diff --git a/src/emu/debugger.cpp b/src/emu/debugger.cpp
index b21e4ca779b..f246407cd92 100644
--- a/src/emu/debugger.cpp
+++ b/src/emu/debugger.cpp
@@ -16,26 +16,12 @@
 #include "debug/debugvw.h"
 #include <ctype.h>
 
-
-
-/***************************************************************************
-    TYPE DEFINITIONS
-***************************************************************************/
-
-struct machine_entry
-{
-	machine_entry *     next;
-	running_machine *   machine;
-};
-
-
-
 /***************************************************************************
     GLOBAL VARIABLES
 ***************************************************************************/
 
-static machine_entry *machine_list;
-static int atexit_registered;
+static running_machine *g_machine = nullptr;
+static int g_atexit_registered = FALSE;
 
 
 
@@ -60,25 +46,20 @@ void debugger_init(running_machine &machine)
 	/* only if debugging is enabled */
 	if (machine.debug_flags & DEBUG_FLAG_ENABLED)
 	{
-		machine_entry *entry;
-
 		/* initialize the submodules */
-		machine.m_debug_view.reset(global_alloc(debug_view_manager(machine)));
+		machine.m_debug_view = std::make_unique<debug_view_manager>(machine);
 		debug_cpu_init(machine);
 		debug_command_init(machine);
 		debug_console_init(machine);
 
 		/* allocate a new entry for our global list */
 		machine.add_notifier(MACHINE_NOTIFY_EXIT, machine_notify_delegate(FUNC(debugger_exit), &machine));
-		entry = global_alloc(machine_entry);
-		entry->next = machine_list;
-		entry->machine = &machine;
-		machine_list = entry;
+		g_machine = &machine;
 
 		/* register an atexit handler if we haven't yet */
-		if (!atexit_registered)
+		if (!g_atexit_registered)
 			atexit(debugger_flush_all_traces_on_abnormal_exit);
-		atexit_registered = TRUE;
+		g_atexit_registered = TRUE;
 
 		/* listen in on the errorlog */
 		machine.add_logerror_callback(debug_errorlog_write_line);
@@ -107,17 +88,7 @@ void debugger_refresh_display(running_machine &machine)
 
 static void debugger_exit(running_machine &machine)
 {
-	machine_entry **entryptr;
-
-	/* remove this machine from the list; it came down cleanly */
-	for (entryptr = &machine_list; *entryptr != nullptr; entryptr = &(*entryptr)->next)
-		if ((*entryptr)->machine == &machine)
-		{
-			machine_entry *deleteme = *entryptr;
-			*entryptr = deleteme->next;
-			global_free(deleteme);
-			break;
-		}
+	g_machine = nullptr;
 }
 
 
@@ -129,12 +100,8 @@ static void debugger_exit(running_machine &machine)
 
 void debugger_flush_all_traces_on_abnormal_exit(void)
 {
-	/* clear out the machine list and flush traces on each one */
-	while (machine_list != nullptr)
+	if(g_machine!=nullptr)
 	{
-		machine_entry *deleteme = machine_list;
-		debug_cpu_flush_traces(*deleteme->machine);
-		machine_list = deleteme->next;
-		global_free(deleteme);
+		debug_cpu_flush_traces(*g_machine);
 	}
 }