diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0eafb86..67df721 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.20)
 
 project(class_loader)
 
-# Default to C++17
-if(NOT CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
-endif()
+# The C++/C standard comes from ament_ros_defaults (cxx_std_20 / c_std_17),
+# linked PRIVATE below so it applies to this library's own translation units
+# only and is not propagated to downstream consumers.
 if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang")
   add_compile_options(-Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic)
 endif()
@@ -15,6 +13,7 @@ set(CLASS_LOADER_IGNORE_AMENT FALSE CACHE BOOL
   "Do not use ament when building this package.")
 if(NOT CLASS_LOADER_IGNORE_AMENT)
   find_package(ament_cmake REQUIRED)
+  find_package(ament_cmake_ros_core REQUIRED)
   set(explicit_library_type "SHARED")
 else()
   set(explicit_library_type "SHARED")
@@ -44,11 +43,18 @@ if(ament_cmake_FOUND)
   target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PUBLIC
     console_bridge::console_bridge
     rcpputils::rcpputils)
+  # ament_ros_defaults is an INTERFACE target providing cxx_std_20 / c_std_17.
+  # Linked PRIVATE so the standard applies to our own sources without leaking
+  # into the exported interface (a SHARED library does not propagate PRIVATE
+  # link requirements to consumers).
+  target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE ament_cmake_ros_core::ament_ros_defaults)
   ament_export_targets(${PROJECT_NAME})
 else()
   target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME}
     PUBLIC ${console_bridge_INCLUDE_DIRS})
   target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} ${console_bridge_LIBRARIES})
+  # Standalone (non-ament) build: request C++20 for our own translation units.
+  target_compile_features(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE cxx_std_20)
 endif()
 if(WIN32)
   # Causes the visibility macros to use dllexport rather than dllimport
diff --git a/include/class_loader/meta_object.hpp b/include/class_loader/meta_object.hpp
index 0b41620..dc7ec4b 100644
--- a/include/class_loader/meta_object.hpp
+++ b/include/class_loader/meta_object.hpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #ifndef CLASS_LOADER__META_OBJECT_HPP_
 #define CLASS_LOADER__META_OBJECT_HPP_
 
+#include <memory>
 #include <string>
 #include <typeinfo>
 #include <utility>
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ class CLASS_LOADER_PUBLIC AbstractMetaObjectBase
    */
   virtual void dummyMethod() {}
 
-  AbstractMetaObjectBaseImpl * impl_;
+  std::unique_ptr<AbstractMetaObjectBaseImpl> impl_;
 };
 
 template<class ... Ts>
diff --git a/include/class_loader/multi_library_class_loader.hpp b/include/class_loader/multi_library_class_loader.hpp
index d1ac035..7861830 100644
--- a/include/class_loader/multi_library_class_loader.hpp
+++ b/include/class_loader/multi_library_class_loader.hpp
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ class CLASS_LOADER_PUBLIC MultiLibraryClassLoader
    */
   void shutdownAllClassLoaders();
 
-  MultiLibraryClassLoaderImpl * impl_;
+  std::unique_ptr<MultiLibraryClassLoaderImpl> impl_;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/package.xml b/package.xml
index d39ad95..258ca9c 100644
--- a/package.xml
+++ b/package.xml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
   <build_depend>libconsole-bridge-dev</build_depend>
 
   <buildtool_depend>ament_cmake</buildtool_depend>
+  <buildtool_depend>ament_cmake_ros_core</buildtool_depend>
 
   <exec_depend>console_bridge_vendor</exec_depend>
   <exec_depend>libconsole-bridge-dev</exec_depend>
diff --git a/src/class_loader_core.cpp b/src/class_loader_core.cpp
index 7bfb53a..e808953 100644
--- a/src/class_loader_core.cpp
+++ b/src/class_loader_core.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "class_loader/class_loader_core.hpp"
 #include "class_loader/class_loader.hpp"
 
