diff --git a/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineJuce.cpp b/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineJuce.cpp
index 633a8f731..d286dce55 100644
--- a/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineJuce.cpp
+++ b/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineJuce.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include "CarlaEngineInternal.hpp"
 #include "CarlaBackendUtils.hpp"
+#include "CarlaStringList.hpp"
 
 #include "RtLinkedList.hpp"
 
@@ -37,23 +38,14 @@ CARLA_BACKEND_START_NAMESPACE
 // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Global static data
 
-static const char** gRetNames = nullptr;
-static OwnedArray<AudioIODeviceType> gJuceDeviceTypes;
+static CharStringListPtr             gDeviceNames;
+static OwnedArray<AudioIODeviceType> gDeviceTypes;
 
 struct JuceCleanup : public DeletedAtShutdown {
     JuceCleanup() noexcept {}
     ~JuceCleanup()
     {
-        if (gRetNames != nullptr)
-        {
-            for (int i=0; gRetNames[i] != nullptr; ++i)
-                delete[] gRetNames[i];
-
-            delete[] gRetNames;
-            gRetNames = nullptr;
-        }
-
-        gJuceDeviceTypes.clear(true);
+        gDeviceTypes.clear(true);
     }
 };
 
@@ -71,15 +63,16 @@ static void initJuceDevicesIfNeeded()
     needsInit = false;
     new JuceCleanup();
 
-    sDeviceManager.createAudioDeviceTypes(gJuceDeviceTypes);
+    sDeviceManager.createAudioDeviceTypes(gDeviceTypes);
 
     // remove JACK from device list
-    for (int i=0, count=gJuceDeviceTypes.size(); i < count; ++i)
+    for (int i=0, count=gDeviceTypes.size(); i < count; ++i)
     {
-        if (gJuceDeviceTypes[i]->getTypeName() != "JACK")
-            continue;
-
-        gJuceDeviceTypes.remove(i, true);
+        if (gDeviceTypes[i]->getTypeName() == "JACK")
+        {
+            gDeviceTypes.remove(i, true);
+            break;
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -863,9 +856,9 @@ CarlaEngine* CarlaEngine::newJuce(const AudioApi api)
 
     AudioIODeviceType* deviceType = nullptr;
 
-    for (int i=0, count=gJuceDeviceTypes.size(); i < count; ++i)
+    for (int i=0, count=gDeviceTypes.size(); i < count; ++i)
     {
-        deviceType = gJuceDeviceTypes[i];
+        deviceType = gDeviceTypes[i];
 
         if (deviceType == nullptr || deviceType->getTypeName() == juceApi)
             break;
@@ -883,7 +876,7 @@ uint CarlaEngine::getJuceApiCount()
 {
     initJuceDevicesIfNeeded();
 
-    return static_cast<uint>(gJuceDeviceTypes.size());
+    return static_cast<uint>(gDeviceTypes.size());
 }
 
 const char* CarlaEngine::getJuceApiName(const uint uindex)
@@ -892,9 +885,9 @@ const char* CarlaEngine::getJuceApiName(const uint uindex)
 
     const int index(static_cast<int>(uindex));
 
-    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(index < gJuceDeviceTypes.size(), nullptr);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(index < gDeviceTypes.size(), nullptr);
 
-    AudioIODeviceType* const deviceType(gJuceDeviceTypes[index]);
+    AudioIODeviceType* const deviceType(gDeviceTypes[index]);
     CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(deviceType != nullptr, nullptr);
 
     return deviceType->getTypeName().toRawUTF8();
@@ -906,34 +899,27 @@ const char* const* CarlaEngine::getJuceApiDeviceNames(const uint uindex)
 
     const int index(static_cast<int>(uindex));
 
-    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(index < gJuceDeviceTypes.size(), nullptr);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(index < gDeviceTypes.size(), nullptr);
 
-    AudioIODeviceType* const deviceType(gJuceDeviceTypes[index]);
+    AudioIODeviceType* const deviceType(gDeviceTypes[index]);
     CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(deviceType != nullptr, nullptr);
 
     deviceType->scanForDevices();
 
-    StringArray deviceNames(deviceType->getDeviceNames());
-    const int   deviceNameCount(deviceNames.size());
+    StringArray juceDeviceNames(deviceType->getDeviceNames());
+    const int   juceDeviceNameCount(juceDeviceNames.size());
 
-    if (deviceNameCount <= 0)
+    if (juceDeviceNameCount <= 0)
         return nullptr;
 
-    if (gRetNames != nullptr)
-    {
-        for (int i=0; gRetNames[i] != nullptr; ++i)
-            delete[] gRetNames[i];
-        delete[] gRetNames;
-    }
-
-    gRetNames = new const char*[deviceNameCount+1];
+    CarlaStringList devNames;
 
