuteDiffOperation(
diff --git a/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor.h b/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor.h
index b064cc8..f64318a 100644
--- a/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor.h
+++ b/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor.h
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@
                                const void* data,
                                size_t count);
   bool ExecuteZeroOrDiscardOperation(const InstallOperation& operation,
-                                     ExtentWriter* writer);
+                                     std::unique_ptr<ExtentWriter> writer);
   bool ExecuteSourceCopyOperation(const InstallOperation& operation,
-                                  ExtentWriter* writer,
+                                  std::unique_ptr<ExtentWriter> writer,
                                   FileDescriptorPtr source_fd);
 
   bool ExecuteDiffOperation(const InstallOperation& operation,
diff --git a/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor_unittest.cc b/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor_unittest.cc
index 3c2fb0f..e4135fc 100644
--- a/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor_unittest.cc
+++ b/payload_consumer/install_operation_executor_unittest.cc
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@
   *op.mutable_dst_extents()->Add() = ExtentForRange(2, 2);
   *op.mutable_dst_extents()->Add() = ExtentForRange(6, 2);
   auto writer = std::make_unique<DirectExtentWriter>(target_fd_);
-  ASSERT_TRUE(executor_.ExecuteZeroOrDiscardOperation(op, writer.get()));
+  ASSERT_TRUE(executor_.ExecuteZeroOrDiscardOperation(op, std::move(writer)));
   brillo::Blob actual_data;
   utils::ReadExtents(
       target_.path(),
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@
 
   auto writer = std::make_unique<DirectExtentWriter>(target_fd_);
   ASSERT_TRUE(
-      executor_.ExecuteSourceCopyOperation(op, writer.get(), source_fd_));
+      executor_.ExecuteSourceCopyOperation(op, std::move(writer), source_fd_));
   brillo::Blob actual_data;
   utils::ReadExtents(
       target_.path(),
diff --git a/payload_consumer/partition_writer.cc b/payload_consumer/partition_writer.cc
index 75d738e..15996d4 100644
--- a/payload_consumer/partition_writer.cc
+++ b/payload_consumer/partition_writer.cc
@@ -223,8 +223,8 @@
                      "of this operation.";
     auto writer = CreateBaseExtentWriter();
     writer->Init(operation.dst_extents(), block_size_);
-    return install_op_executor_.ExecuteZeroOrDiscardOperation(operation,
-                                                              writer.get());
+    return install_op_executor_.ExecuteZeroOrDiscardOperation(
+        operation, std::move(writer));
   }
   return true;
 }
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@
   auto writer = CreateBaseExtentWriter();
   writer->Init(optimized.dst_extents(), block_size_);
   return install_op_executor_.ExecuteSourceCopyOperation(
-      optimized, writer.get(), source_fd);
+      optimized, std::move(writer), source_fd);
 }
 
 bool PartitionWriter::PerformDiffOperation(const InstallOperation& operation,