2 files changed, 12 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/src/xml/helper-observer.cpp b/src/xml/helper-observer.cpp
index c54dd8e74..957f3df0a 100644
--- a/src/xml/helper-observer.cpp
+++ b/src/xml/helper-observer.cpp
@@ -5,25 +5,34 @@ namespace XML {
 
 // Very simple observer that just emits a signal if anything happens to a node
 SignalObserver::SignalObserver()
-    : _oldsel(0)
+    : _oldsel(NULL)
 {}
 
+SignalObserver::~SignalObserver()
+{
+    set(NULL); // if _oldsel!=nullptr, remove observer and decrease refcount
+}
+
 // Add this observer to the SPObject and remove it from any previous object
 void SignalObserver::set(SPObject* o)
 {
   // XML Tree being used direcly in this function in the following code
   //   while it shouldn't be
+  // Pointer to object is stored, so refcounting should be increased/decreased
     if(_oldsel) {
         if (_oldsel->getRepr()) {
             _oldsel->getRepr()->removeObserver(*this);
         }
+        sp_object_unref(_oldsel);
+        _oldsel = NULL;
     }
     if(o) {
         if (o->getRepr()) {
             o->getRepr()->addObserver(*this);
+            sp_object_ref(o);
+            _oldsel = o;
         }
     }
-    _oldsel = o;
 }
 
 void SignalObserver::notifyChildAdded(XML::Node&, XML::Node&, XML::Node*)
diff --git a/src/xml/helper-observer.h b/src/xml/helper-observer.h
index e7881cd4d..2f70ba792 100644
--- a/src/xml/helper-observer.h
+++ b/src/xml/helper-observer.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ namespace Inkscape {
 		{
 		public:
 			SignalObserver();
+			~SignalObserver();
 
 			// Add this observer to the SPObject and remove it from any previous object
 			void set(SPObject* o);