diff --git a/include/qpdf/QPDFJob.hh b/include/qpdf/QPDFJob.hh
index 3bcdd89..f6719a9 100644
--- a/include/qpdf/QPDFJob.hh
+++ b/include/qpdf/QPDFJob.hh
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ class QPDFJob
 
         std::string which;
         std::string filename;
-        std::shared_ptr<char> password;
+        std::string password;
         std::string to_nr;
         std::string from_nr;
         std::string repeat_nr;
diff --git a/libqpdf/QPDFJob.cc b/libqpdf/QPDFJob.cc
index 38d8693..f053c83 100644
--- a/libqpdf/QPDFJob.cc
+++ b/libqpdf/QPDFJob.cc
@@ -1882,7 +1882,7 @@ QPDFJob::validateUnderOverlay(QPDF& pdf, UnderOverlay* uo)
 {
     QPDFPageDocumentHelper main_pdh(pdf);
     int main_npages = QIntC::to_int(main_pdh.getAllPages().size());
-    processFile(uo->pdf, uo->filename.c_str(), uo->password.get(), true, false);
+    processFile(uo->pdf, uo->filename.data(), uo->password.data(), true, false);
     QPDFPageDocumentHelper uo_pdh(*(uo->pdf));
     int uo_npages = QIntC::to_int(uo_pdh.getAllPages().size());
     try {
diff --git a/libqpdf/QPDFJob_config.cc b/libqpdf/QPDFJob_config.cc
index 8e85c37..f4f2f36 100644
--- a/libqpdf/QPDFJob_config.cc
+++ b/libqpdf/QPDFJob_config.cc
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ QPDFJob::UOConfig::repeat(std::string const& parameter)
 QPDFJob::UOConfig*
 QPDFJob::UOConfig::password(std::string const& parameter)
 {
-    config->o.m->under_overlay->password = QUtil::make_shared_cstr(parameter);
+    config->o.m->under_overlay->password = parameter;
     return this;
 }