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <cassert>
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <memory>
@@ -63,13 +64,9 @@ BaseToFactoryMapMap & getGlobalPluginBaseToFactoryMapMap()
 
 FactoryMap & getFactoryMapForBaseClass(const std::string & typeid_base_class_name)
 {
-  BaseToFactoryMapMap & factoryMapMap = getGlobalPluginBaseToFactoryMapMap();
-  std::string base_class_name = typeid_base_class_name;
-  if (factoryMapMap.find(base_class_name) == factoryMapMap.end()) {
-    factoryMapMap[base_class_name] = FactoryMap();
-  }
-
-  return factoryMapMap[base_class_name];
+  // std::map::operator[] value-initializes (an empty FactoryMap) when the key is
+  // absent, so a single lookup both finds and inserts as needed.
+  return getGlobalPluginBaseToFactoryMapMap()[typeid_base_class_name];
 }
 
 MetaObjectGraveyardVector & getMetaObjectGraveyard()
@@ -275,12 +272,7 @@ bool areThereAnyExistingMetaObjectsForLibrary(const std::string & library_path)
 LibraryVector::iterator findLoadedLibrary(const std::string & library_path)
 {
   LibraryVector & open_libraries = getLoadedLibraryVector();
-  for (auto it = open_libraries.begin(); it != open_libraries.end(); ++it) {
-    if (it->first == library_path) {
-      return it;
-    }
-  }
-  return open_libraries.end();
+  return std::ranges::find(open_libraries, library_path, &LibraryPair::first);
 }
 
 bool isLibraryLoadedByAnybody(const std::string & library_path)
@@ -317,7 +309,7 @@ std::vector<std::string> getAllLibrariesUsedByClassLoader(const ClassLoader * lo
   std::vector<std::string> all_libs;
   for (auto & meta_obj : all_loader_meta_objs) {
     std::string lib_path = meta_obj->getAssociatedLibraryPath();
-    if (std::find(all_libs.begin(), all_libs.end(), lib_path) == all_libs.end()) {
+    if (std::ranges::find(all_libs, lib_path) == all_libs.end()) {
       all_libs.push_back(lib_path);
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/meta_object.cpp b/src/meta_object.cpp
index 002b55e..17a49de 100644
--- a/src/meta_object.cpp
+++ b/src/meta_object.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
  * POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
  */
 
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <memory>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -38,7 +40,7 @@ namespace class_loader
 namespace impl
 {
 
-typedef std::vector<class_loader::ClassLoader *> ClassLoaderVector;
+using ClassLoaderVector = std::vector<class_loader::ClassLoader *>;
 
 class AbstractMetaObjectBaseImpl
 {
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ class AbstractMetaObjectBaseImpl
 AbstractMetaObjectBase::AbstractMetaObjectBase(
   const std::string & class_name, const std::string & base_class_name,
   const std::string & typeid_base_class_name)
-: impl_(new AbstractMetaObjectBaseImpl())
+: impl_(std::make_unique<AbstractMetaObjectBaseImpl>())
 {
   impl_->associated_library_path_ = "Unknown";
   impl_->base_class_name_ = base_class_name;
@@ -71,7 +73,6 @@ AbstractMetaObjectBase::~AbstractMetaObjectBase()
     "class_loader.impl.AbstractMetaObjectBase: "
     "Destroying MetaObject %p (base = %s, derived = %s, library path = %s)",
     this, baseClassName().c_str(), className().c_str(), getAssociatedLibraryPath().c_str());
-  delete impl_;
 }
 
