diff --git a/src/singletons/NativeMessaging.cpp b/src/singletons/NativeMessaging.cpp
index 71029ded628..ef42e706da1 100644
--- a/src/singletons/NativeMessaging.cpp
+++ b/src/singletons/NativeMessaging.cpp
@@ -137,12 +137,11 @@ void NativeMessagingServer::start()
 
 void NativeMessagingServer::ReceiverThread::run()
 {
-    auto result =
+    auto [messageQueue, error] =
         ipc::IpcQueue::tryReplaceOrCreate("chatterino_gui", 100, MESSAGE_SIZE);
 
-    if (std::holds_alternative<QString>(result))
+    if (!error.isEmpty())
     {
-        auto error = std::get<QString>(result);
         qCDebug(chatterinoNativeMessage)
             << "Failed to create message queue:" << error;
 
@@ -150,10 +149,9 @@ void NativeMessagingServer::ReceiverThread::run()
         return;
     }
 
-    auto &messageQueue = std::get<ipc::IpcQueue>(result);
     while (true)
     {
-        auto buf = messageQueue.receive();
+        auto buf = messageQueue->receive();
         if (buf.isEmpty())
         {
             continue;
diff --git a/src/util/IpcQueue.cpp b/src/util/IpcQueue.cpp
index aac4337b799..0efc878fc59 100644
--- a/src/util/IpcQueue.cpp
+++ b/src/util/IpcQueue.cpp
@@ -41,17 +41,20 @@ IpcQueue::IpcQueue(IpcQueuePrivate *priv)
     : private_(priv){};
 IpcQueue::~IpcQueue() = default;
 
-std::variant<IpcQueue, QString> IpcQueue::tryReplaceOrCreate(
+std::pair<std::unique_ptr<IpcQueue>, QString> IpcQueue::tryReplaceOrCreate(
     const char *name, size_t maxMessages, size_t maxMessageSize)
 {
     try
     {
         boost_ipc::message_queue::remove(name);
-        return IpcQueue(new IpcQueuePrivate(name, maxMessages, maxMessageSize));
+        return std::make_pair(
+            std::unique_ptr<IpcQueue>(new IpcQueue(
+                new IpcQueuePrivate(name, maxMessages, maxMessageSize))),
+            QString());
     }
     catch (boost_ipc::interprocess_exception &ex)
     {
-        return QString::fromLatin1(ex.what());
+        return {nullptr, QString::fromLatin1(ex.what())};
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/IpcQueue.hpp b/src/util/IpcQueue.hpp
index c473f1780dc..467aa287328 100644
--- a/src/util/IpcQueue.hpp
+++ b/src/util/IpcQueue.hpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <memory>
-#include <variant>
+#include <utility>
 
 class QByteArray;
 class QString;
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class IpcQueue
 public:
     ~IpcQueue();
 
-    static std::variant<IpcQueue, QString> tryReplaceOrCreate(
+    static std::pair<std::unique_ptr<IpcQueue>, QString> tryReplaceOrCreate(
         const char *name, size_t maxMessages, size_t maxMessageSize);
 
     // TODO: use std::expected