diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
index 228af7590..af6a4c238 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
@@ -557,7 +557,11 @@ on_remote_data(void *data, int fd, uint32_t mask)
 						this, msg->opcode, msg->id);
 				continue;
 			}
-			if (demarshal[msg->opcode].func(proxy, msg) < 0) {
+			proxy->refcount++;
+			res = demarshal[msg->opcode].func(proxy, msg);
+			pw_proxy_unref(proxy);
+
+			if (res < 0) {
 				pw_log_error (NAME" %p: invalid message received %u for %u",
 						this, msg->opcode, msg->id);
 				continue;
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 27f0b3747..675235ceb 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -654,6 +654,7 @@ struct pw_proxy {
 	struct pw_remote *remote;	/**< the owner remote of this proxy */
 
 	uint32_t id;			/**< client side id */
+	int refcount;
 	unsigned int zombie:1;		/**< proxy is removed locally and waiting to
 					  *  be removed from server */
 	unsigned int removed:1;		/**< proxy was removed from server */
@@ -910,6 +911,8 @@ int pw_control_remove_link(struct pw_control_link *link);
 
 void pw_control_destroy(struct pw_control *control);
 
+void pw_proxy_unref(struct pw_proxy *proxy);
+
 /** \endcond */
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/pipewire/proxy.c b/src/pipewire/proxy.c
index ac581fe94..537a93e27 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/proxy.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/proxy.c
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ struct pw_proxy *pw_proxy_new(struct pw_proxy *factory,
 
 	this = &impl->this;
 	this->remote = remote;
+	this->refcount = 1;
 
 	this->marshal = pw_protocol_get_marshal(remote->conn->protocol, type);
 	if (this->marshal == NULL) {
@@ -156,7 +157,6 @@ void pw_proxy_add_object_listener(struct pw_proxy *proxy,
 SPA_EXPORT
 void pw_proxy_destroy(struct pw_proxy *proxy)
 {
-	struct proxy *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(proxy, struct proxy, this);
 	struct pw_remote *remote = proxy->remote;
 
 	if (!proxy->zombie) {
@@ -175,11 +175,21 @@ void pw_proxy_destroy(struct pw_proxy *proxy)
 	}
 	if (proxy->removed) {
 		pw_map_remove(&remote->objects, proxy->id);
-		pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: free %u", proxy, proxy->id);
-		free(impl);
+
+		pw_proxy_unref(proxy);
 	}
 }
 
+SPA_EXPORT
+void pw_proxy_unref(struct pw_proxy *proxy)
+{
+	if (--proxy->refcount > 0)
+		return;
+
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: free %u", proxy, proxy->id);
+	free(proxy);
+}
+
 SPA_EXPORT
 int pw_proxy_sync(struct pw_proxy *proxy, int seq)
 {