diff --git a/include/vcl/treelistentry.hxx b/include/vcl/treelistentry.hxx
index 1cb234c7c98a..71c8e8229f11 100644
--- a/include/vcl/treelistentry.hxx
+++ b/include/vcl/treelistentry.hxx
@@ -22,10 +22,12 @@
 
 #include <vcl/dllapi.h>
 #include <tools/solar.h>
+#include <tools/color.hxx>
 #include <vcl/treelistbox.hxx>
 #include <vcl/treelistentries.hxx>
 #include <o3tl/typed_flags_set.hxx>
 
+#include <boost/optional.hpp>
 #include <vector>
 #include <memory>
 
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ class VCL_DLLPUBLIC SvTreeListEntry
     void*               pUserData;
     SvTLEntryFlags      nEntryFlags;
     Color               maBackColor;
-    std::unique_ptr<Color> mxTextColor;
+    boost::optional<Color> mxTextColor;
 
 private:
     void ClearChildren();
@@ -110,8 +112,8 @@ public:
     void SetBackColor( const Color& rColor ) { maBackColor = rColor; }
     const Color& GetBackColor() const { return maBackColor; }
 
-    void SetTextColor( const Color* pColor ) { mxTextColor.reset(pColor ? new Color(*pColor) : nullptr); }
-    const Color* GetTextColor() const { return mxTextColor.get(); }
+    void SetTextColor( boost::optional<Color> xColor ) { mxTextColor = xColor; }
+    boost::optional<Color> const & GetTextColor() const { return mxTextColor; }
 
     SvTreeListEntry* GetParent() const { return pParent; }
 
diff --git a/vcl/source/app/salvtables.cxx b/vcl/source/app/salvtables.cxx
index c7ca128fd818..df7de9561743 100644
--- a/vcl/source/app/salvtables.cxx
+++ b/vcl/source/app/salvtables.cxx
@@ -2233,7 +2233,7 @@ public:
     virtual void set_font_color(int pos, const Color& rColor) const override
     {
         SvTreeListEntry* pEntry = m_xTreeView->GetEntry(nullptr, pos);
-        pEntry->SetTextColor(&rColor);
+        pEntry->SetTextColor(rColor);
     }
 
     virtual void remove(int pos) override
diff --git a/vcl/source/treelist/treelistbox.cxx b/vcl/source/treelist/treelistbox.cxx
index b069d1d0ea12..aa91551177d8 100644
--- a/vcl/source/treelist/treelistbox.cxx
+++ b/vcl/source/treelist/treelistbox.cxx
@@ -2701,8 +2701,8 @@ void SvTreeListBox::PaintEntry1(SvTreeListEntry& rEntry, long nLine, vcl::Render
             if (bCurFontIsSel || rEntry.GetTextColor())
             {
                 bCurFontIsSel = false;
-                if (const auto* pCustomTextColor = rEntry.GetTextColor())
-                    rRenderContext.SetTextColor(*pCustomTextColor);
+                if (const auto & xCustomTextColor = rEntry.GetTextColor())
+                    rRenderContext.SetTextColor(*xCustomTextColor);
                 else
                     rRenderContext.SetTextColor(aBackupTextColor);
                 rRenderContext.SetFont(aBackupFont);