diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 12fc85240..dea188316 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+	* storage optimization to peer classes
 	* fix torrent name in alerts of builds with deprecated functions
 	* make torrent_info::is_valid() return false if torrent failed to load
 	* fix per-torrent rate limits for >256 peer classes
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/peer_class.hpp b/include/libtorrent/peer_class.hpp
index f11f412b0..3c278ccb1 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/peer_class.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/peer_class.hpp
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include "libtorrent/aux_/disable_warnings_push.hpp"
 
 #include <vector>
+#include <deque>
 #include <string>
-#include <boost/smart_ptr.hpp>
 #include <boost/cstdint.hpp>
 
 #include "libtorrent/aux_/disable_warnings_pop.hpp"
@@ -86,12 +86,13 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		int download_priority;
 	};
 
-	struct TORRENT_EXTRA_EXPORT peer_class : boost::enable_shared_from_this<peer_class>
+	struct TORRENT_EXTRA_EXPORT peer_class
 	{
 		friend struct peer_class_pool;
 
 		peer_class(std::string const& l)
-			: ignore_unchoke_slots(false)
+			: in_use(true)
+			, ignore_unchoke_slots(false)
 			, connection_limit_factor(100)
 			, label(l)
 			, references(1)
@@ -100,6 +101,12 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			priority[1] = 1;
 		}
 
+		void clear()
+		{
+			in_use = false;
+			label.clear();
+		}
+
 		void set_info(peer_class_info const* pci);
 		void get_info(peer_class_info* pci) const;
 
@@ -110,6 +117,9 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// keeps track of the current quotas
 		bandwidth_channel channel[2];
 
+		// this is set to false when this slot is not in use for a peer_class
+		bool in_use;
+
 		bool ignore_unchoke_slots;
 		int connection_limit_factor;
 
@@ -123,7 +133,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 	private:
 		int references;
-
 	};
 
 	struct TORRENT_EXTRA_EXPORT peer_class_pool
@@ -138,7 +147,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		// state for peer classes (a peer can belong to multiple classes)
 		// this can control
-		std::vector<boost::shared_ptr<peer_class> > m_peer_classes;
+		std::deque<peer_class> m_peer_classes;
 
 		// indices in m_peer_classes that are no longer used
 		std::vector<peer_class_t> m_free_list;
diff --git a/src/peer_class.cpp b/src/peer_class.cpp
index 945ab641a..ea1979920 100644
--- a/src/peer_class.cpp
+++ b/src/peer_class.cpp
@@ -84,16 +84,15 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		{
 			ret = m_free_list.back();
 			m_free_list.pop_back();
+			m_peer_classes[ret] = peer_class(label);
 		}
 		else
 		{
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(m_peer_classes.size() < 0x100000000);
 			ret = m_peer_classes.size();
-			m_peer_classes.push_back(boost::shared_ptr<peer_class>());
+			m_peer_classes.push_back(peer_class(label));
 		}
 
-		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_peer_classes[ret].get() == 0);
-		m_peer_classes[ret] = boost::make_shared<peer_class>(label);
 		return ret;
 	}
 
@@ -103,11 +102,12 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		VALGRIND_CHECK_VALUE_IS_DEFINED(c);
 #endif
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(c < m_peer_classes.size());
-		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_peer_classes[c].get());
+		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_peer_classes[c].in_use);
+		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_peer_classes[c].references > 0);
 
-		--m_peer_classes[c]->references;
-		if (m_peer_classes[c]->references) return;
-		m_peer_classes[c].reset();
+		--m_peer_classes[c].references;
+		if (m_peer_classes[c].references) return;
+		m_peer_classes[c].clear();
 		m_free_list.push_back(c);
 	}
 
@@ -117,9 +117,9 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		VALGRIND_CHECK_VALUE_IS_DEFINED(c);
 #endif
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(c < m_peer_classes.size());
-		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_peer_classes[c].get());
+		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_peer_classes[c].in_use);
 
-		++m_peer_classes[c]->references;
+		++m_peer_classes[c].references;
 	}
 
 	peer_class* peer_class_pool::at(peer_class_t c)
@@ -127,14 +127,14 @@ namespace libtorrent
 #ifdef TORRENT_USE_VALGRIND
 		VALGRIND_CHECK_VALUE_IS_DEFINED(c);
 #endif
-		if (c >= m_peer_classes.size()) return 0;
-		return m_peer_classes[c].get();
+		if (c >= m_peer_classes.size() || !m_peer_classes[c].in_use) return NULL;
+		return &m_peer_classes[c];
 	}
 
 	peer_class const* peer_class_pool::at(peer_class_t c) const
 	{
-		if (c >= m_peer_classes.size()) return 0;
-		return m_peer_classes[c].get();
+		if (c >= m_peer_classes.size() || !m_peer_classes[c].in_use) return NULL;
+		return &m_peer_classes[c];
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/test/test_peer_classes.cpp b/test/test_peer_classes.cpp
index d81d3ec84..541af1766 100644
--- a/test/test_peer_classes.cpp
+++ b/test/test_peer_classes.cpp
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ TORRENT_TEST(peer_class)
 	TEST_CHECK(id3 == id2 + 1);
 
 	// make sure refcounting works
-	TEST_CHECK(class_name(id3, pool) == "test3");
+	TEST_EQUAL(class_name(id3, pool), "test3");
 	pool.incref(id3);
-	TEST_CHECK(class_name(id3, pool) == "test3");
+	TEST_EQUAL(class_name(id3, pool), "test3");
 	pool.decref(id3);
-	TEST_CHECK(class_name(id3, pool) == "test3");
+	TEST_EQUAL(class_name(id3, pool), "test3");
 	pool.decref(id3);
 	// it should have been deleted now
 	TEST_CHECK(pool.at(id3) == NULL);
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ TORRENT_TEST(peer_class)
 
 	peer_class_info i;
 	pool.at(id2)->get_info(&i);
-	TEST_CHECK(i.upload_limit == 1000);
-	TEST_CHECK(i.download_limit == 2000);
+	TEST_EQUAL(i.upload_limit, 1000);
+	TEST_EQUAL(i.download_limit, 2000);
 
 	// test peer_class_type_filter
 	peer_class_type_filter filter;