-    for (int i=0; i < deviceNameCount; ++i)
-        gRetNames[i] = carla_strdup(deviceNames[i].toRawUTF8());
+    for (int i=0; i < juceDeviceNameCount; ++i)
+        devNames.append(juceDeviceNames[i].toRawUTF8());
 
-    gRetNames[deviceNameCount] = nullptr;
+    gDeviceNames = devNames.toCharStringListPtr();
 
-    return gRetNames;
+    return gDeviceNames;
 }
 
 const EngineDriverDeviceInfo* CarlaEngine::getJuceDeviceInfo(const uint uindex, const char* const deviceName)
@@ -942,9 +928,9 @@ const EngineDriverDeviceInfo* CarlaEngine::getJuceDeviceInfo(const uint uindex,
 
     const int index(static_cast<int>(uindex));
 
-    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(index < gJuceDeviceTypes.size(), nullptr);
+    CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(index < gDeviceTypes.size(), nullptr);
 
-    AudioIODeviceType* const deviceType(gJuceDeviceTypes[index]);
+    AudioIODeviceType* const deviceType(gDeviceTypes[index]);
     CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(deviceType != nullptr, nullptr);
 
     deviceType->scanForDevices();
diff --git a/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineRtAudio.cpp b/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineRtAudio.cpp
index e30340ca9..c25bb590c 100644
--- a/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineRtAudio.cpp
+++ b/source/backend/engine/CarlaEngineRtAudio.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "CarlaEngineInternal.hpp"
 #include "CarlaBackendUtils.hpp"
 #include "CarlaMathUtils.hpp"
+#include "CarlaStringList.hpp"
 
 #include "RtLinkedList.hpp"
 
@@ -35,31 +36,13 @@ CARLA_BACKEND_START_NAMESPACE
 // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Global static data
 
-static const char** gRetNames = nullptr;
+static CharStringListPtr         gDeviceNames;
 static std::vector<RtAudio::Api> gRtAudioApis;
 
-struct RtAudioCleanup {
-    RtAudioCleanup() noexcept {}
-    ~RtAudioCleanup()
-    {
-        if (gRetNames != nullptr)
-        {
-            for (int i=0; gRetNames[i] != nullptr; ++i)
-                delete[] gRetNames[i];
-
-            delete[] gRetNames;
-            gRetNames = nullptr;
-        }
-
-        gRtAudioApis.clear();
-    }
-};
-
 // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 static void initRtAudioAPIsIfNeeded()
 {
-    static const RtAudioCleanup sRtAudioCleanup;
     static bool needsInit = true;
 
     if (! needsInit)
@@ -1114,39 +1097,19 @@ const char* const* CarlaEngine::getRtAudioApiDeviceNames(const uint index)
     if (devCount == 0)
         return nullptr;
 
-    LinkedList<const char*> devNames;
+    CarlaStringList devNames;
 
     for (uint i=0; i < devCount; ++i)
     {
         RtAudio::DeviceInfo devInfo(rtAudio.getDeviceInfo(i));
 
         if (devInfo.probed && devInfo.outputChannels > 0 /*&& (devInfo.nativeFormats & RTAUDIO_FLOAT32) != 0*/)
-            devNames.append(carla_strdup(devInfo.name.c_str()));
-    }
-
-    const size_t realDevCount(devNames.count());
-
-    if (gRetNames != nullptr)
-    {
-        for (int i=0; gRetNames[i] != nullptr; ++i)
-            delete[] gRetNames[i];
-        delete[] gRetNames;
-    }
-
-    gRetNames = new const char*[realDevCount+1];
-
-    for (size_t i=0; i < realDevCount; ++i)
-    {
-        gRetNames[i] = devNames.getAt(i, nullptr);
-
-        if (gRetNames[i] == nullptr)
-            gRetNames[i] = carla_strdup("(unknown)");
+            devNames.append(devInfo.name.c_str());
     }
 
-    gRetNames[realDevCount] = nullptr;
-    devNames.clear();
+    gDeviceNames = devNames.toCharStringListPtr();
 
