diff --git a/src/pulsecore/sink-input.c b/src/pulsecore/sink-input.c
index c7d99efbf..a7f6d5512 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/sink-input.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/sink-input.c
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ void pa_sink_input_unlink(pa_sink_input *i) {
     bool linked;
     pa_source_output *o, PA_UNUSED *p = NULL;
 
-    pa_assert(i);
+    pa_sink_input_assert_ref(i);
     pa_assert_ctl_context();
 
     /* See pa_sink_unlink() for a couple of comments how this function
@@ -721,9 +721,7 @@ static void sink_input_free(pa_object *o) {
     pa_assert(i);
     pa_assert_ctl_context();
     pa_assert(pa_sink_input_refcnt(i) == 0);
-
-    if (PA_SINK_INPUT_IS_LINKED(i->state))
-        pa_sink_input_unlink(i);
+    pa_assert(!PA_SINK_INPUT_IS_LINKED(i->state));
 
     pa_log_info("Freeing input %u \"%s\"", i->index,
                 i->proplist ? pa_strnull(pa_proplist_gets(i->proplist, PA_PROP_MEDIA_NAME)) : "");
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/sink.c b/src/pulsecore/sink.c
index 3f1ef725b..9bdf9be08 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/sink.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/sink.c
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@ void pa_sink_unlink(pa_sink* s) {
     bool linked;
     pa_sink_input *i, PA_UNUSED *j = NULL;
 
-    pa_assert(s);
+    pa_sink_assert_ref(s);
     pa_assert_ctl_context();
 
     /* Please note that pa_sink_unlink() does more than simply
@@ -722,9 +722,7 @@ static void sink_free(pa_object *o) {
     pa_assert(s);
     pa_assert_ctl_context();
     pa_assert(pa_sink_refcnt(s) == 0);
-
-    if (PA_SINK_IS_LINKED(s->state))
-        pa_sink_unlink(s);
+    pa_assert(!PA_SINK_IS_LINKED(s->state));
 
     pa_log_info("Freeing sink %u \"%s\"", s->index, s->name);
 
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/source-output.c b/src/pulsecore/source-output.c
index 6af1543ac..9e951ff61 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/source-output.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/source-output.c
@@ -548,7 +548,8 @@ static void source_output_set_state(pa_source_output *o, pa_source_output_state_
 /* Called from main context */
 void pa_source_output_unlink(pa_source_output*o) {
     bool linked;
-    pa_assert(o);
+
+    pa_source_output_assert_ref(o);
     pa_assert_ctl_context();
 
     /* See pa_sink_unlink() for a couple of comments how this function
@@ -614,9 +615,7 @@ static void source_output_free(pa_object* mo) {
     pa_assert(o);
     pa_assert_ctl_context();
     pa_assert(pa_source_output_refcnt(o) == 0);
-
-    if (PA_SOURCE_OUTPUT_IS_LINKED(o->state))
-        pa_source_output_unlink(o);
+    pa_assert(!PA_SOURCE_OUTPUT_IS_LINKED(o->state));
 
     pa_log_info("Freeing output %u \"%s\"", o->index,
                 o->proplist ? pa_strnull(pa_proplist_gets(o->proplist, PA_PROP_MEDIA_NAME)) : "");
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/source.c b/src/pulsecore/source.c
index 98374ae92..8a527d8a9 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/source.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/source.c
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ void pa_source_unlink(pa_source *s) {
     bool linked;
     pa_source_output *o, PA_UNUSED *j = NULL;
 
-    pa_assert(s);
+    pa_source_assert_ref(s);
     pa_assert_ctl_context();
 
     /* See pa_sink_unlink() for a couple of comments how this function
@@ -661,9 +661,7 @@ static void source_free(pa_object *o) {
     pa_assert(s);
     pa_assert_ctl_context();
     pa_assert(pa_source_refcnt(s) == 0);
-
-    if (PA_SOURCE_IS_LINKED(s->state))
-        pa_source_unlink(s);
+    pa_assert(!PA_SOURCE_IS_LINKED(s->state));
 
     pa_log_info("Freeing source %u \"%s\"", s->index, s->name);