diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
index 3295ed4fc..6869f5c1d 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
@@ -347,9 +347,12 @@ process_messages(struct client_data *data)
 			continue;
 		}
 
+		resource->refcount++;
 		pw_protocol_native_connection_enter(conn);
 		res = demarshal[msg->opcode].func(resource, msg);
 		pw_protocol_native_connection_leave(conn);
+		pw_resource_unref(resource);
+
 		if (res < 0) {
 			pw_resource_errorf_id(resource, msg->id,
 					res, "invalid message id:%u op:%u (%s)",
@@ -360,6 +363,7 @@ process_messages(struct client_data *data)
 	res = 0;
 done:
 	context->current_client = NULL;
+
 	return res;
 
 error:
@@ -387,14 +391,15 @@ client_busy_changed(void *data, bool busy)
 		pw_loop_signal_event(s->loop, s->resume);
 }
 
-static void handle_client_error(struct pw_impl_client *client, int res)
+static void handle_client_error(struct pw_impl_client *client, int res, const char *msg)
 {
 	if (res == -EPIPE || res == -ECONNRESET)
-		pw_log_info("%p: client %p disconnected", client->protocol, client);
+		pw_log_info("%p: %s: client %p disconnected", client->protocol, msg, client);
 	else
-		pw_log_error("%p: client %p error %d (%s)", client->protocol,
+		pw_log_error("%p: %s: client %p error %d (%s)", client->protocol, msg,
 				client, res, spa_strerror(res));
-	pw_impl_client_destroy(client);
+	if (!client->destroyed)
+		pw_impl_client_destroy(client);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -404,6 +409,8 @@ connection_data(void *data, int fd, uint32_t mask)
 	struct pw_impl_client *client = this->client;
 	int res;
 
+	client->refcount++;
+
 	if (mask & SPA_IO_HUP) {
 		res = -EPIPE;
 		goto error;
@@ -425,9 +432,12 @@ connection_data(void *data, int fd, uint32_t mask)
 		} else if (res != -EAGAIN)
 			goto error;
 	}
+done:
+	pw_impl_client_unref(client);
 	return;
 error:
-	handle_client_error(client, res);
+	handle_client_error(client, res, "connection_data");
+	goto done;
 }
 
 static void client_free(void *data)
@@ -1215,12 +1225,12 @@ static void do_resume(void *_data, uint64_t count)
 	pw_log_debug("flush");
 
 	spa_list_for_each_safe(data, tmp, &this->client_list, protocol_link) {
+		data->client->refcount++;
 		if ((res = process_messages(data)) < 0)
-			goto error;
+			handle_client_error(data->client, res, "do_resume");
+		pw_impl_client_unref(data->client);
 	}
 	return;
-error:
-	handle_client_error(data->client, res);
 }
 
 static const char *
diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-client.c b/src/pipewire/impl-client.c
index cd566a566..f45e3827f 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-client.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-client.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <assert.h>
 
 #include <spa/utils/string.h>
 
@@ -415,6 +416,7 @@ struct pw_impl_client *pw_context_create_client(struct pw_impl_core *core,
 	this = &impl->this;
 	pw_log_debug("%p: new", this);
 
+	this->refcount = 1;
 	this->context = core->context;
 	this->core = core;
 	this->protocol = protocol;
@@ -584,6 +586,33 @@ static int destroy_resource(void *object, void *data)
 }
 
 
+SPA_EXPORT
+void pw_impl_client_unref(struct pw_impl_client *client)
+{
+	struct impl *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(client, struct impl, this);
+
+	assert(client->refcount > 0);
+	if (--client->refcount > 0)
+		return;
+
+	pw_log_debug("%p: free", impl);
+	assert(client->destroyed);
+
+	pw_impl_client_emit_free(client);
+
+	spa_hook_list_clean(&client->listener_list);
+
+	pw_map_clear(&client->objects);
+	pw_array_clear(&impl->permissions);
+
+	spa_hook_remove(&impl->pool_listener);
+	pw_mempool_destroy(client->pool);
+
+	pw_properties_free(client->properties);
+
+	free(impl);
+}
+
 /** Destroy a client object
  *
  * \param client the client to destroy
@@ -595,6 +624,10 @@ void pw_impl_client_destroy(struct pw_impl_client *client)
 	struct impl *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(client, struct impl, this);
 
 	pw_log_debug("%p: destroy", client);
+
+	assert(!client->destroyed);
+	client->destroyed = true;
+
 	pw_impl_client_emit_destroy(client);
 
 	spa_hook_remove(&impl->context_listener);
@@ -609,20 +642,7 @@ void pw_impl_client_destroy(struct pw_impl_client *client)
 		pw_global_destroy(client->global);
 	}
 
-	pw_log_debug("%p: free", impl);
-	pw_impl_client_emit_free(client);
-
-	spa_hook_list_clean(&client->listener_list);
-
-	pw_map_clear(&client->objects);
-	pw_array_clear(&impl->permissions);
-
-	spa_hook_remove(&impl->pool_listener);
-	pw_mempool_destroy(client->pool);
-
-	pw_properties_free(client->properties);
-
-	free(impl);
+	pw_impl_client_unref(client);
 }
 