-    return gRetNames;
+    return gDeviceNames;
 }
 
 const EngineDriverDeviceInfo* CarlaEngine::getRtAudioDeviceInfo(const uint index, const char* const deviceName)
diff --git a/source/utils/CarlaStringList.hpp b/source/utils/CarlaStringList.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..42950c008
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/utils/CarlaStringList.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+/*
+ * Carla String List
+ * Copyright (C) 2014 Filipe Coelho <falktx@falktx.com>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of
+ * the License, or any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * For a full copy of the GNU General Public License see the doc/GPL.txt file.
+ */
+
+#ifndef CARLA_STRING_LIST_HPP_INCLUDED
+#define CARLA_STRING_LIST_HPP_INCLUDED
+
+#include "CarlaString.hpp"
+#include "LinkedList.hpp"
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Helper class to manage the lifetime of a "char**" object
+
+class CharStringListPtr
+{
+public:
+    CharStringListPtr() noexcept
+        : charList(nullptr) {}
+
+    CharStringListPtr(const char* const* const c) noexcept
+        : charList(c) {}
+
+    CharStringListPtr(const CharStringListPtr& ptr) noexcept
+        : charList(nullptr)
+    {
+        copy(ptr.charList);
+    }
+
+    CharStringListPtr(const LinkedList<CarlaString>& list) noexcept
+        : charList(nullptr)
+    {
+        copy(list);
+    }
+
+    ~CharStringListPtr() noexcept
+    {
+        clear();
+    }
+
+    operator const char* const*() const noexcept
+    {
+        return charList;
+    }
+
+    CharStringListPtr& operator=(const char* const* const c) noexcept
+    {
+        clear();
+        charList = c;
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    CharStringListPtr& operator=(const CharStringListPtr& ptr)
+    {
+        clear();
+        copy(ptr.charList);
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    CharStringListPtr& operator=(const LinkedList<CarlaString>& list)
+    {
+        clear();
+        copy(list);
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+protected:
+    void clear() noexcept
+    {
+        if (charList == nullptr)
+            return;
+
+        for (int i=0; charList[i] != nullptr; ++i)
+            delete[] charList[i];
+
+        delete[] charList;
+        charList = nullptr;
+    }
+
+    void copy(const char* const* const c) noexcept
+    {
+        CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(c != nullptr,);
+        CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(charList == nullptr,);
+
+        size_t count = 0;
+        for (; c[count] != nullptr; ++count) {}
+        CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(count > 0,);
+
+        const char** tmpList;
+
+        try {
+            tmpList = new const char*[count+1];
+        } CARLA_SAFE_EXCEPTION_RETURN("CharStringListPtr::copy",);
+
+        for (size_t i=0; i<count; ++i)
+        {
+            try {
+                tmpList[i] = carla_strdup(c[i]);
+            }
+            catch(...) {
+                tmpList[i] = nullptr;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        tmpList[count] = nullptr;
+        charList = tmpList;
+    }
+
+    void copy(const LinkedList<CarlaString>& list) noexcept
+    {
+        CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(charList == nullptr,);
+
+        const size_t count(list.count());
+        CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(count > 0,);
+
+        const char** tmpList;
+
+        try {
+            tmpList = new const char*[count+1];
+        } CARLA_SAFE_EXCEPTION_RETURN("CharStringListPtr::copy",);
+
+        size_t i=0;
+        for (LinkedList<CarlaString>::Itenerator it = list.begin(); it.valid(); it.next(), ++i)
+        {
+            const CarlaString& string(it.getValue());
+
+            try {
+                tmpList[i] = string.dup();
+            }
+            catch(...) {
+                tmpList[i] = nullptr;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        tmpList[count] = nullptr;
+        charList = tmpList;
+    }
+
+private:
+    const char* const* charList;
+};
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+// CarlaStringList
+
+class CarlaStringList : public LinkedList<CarlaString>
+{
+public:
+    CarlaStringList() noexcept
+        : LinkedList<CarlaString>(true) {}
+
+#if 0
+    CarlaStringList(const CarlaStringList& list) noexcept
+        : LinkedList<CarlaString>(true)
+    {
+        for (Itenerator it = list.begin(); it.valid(); it.next())
+            LinkedList<CarlaString>::append(it.getValue());
+    }
+#endif
+
+    ~CarlaStringList() noexcept
+    {
+        clear();
+    }
+
+    bool append(const char* const strBuf) noexcept
+    {
+        const CarlaString string(strBuf);
+        return LinkedList<CarlaString>::append(string);
+    }
+
+    bool appendAt(const char* const strBuf, const Itenerator& it) noexcept
+    {
+        const CarlaString string(strBuf);
+        return LinkedList<CarlaString>::appendAt(string, it);
+    }
+
+    bool insert(const char* const strBuf) noexcept
+    {
+        const CarlaString string(strBuf);
+        return LinkedList<CarlaString>::insert(string);
+    }
+
+    bool insertAt(const char* const strBuf, const Itenerator& it) noexcept
+    {
+        const CarlaString string(strBuf);
+        return LinkedList<CarlaString>::insertAt(string, it);
+    }
+
+    CharStringListPtr toCharStringListPtr() const noexcept
+    {
+        return CharStringListPtr(*this);
+    }
+
+private:
+    LinkedList<CarlaString> fList;
+};
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#endif // CARLA_STRING_LIST_HPP_INCLUDED