diff --git a/src/algorithms/clas12/event_builder_filter/EventBuilderFilter.cc b/src/algorithms/clas12/event_builder_filter/EventBuilderFilter.cc
index 7eb244ec..01619de5 100644
--- a/src/algorithms/clas12/event_builder_filter/EventBuilderFilter.cc
+++ b/src/algorithms/clas12/event_builder_filter/EventBuilderFilter.cc
@@ -21,13 +21,13 @@ namespace iguana::clas12 {
 
     // define the output schemata and banks
     BankMap outBanks = {
-      { "particles", hipo::bank(inBanks.at("particles").getSchema()) }
+      { "particles", std::make_shared<hipo::bank>(inBanks.at("particles")->getSchema()) }
     };
 
     // filter the input bank for requested PDG code(s)
     std::set<int> acceptedRows;
-    for(int row = 0; row < inBanks.at("particles").getRows(); row++) {
-      auto pid    = inBanks.at("particles").get("pid", row);
+    for(int row = 0; row < inBanks.at("particles")->getRows(); row++) {
+      auto pid    = inBanks.at("particles")->get("pid", row);
       auto accept = m_opt.pids.find(pid) != m_opt.pids.end();
       if(accept) acceptedRows.insert(row);
       m_log->Debug("input PID {} -- accept = {}", pid, accept);
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ namespace iguana::clas12 {
 
       case EventBuilderFilterOptions::Modes::blank:
         {
-          outBanks.at("particles").setRows(inBanks.at("particles").getRows());
-          for(int row = 0; row < inBanks.at("particles").getRows(); row++) {
+          outBanks.at("particles")->setRows(inBanks.at("particles")->getRows());
+          for(int row = 0; row < inBanks.at("particles")->getRows(); row++) {
             if(acceptedRows.find(row) != acceptedRows.end())
               CopyBankRow(inBanks.at("particles"), row, outBanks.at("particles"), row);
             else
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ namespace iguana::clas12 {
 
       case EventBuilderFilterOptions::Modes::compact:
         {
-          outBanks.at("particles").setRows(acceptedRows.size());
+          outBanks.at("particles")->setRows(acceptedRows.size());
           int row = 0;
           for(auto acceptedRow : acceptedRows)
             CopyBankRow(inBanks.at("particles"), acceptedRow, outBanks.at("particles"), row++);
diff --git a/src/iguana/Iguana.h b/src/iguana/Iguana.h
index 30d52de8..c49c78f9 100644
--- a/src/iguana/Iguana.h
+++ b/src/iguana/Iguana.h
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 #include "services/Algorithm.h"
 #include <unordered_map>
-#include <memory>
 
 // TODO: avoid listing the algos
 #include "algorithms/clas12/event_builder_filter/EventBuilderFilter.h"
diff --git a/src/services/Algorithm.cc b/src/services/Algorithm.cc
index a77ce4df..beb5e23a 100644
--- a/src/services/Algorithm.cc
+++ b/src/services/Algorithm.cc
@@ -19,17 +19,17 @@ namespace iguana {
     return false;
   }
 
-  void Algorithm::CopyBankRow(hipo::bank srcBank, int srcRow, hipo::bank destBank, int destRow) {
-    // TODO: check srcBank.getSchema() == destBank.getSchema()
-    for(int item = 0; item < srcBank.getSchema().getEntries(); item++) {
-      auto val = srcBank.get(item, srcRow);
-      destBank.put(item, destRow, val);
+  void Algorithm::CopyBankRow(std::shared_ptr<hipo::bank> srcBank, int srcRow, std::shared_ptr<hipo::bank> destBank, int destRow) {
+    // TODO: check srcBank->getSchema() == destBank.getSchema()
+    for(int item = 0; item < srcBank->getSchema().getEntries(); item++) {
+      auto val = srcBank->get(item, srcRow);
+      destBank->put(item, destRow, val);
     }
   }
 
-  void Algorithm::BlankRow(hipo::bank bank, int row) {
-    for(int item = 0; item < bank.getSchema().getEntries(); item++) {
-      bank.put(item, row, 0);
+  void Algorithm::BlankRow(std::shared_ptr<hipo::bank> bank, int row) {
+    for(int item = 0; item < bank->getSchema().getEntries(); item++) {
+      bank->put(item, row, 0);
     }
   }
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ namespace iguana {
       m_log->Print(level, message);
       for(auto [key,bank] : banks) {
         m_log->Print(level, "BANK: '{}'", key);
-        bank.show();
+        bank->show();
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/services/Algorithm.h b/src/services/Algorithm.h
index 7b6bba97..572afa9e 100644
--- a/src/services/Algorithm.h
+++ b/src/services/Algorithm.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ namespace iguana {
 
     public:
 
-      using BankMap = std::unordered_map<std::string, hipo::bank>;
+      using BankMap = std::unordered_map<std::string, std::shared_ptr<hipo::bank>>;
 
       /// Algorithm base class constructor
       /// @param name the unique name for a derived class instance
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ namespace iguana {
       /// @param srcRow the row in `srcBank` to copy from
       /// @param destBank the destination bank
       /// @param destRow the row in `destBank` to copy to
-      void CopyBankRow(hipo::bank srcBank, int srcRow, hipo::bank destBank, int destRow);
+      void CopyBankRow(std::shared_ptr<hipo::bank> srcBank, int srcRow, std::shared_ptr<hipo::bank> destBank, int destRow);
 
       /// Blank a row, setting all items to zero
       /// @param bank the bank to modify
       /// @param row the row to blank
-      void BlankRow(hipo::bank bank, int row);
+      void BlankRow(std::shared_ptr<hipo::bank> bank, int row);
 
       /// Dump all banks in a BankMap
       /// @param banks the banks to show
diff --git a/src/tests/main.cc b/src/tests/main.cc
index dac76f7c..b45c72ac 100644
--- a/src/tests/main.cc
+++ b/src/tests/main.cc
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
    */
   hipo::dictionary factory;
   reader.readDictionary(factory);
-  hipo::bank particleBank(factory.getSchema("REC::Particle"));
+  auto particleBank = std::make_shared<hipo::bank>(factory.getSchema("REC::Particle"));
 
   // event loop
   hipo::event event;
   int iEvent = 0;
   while(reader.next(event) && (iEvent++ < numEvents || numEvents == 0)) {
-    event.getStructure(particleBank);
+    event.getStructure(*particleBank);
     auto resultBank = algo->Run({{"particles", particleBank}});
   }