 SPA_EXPORT
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 05c42f6c7..52629f4a3 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -308,6 +308,9 @@ struct pw_impl_client {
 	unsigned int registered:1;
 	unsigned int ucred_valid:1;	/**< if the ucred member is valid */
 	unsigned int busy:1;
+	unsigned int destroyed:1;
+
+	int refcount;
 
 	/* v2 compatibility data */
 	void *compat_v2;
@@ -945,8 +948,10 @@ struct pw_resource {
 	const char *type;		/**< type of the client interface */
 	uint32_t version;		/**< version of the client interface */
 	uint32_t bound_id;		/**< global id we are bound to */
+	int refcount;
 
 	unsigned int removed:1;		/**< resource was removed from server */
+	unsigned int destroyed:1;	/**< resource was destroyed */
 
 	struct spa_hook_list listener_list;
 	struct spa_hook_list object_listener_list;
@@ -1266,6 +1271,8 @@ int pw_control_remove_link(struct pw_control_link *link);
 
 void pw_control_destroy(struct pw_control *control);
 
+void pw_impl_client_unref(struct pw_impl_client *client);
+
 #define PW_LOG_OBJECT_POD	(1<<0)
 void pw_log_log_object(enum spa_log_level level, const char *file, int line,
 	   const char *func, uint32_t flags, const void *object);
diff --git a/src/pipewire/resource.c b/src/pipewire/resource.c
index efb82a41e..0a6231c2e 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/resource.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/resource.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <string.h>
+#include <assert.h>
 
 #include "pipewire/private.h"
 #include "pipewire/protocol.h"
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ struct pw_resource *pw_resource_new(struct pw_impl_client *client,
 		return NULL;
 
 	this = &impl->this;
+	this->refcount = 1;
 	this->context = client->context;
 	this->client = client;
 	this->permissions = permissions;
@@ -278,17 +280,58 @@ void pw_resource_error(struct pw_resource *resource, int res, const char *error)
 	}
 }
 
+SPA_EXPORT
+void pw_resource_ref(struct pw_resource *resource)
+{
+	assert(resource->refcount > 0);
+	resource->refcount++;
+}
+
+SPA_EXPORT
+void pw_resource_unref(struct pw_resource *resource)
+{
+	assert(resource->refcount > 0);
+	if (--resource->refcount > 0)
+		return;
+
+	pw_log_debug("%p: free %u", resource, resource->id);
+	assert(resource->destroyed);
+
+#if DEBUG_LISTENERS
+	{
+		struct spa_hook *h;
+		spa_list_for_each(h, &resource->object_listener_list.list, link) {
+			pw_log_warn("%p: resource %u: leaked object listener %p",
+					resource, resource->id, h);
+			break;
+		}
+		spa_list_for_each(h, &resource->listener_list.list, link) {
+			pw_log_warn("%p: resource %u: leaked listener %p",
+					resource, resource->id, h);
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+#endif
+	spa_hook_list_clean(&resource->listener_list);
+	spa_hook_list_clean(&resource->object_listener_list);
+
+	free(resource);
+}
+
 SPA_EXPORT
 void pw_resource_destroy(struct pw_resource *resource)
 {
 	struct pw_impl_client *client = resource->client;
 
+	pw_log_debug("%p: destroy %u", resource, resource->id);
+	assert(!resource->destroyed);
+	resource->destroyed = true;
+
 	if (resource->global) {
 		spa_list_remove(&resource->link);
 		resource->global = NULL;
 	}
 
-	pw_log_debug("%p: destroy %u", resource, resource->id);
 	pw_resource_emit_destroy(resource);
 
 	pw_map_insert_at(&client->objects, resource->id, NULL);
@@ -297,12 +340,7 @@ void pw_resource_destroy(struct pw_resource *resource)
 	if (client->core_resource && !resource->removed)
 		pw_core_resource_remove_id(client->core_resource, resource->id);
 
-	pw_log_debug("%p: free %u", resource, resource->id);
-
-	spa_hook_list_clean(&resource->listener_list);
-	spa_hook_list_clean(&resource->object_listener_list);
-
-	free(resource);
+	pw_resource_unref(resource);
 }
 
 SPA_EXPORT
diff --git a/src/pipewire/resource.h b/src/pipewire/resource.h
index dd15c1a8f..24d458cb0 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/resource.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/resource.h
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@ void pw_resource_add_object_listener(struct pw_resource *resource,
  * with the same \a sequence number in the return value. */
 int pw_resource_ping(struct pw_resource *resource, int seq);
 
+/** ref/unref a resource, Since 0.3.52 */
+void pw_resource_ref(struct pw_resource *resource);
+void pw_resource_unref(struct pw_resource *resource);
+
 /** Notify global id this resource is bound to */
 int pw_resource_set_bound_id(struct pw_resource *resource, uint32_t global_id);