diff --git a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/loss_functions/reconstruction_loss.hpp b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/loss_functions/reconstruction_loss.hpp
index 20d79487ac..4f46782b59 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/loss_functions/reconstruction_loss.hpp
+++ b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/loss_functions/reconstruction_loss.hpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class ReconstructionLoss
 
  private:
   //! Locally-stored distribution object.
-  DistType* dist;
+  DistType dist;
 
   //! Locally-stored output parameter object.
   OutputDataType outputParameter;
diff --git a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/loss_functions/reconstruction_loss_impl.hpp b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/loss_functions/reconstruction_loss_impl.hpp
index aeb72df3e4..dc24ec30f5 100644
--- a/src/mlpack/methods/ann/loss_functions/reconstruction_loss_impl.hpp
+++ b/src/mlpack/methods/ann/loss_functions/reconstruction_loss_impl.hpp
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ template<typename InputType, typename TargetType>
 double ReconstructionLoss<InputDataType, OutputDataType, DistType>::Forward(
     const InputType&& input, const TargetType&& target)
 {
-  dist = new DistType(std::move(input));
-  return dist->LogProbability(std::move(target));
+  dist = DistType(std::move(input));
+  return -dist.LogProbability(std::move(target));
 }
 
 template<typename InputDataType, typename OutputDataType, typename DistType>
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ void ReconstructionLoss<InputDataType, OutputDataType, DistType>::Backward(
     const TargetType&& target,
     OutputType&& output)
 {
-  dist->LogProbBackward(std::move(target), std::move(output));
+  dist.LogProbBackward(std::move(target), std::move(output));
+  output = -output;
 }
 
 template<typename InputDataType, typename OutputDataType, typename DistType>