diff --git a/gio/gsettings-tool.c b/gio/gsettings-tool.c
index 993fa59e5..a232602c6 100644
--- a/gio/gsettings-tool.c
+++ b/gio/gsettings-tool.c
@@ -457,7 +457,6 @@ gsettings_set (GSettings   *settings,
 
   existing = g_settings_get_value (settings, key);
   type = g_variant_get_type (existing);
-  g_variant_unref (existing);
 
   new = g_variant_parse (type, value, NULL, NULL, &error);
 
@@ -490,6 +489,9 @@ gsettings_set (GSettings   *settings,
       new = g_variant_new_string (value);
     }
 
+  /* we're done with 'type' now, so we can free 'existing' */
+  g_variant_unref (existing);
+
   if (new == NULL)
     {
       g_printerr ("%s\n", error->message);