 const std::string & AbstractMetaObjectBase::className() const
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ void AbstractMetaObjectBase::setAssociatedLibraryPath(const std::string & librar
 void AbstractMetaObjectBase::addOwningClassLoader(ClassLoader * loader)
 {
   ClassLoaderVector & v = impl_->associated_class_loaders_;
-  if (std::find(v.begin(), v.end(), loader) == v.end()) {
+  if (std::ranges::find(v, loader) == v.end()) {
     v.push_back(loader);
   }
 }
@@ -110,8 +111,7 @@ void AbstractMetaObjectBase::addOwningClassLoader(ClassLoader * loader)
 void AbstractMetaObjectBase::removeOwningClassLoader(const ClassLoader * loader)
 {
   ClassLoaderVector & v = impl_->associated_class_loaders_;
-  ClassLoaderVector::iterator itr = std::find(v.begin(), v.end(), loader);
-  if (itr != v.end()) {
+  if (auto itr = std::ranges::find(v, loader); itr != v.end()) {
     v.erase(itr);
   }
 }
@@ -119,8 +119,7 @@ void AbstractMetaObjectBase::removeOwningClassLoader(const ClassLoader * loader)
 bool AbstractMetaObjectBase::isOwnedBy(const ClassLoader * loader) const
 {
   const ClassLoaderVector & v = impl_->associated_class_loaders_;
-  auto it = std::find(v.begin(), v.end(), loader);
-  return it != v.end();
+  return std::ranges::find(v, loader) != v.end();
 }
 
 bool AbstractMetaObjectBase::isOwnedByAnybody() const
diff --git a/src/multi_library_class_loader.cpp b/src/multi_library_class_loader.cpp
index 7ff7d09..36f4aa0 100644
--- a/src/multi_library_class_loader.cpp
+++ b/src/multi_library_class_loader.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@
 
 #include "class_loader/multi_library_class_loader.hpp"
 
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <cstddef>
+#include <memory>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@
 namespace class_loader
 {
 
-typedef std::vector<std::shared_ptr<class_loader::ClassLoader>> ClassLoaderPtrVector;
+using ClassLoaderPtrVector = std::vector<std::shared_ptr<class_loader::ClassLoader>>;
 
 class ClassLoaderDependency
 {
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ ClassLoaderPtrVectorImpl & getClassLoaderPtrVectorImpl()
 }
 
 MultiLibraryClassLoader::MultiLibraryClassLoader(bool enable_ondemand_loadunload)
-: impl_(new MultiLibraryClassLoaderImpl())
+: impl_(std::make_unique<MultiLibraryClassLoaderImpl>())
 {
   impl_->enable_ondemand_loadunload_ = enable_ondemand_loadunload;
 }
@@ -87,7 +89,6 @@ MultiLibraryClassLoader::MultiLibraryClassLoader(bool enable_ondemand_loadunload
 MultiLibraryClassLoader::~MultiLibraryClassLoader()
 {
   shutdownAllClassLoaders();
-  delete impl_;
 }
 
 std::vector<std::string> MultiLibraryClassLoader::getRegisteredLibraries() const
@@ -128,8 +129,7 @@ ClassLoaderVector MultiLibraryClassLoader::getAllAvailableClassLoaders() const
 bool MultiLibraryClassLoader::isLibraryAvailable(const std::string & library_name) const
 {
   std::vector<std::string> available_libraries = getRegisteredLibraries();
-  return available_libraries.end() != std::find(
-    available_libraries.begin(), available_libraries.end(), library_name);
+  return std::ranges::find(available_libraries, library_name) != available_libraries.end();
 }
 
 void MultiLibraryClassLoader::loadLibrary(const std::string & library_path)
@@ -161,11 +161,11 @@ int MultiLibraryClassLoader::unloadLibrary(const std::string & library_path)
       impl_->active_class_loaders_[library_path] = nullptr;
       std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(getClassLoaderPtrVectorImpl().loader_mutex_);
       auto & class_loader_ptrs = getClassLoaderPtrVectorImpl().class_loader_ptrs_;
-      for (auto iter = class_loader_ptrs.begin(); iter != class_loader_ptrs.end(); ++iter) {
-        if (iter->get() == loader) {
-          class_loader_ptrs.erase(iter);
-          break;
-        }
+      if (auto iter = std::ranges::find(
+          class_loader_ptrs, loader, [](const auto & p) {return p.get();});
+        iter != class_loader_ptrs.end())
+      {
+        class_loader_ptrs.erase(iter);
       }
     }
   }