diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f9af1f2cf..a0148b8a8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ include(cmake/Key4hepConfig.cmake)
 # - Use GNU-style hierarchy for installing build products
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 
+list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake")
+
 include(cmake/EDM4HEPBuild.cmake)
 edm4hep_set_linker_flags()
 
diff --git a/cmake/FindHepMC.cmake b/cmake/FindHepMC.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
index 6287d2efd..000000000
--- a/cmake/FindHepMC.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-# - Locate HepMC library
-# Defines:
-#
-#  HEPMC_FOUND
-#  HEPMC_INCLUDE_DIR
-#  HEPMC_INCLUDE_DIRS (not cached)
-#  HEPMC_<component>_LIBRARY
-#  HEPMC_LIBRARIES (not cached)
-#  HEPMC_LIBRARY_DIRS (not cached)
-
-find_path(HEPMC_INCLUDE_DIR HepMC/GenEvent.h)
-set(HEPMC_INCLUDE_DIRS ${HEPMC_INCLUDE_DIR})
-
-if(NOT HepMC_FIND_COMPONENTS)
-  set(HepMC_FIND_COMPONENTS HepMC)
-endif()
-foreach(component ${HepMC_FIND_COMPONENTS})
-  find_library(HEPMC_${component}_LIBRARY NAMES HepMC${component} ${component})
-  mark_as_advanced(HEPMC_${component}_LIBRARY)
-  list(APPEND HEPMC_LIBRARIES ${HEPMC_${component}_LIBRARY})
-  get_filename_component(_comp_dir ${HEPMC_${component}_LIBRARY} PATH)
-  list(APPEND HEPMC_LIBRARY_DIRS ${_comp_dir})
-endforeach()
-if(HEPMC_LIBRARY_DIRS)
-  list(REMOVE_DUPLICATES HEPMC_LIBRARY_DIRS)
-endif()
-
-# handle the QUIETLY and REQUIRED arguments and set HEPMC_FOUND to TRUE if
-# all listed variables are TRUE
-INCLUDE(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
-FIND_PACKAGE_HANDLE_STANDARD_ARGS(HepMC DEFAULT_MSG HEPMC_INCLUDE_DIR HEPMC_LIBRARIES)
-
-mark_as_advanced(HEPMC_FOUND HEPMC_INCLUDE_DIR)
-
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index b45e8f03e..37a18f560 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ IF(TARGET ROOT::ROOTDataFrame)
 endif()
 
 
-find_package(HepMC3)
+find_package(HepMC3 3.3)
 find_package(HepPDT)
 
 if(HepMC3_FOUND AND HepPDT_FOUND )
diff --git a/test/hepmc/edm4hep_testhepmc.cc b/test/hepmc/edm4hep_testhepmc.cc
index 4828cf49b..163bdb9c6 100644
--- a/test/hepmc/edm4hep_testhepmc.cc
+++ b/test/hepmc/edm4hep_testhepmc.cc
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@
 // and converting it to the edm4hep data model
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-#include <iostream>
-#include <memory>
-#include <unordered_map>
+#include "edm4hep/MCParticleCollection.h"
 
 #include "HepMC3/GenEvent.h"
 #include "HepMC3/GenParticle.h"
@@ -19,7 +17,9 @@
 #include "podio/Frame.h"
 #include "podio/ROOTWriter.h"
 
-#include "edm4hep/MCParticleCollection.h"
+#include <iostream>
+#include <memory>
+#include <unordered_map>
 
 using namespace HepMC3;
 
@@ -65,39 +65,39 @@ int main() {
   //                                                  #
 
   // First create the event container
-  auto evt = new GenEvent();
+  auto evt = std::make_unique<GenEvent>();
   // define the units
   evt->set_units(HepMC3::Units::GEV, HepMC3::Units::MM);
   //
   // create vertex 1 and vertex 2, together with their inparticles
-  GenVertex* v1 = new GenVertex();
+  auto v1 = std::make_shared<GenVertex>();
   evt->add_vertex(v1);
-  v1->add_particle_in(new GenParticle(FourVector(0, 0, 7000, 7000), 2212, 3));
-  GenVertex* v2 = new GenVertex();
+  v1->add_particle_in(std::make_shared<GenParticle>(FourVector(0, 0, 7000, 7000), 2212, 3));
+  auto v2 = std::make_shared<GenVertex>();
   evt->add_vertex(v2);
-  v2->add_particle_in(new GenParticle(FourVector(0, 0, -7000, 7000), 2212, 3));
+  v2->add_particle_in(std::make_shared<GenParticle>(FourVector(0, 0, -7000, 7000), 2212, 3));
   //
   // create the outgoing particles of v1 and v2
-  GenParticle* p3 = new GenParticle(FourVector(.750, -1.569, 32.191, 32.238), 1, 3);
+  auto p3 = std::make_shared<GenParticle>(FourVector(.750, -1.569, 32.191, 32.238), 1, 3);
   v1->add_particle_out(p3);
-  GenParticle* p4 = new GenParticle(FourVector(-3.047, -19., -54.629, 57.920), -2, 3);
+  auto p4 = std::make_shared<GenParticle>(FourVector(-3.047, -19., -54.629, 57.920), -2, 3);
   v2->add_particle_out(p4);
   //
   // create v3
-  GenVertex* v3 = new GenVertex();
+  auto v3 = std::make_shared<GenVertex>();
   evt->add_vertex(v3);
   v3->add_particle_in(p3);
   v3->add_particle_in(p4);
-  v3->add_particle_out(new GenParticle(FourVector(-3.813, 0.113, -1.833, 4.233), 22, 1));
-  GenParticle* p5 = new GenParticle(FourVector(1.517, -20.68, -20.605, 85.925), -24, 3);
+  v3->add_particle_out(std::make_shared<GenParticle>(FourVector(-3.813, 0.113, -1.833, 4.233), 22, 1));
+  auto p5 = std::make_shared<GenParticle>(FourVector(1.517, -20.68, -20.605, 85.925), -24, 3);
   v3->add_particle_out(p5);
   //
   // create v4
-  GenVertex* v4 = new GenVertex(FourVector(0.12, -0.3, 0.05, 0.004));
+  auto v4 = std::make_shared<GenVertex>(FourVector(0.12, -0.3, 0.05, 0.004));
   evt->add_vertex(v4);
   v4->add_particle_in(p5);
-  v4->add_particle_out(new GenParticle(FourVector(-2.445, 28.816, 6.082, 29.552), 1, 1));
-  v4->add_particle_out(new GenParticle(FourVector(3.962, -49.498, -26.687, 56.373), -2, 1));
+  v4->add_particle_out(std::make_shared<GenParticle>(FourVector(-2.445, 28.816, 6.082, 29.552), 1, 1));
+  v4->add_particle_out(std::make_shared<GenParticle>(FourVector(3.962, -49.498, -26.687, 56.373), -2, 1));
   //
   // the event is complete, we now print it out to the screen
   Print::content(*evt);