diff --git a/include/img/img.h b/include/img/img.h
index cc7abed2..7621e950 100644
--- a/include/img/img.h
+++ b/include/img/img.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #define LABWC_IMG_H
 
 #include <cairo.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <wayland-util.h>
 
@@ -19,6 +20,9 @@ struct lab_img {
 	struct theme *theme; /* Used by modifier functions */
 	struct wl_array modifiers; /* lab_img_modifier_func_t */
 	struct lab_img_cache *cache;
+
+	bool dropped;
+	int nr_locks;
 };
 
 struct lab_img *lab_img_load(enum lab_img_type type, const char *path,
@@ -69,10 +73,9 @@ void lab_img_add_modifier(struct lab_img *img, lab_img_modifier_func_t modifier,
 struct lab_data_buffer *lab_img_render(struct lab_img *img,
 	int width, int height, int padding, double scale);
 
-/**
- * lab_img_destroy() - destroy lab_img
- * @img: lab_img to destroy
- */
-void lab_img_destroy(struct lab_img *img);
+/* These functions closely follow the APIs of wlr_buffer */
+void lab_img_lock(struct lab_img *img);
+void lab_img_unlock(struct lab_img *img);
+void lab_img_drop(struct lab_img *img);
 
 #endif /* LABWC_IMG_H */
diff --git a/include/ssd-internal.h b/include/ssd-internal.h
index 3600b1c6..6d1d7ae7 100644
--- a/include/ssd-internal.h
+++ b/include/ssd-internal.h
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ struct ssd {
 		} title;
 
 		char *app_id;
-		struct lab_img *icon_img;
 	} state;
 
 	/* An invisible area around the view which allows resizing */
diff --git a/src/common/scaled-img-buffer.c b/src/common/scaled-img-buffer.c
index 27d65b9c..620b10a6 100644
--- a/src/common/scaled-img-buffer.c
+++ b/src/common/scaled-img-buffer.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ static void
 _destroy(struct scaled_scene_buffer *scaled_buffer)
 {
 	struct scaled_img_buffer *self = scaled_buffer->data;
+	lab_img_unlock(self->img);
 	free(self);
 }
 
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ scaled_img_buffer_create(struct wlr_scene_tree *parent, struct lab_img *img,
 	struct scaled_img_buffer *self = znew(*self);
 	self->scaled_buffer = scaled_buffer;
 	self->scene_buffer = scaled_buffer->scene_buffer;
+	lab_img_lock(img);
 	self->img = img;
 	self->width = width;
 	self->height = height;
@@ -73,6 +75,8 @@ void
 scaled_img_buffer_update(struct scaled_img_buffer *self, struct lab_img *img,
 	int width, int height, int padding)
 {
+	lab_img_unlock(self->img);
+	lab_img_lock(img);
 	self->img = img;
 	self->width = width;
 	self->height = height;
diff --git a/src/img/img.c b/src/img/img.c
index ccb7cdcc..f521fcce 100644
--- a/src/img/img.c
+++ b/src/img/img.c
@@ -195,10 +195,10 @@ lab_img_render(struct lab_img *img, int width, int height, int padding,
 	return buffer;
 }
 
-void
-lab_img_destroy(struct lab_img *img)
+static void
+consider_destroy_img(struct lab_img *img)
 {
-	if (!img) {
+	if (!img->dropped || img->nr_locks > 0) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -220,3 +220,28 @@ lab_img_destroy(struct lab_img *img)
 	wl_array_release(&img->modifiers);
 	free(img);
 }
+
+void
+lab_img_lock(struct lab_img *img)
+{
+	assert(img);
+	img->nr_locks++;
+}
+
+void
+lab_img_unlock(struct lab_img *img)
+{
+	assert(img);
+	img->nr_locks--;
+	consider_destroy_img(img);
+}
+
+void
+lab_img_drop(struct lab_img *img)
+{
+	if (!img) {
+		return;
+	}
+	img->dropped = true;
+	consider_destroy_img(img);
+}
diff --git a/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c b/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
index 9c24b431..f8ef9814 100644
--- a/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
+++ b/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
@@ -345,9 +345,6 @@ ssd_titlebar_destroy(struct ssd *ssd)
 	if (ssd->state.app_id) {
 		zfree(ssd->state.app_id);
 	}
-	if (ssd->state.icon_img) {
-		lab_img_destroy(ssd->state.icon_img);
-	}
 
 	wlr_scene_node_destroy(&ssd->titlebar.tree->node);
 	ssd->titlebar.tree = NULL;
@@ -642,10 +639,7 @@ ssd_update_window_icon(struct ssd *ssd)
 		}
 	} FOR_EACH_END
 
-	if (ssd->state.icon_img) {
-		lab_img_destroy(ssd->state.icon_img);
-	}
-	ssd->state.icon_img = icon_img;
+	lab_img_drop(icon_img);
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/theme.c b/src/theme.c
index 8b88baf3..73aff01b 100644
--- a/src/theme.c
+++ b/src/theme.c
@@ -1515,7 +1515,7 @@ theme_init(struct theme *theme, struct server *server, const char *theme_name)
 
 static void destroy_img(struct lab_img **img)
 {
-	lab_img_destroy(*img);
+	lab_img_drop(*img);
 	*img = NULL;
 }