diff --git a/hal/inc/HAL.h b/hal/inc/HAL.h
index 894438f..92ec135 100644
--- a/hal/inc/HAL.h
+++ b/hal/inc/HAL.h
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@
      * Yet, a major version update, would not be backwards compatible.  This means that a 2.x HAL
      * could not linked into the same IPACM code base as a 1.x HAL.
      */
-    static HAL* makeIPAHAL(int /* version */, IOffloadManager* /* mgr */);
+    static Return<::android::sp<HAL>> makeIPAHAL(int /* version */, IOffloadManager* /* mgr */);
 
     /* IOffloadConfig */
     Return<void> setHandles(
diff --git a/hal/src/HAL.cpp b/hal/src/HAL.cpp
index 3f1a41f..f18767a 100644
--- a/hal/src/HAL.cpp
+++ b/hal/src/HAL.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
 
 
 /* ------------------------------ PUBLIC ------------------------------------ */
-HAL* HAL::makeIPAHAL(int version, IOffloadManager* mgr) {
+Return<::android::sp<HAL>> HAL::makeIPAHAL(int version, IOffloadManager* mgr) {
     android::hardware::ProcessState::initWithMmapSize((size_t)(2 * KERNEL_PAGE));
 
     if (DBG)
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
                 (mgr != nullptr) ? "provided" : "null");
     if (nullptr == mgr) return NULL;
     else if (version != 1) return NULL;
-    HAL* ret = new HAL(mgr);
+    ::android::sp<HAL> ret = new HAL(mgr);
     if (nullptr == ret) return NULL;
     configureRpcThreadpool(1, false);
     ret->registerAsSystemService("ipacm");
diff --git a/ipacm/src/IPACM_Main.cpp b/ipacm/src/IPACM_Main.cpp
index ec5de34..ca75a4a 100644
--- a/ipacm/src/IPACM_Main.cpp
+++ b/ipacm/src/IPACM_Main.cpp
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
 
 #ifdef FEATURE_IPACM_HAL
 	IPACM_OffloadManager* OffloadMng;
-	HAL *hal;
+	::android::sp<HAL> hal;
 #endif
 
 /* start netlink socket monitor*/