diff --git a/gdbus/mainloop.c b/gdbus/mainloop.c
index 099b67fe..ec52554b 100644
--- a/gdbus/mainloop.c
+++ b/gdbus/mainloop.c
@@ -70,8 +70,6 @@ static gboolean message_dispatch(void *data)
 {
 	DBusConnection *conn = data;
 
-	dbus_connection_ref(conn);
-
 	/* Dispatch messages */
 	while (dbus_connection_dispatch(conn) == DBUS_DISPATCH_DATA_REMAINS);
 
@@ -84,7 +82,8 @@ static inline void queue_dispatch(DBusConnection *conn,
 						DBusDispatchStatus status)
 {
 	if (status == DBUS_DISPATCH_DATA_REMAINS)
-		g_timeout_add(DISPATCH_TIMEOUT, message_dispatch, conn);
+		g_timeout_add(DISPATCH_TIMEOUT, message_dispatch,
+						dbus_connection_ref(conn));
 }
 
 static gboolean watch_func(GIOChannel *chan, GIOCondition cond, gpointer data)
@@ -92,9 +91,6 @@ static gboolean watch_func(GIOChannel *chan, GIOCondition cond, gpointer data)
 	struct watch_info *info = data;
 	unsigned int flags = 0;
 	DBusDispatchStatus status;
-	DBusConnection *conn;
-
-	conn = dbus_connection_ref(info->conn);
 
 	if (cond & G_IO_IN)  flags |= DBUS_WATCH_READABLE;
 	if (cond & G_IO_OUT) flags |= DBUS_WATCH_WRITABLE;
@@ -103,10 +99,8 @@ static gboolean watch_func(GIOChannel *chan, GIOCondition cond, gpointer data)
 
 	dbus_watch_handle(info->watch, flags);
 
-	status = dbus_connection_get_dispatch_status(conn);
-	queue_dispatch(conn, status);
-
-	dbus_connection_unref(conn);
+	status = dbus_connection_get_dispatch_status(info->conn);
+	queue_dispatch(info->conn, status);
 
 	return TRUE;
 }