diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/HashTables/HashPtrTable/HashPtrTable.H b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/HashTables/HashPtrTable/HashPtrTable.H
index d2f17d0951..ee7ea6a49b 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/HashTables/HashPtrTable/HashPtrTable.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/HashTables/HashPtrTable/HashPtrTable.H
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ Class
     Foam::HashPtrTable
 
 Description
-    A HashTable of pointers to objects of type \<T\>.
+    A HashTable of pointers to objects of type \<T\>,
+    with deallocation management of the pointers.
 
 SourceFiles
     HashPtrTable.C
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/HashTables/HashPtrTable/HashPtrTableI.H b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/HashTables/HashPtrTable/HashPtrTableI.H
index b0d04f0197..08f40bd2c7 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/HashTables/HashPtrTable/HashPtrTableI.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/HashTables/HashPtrTable/HashPtrTableI.H
@@ -144,7 +144,16 @@ inline bool Foam::HashPtrTable<T, Key, Hash>::set
     T* ptr
 )
 {
-    return this->parent_type::set(key, ptr);
+    const T* old = this->get(key);
+
+    const bool ok = this->parent_type::set(key, ptr);
+
+    if (ok && old != ptr)
+    {
+        delete const_cast<T*>(old);
+    }
+
+    return ok;
 }