diff --git a/gio/giomodule.c b/gio/giomodule.c
index ca1daf2a8..a2909a8ef 100644
--- a/gio/giomodule.c
+++ b/gio/giomodule.c
@@ -1120,7 +1120,8 @@ void *
 _g_io_win32_get_module (void)
 {
   if (!gio_dll)
-    GetModuleHandleExA (GET_MODULE_HANDLE_EX_FLAG_FROM_ADDRESS,
+    GetModuleHandleExA (GET_MODULE_HANDLE_EX_FLAG_FROM_ADDRESS |
+                        GET_MODULE_HANDLE_EX_FLAG_UNCHANGED_REFCOUNT,
                         (const char *) _g_io_win32_get_module,
                         &gio_dll);
   return gio_dll;
diff --git a/gio/gwin32appinfo.c b/gio/gwin32appinfo.c
index b1709fbba..5403225e2 100644
--- a/gio/gwin32appinfo.c
+++ b/gio/gwin32appinfo.c
@@ -3964,6 +3964,8 @@ gio_win32_appinfo_init (gboolean do_wait)
 
   if (g_once_init_enter (&initialized))
     {
+      HMODULE gio_dll_extra;
+
       url_associations_key =
           g_win32_registry_key_new_w (L"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Shell\\Associations\\UrlAssociations",
                                        NULL);
@@ -4006,6 +4008,11 @@ gio_win32_appinfo_init (gboolean do_wait)
       g_atomic_int_set (&gio_win32_appinfo_update_counter, 1);
       /* Trigger initial tree build. Fake data pointer. */
       g_thread_pool_push (gio_win32_appinfo_threadpool, (gpointer) keys_updated, NULL);
+      /* Increment the DLL refcount */
+      GetModuleHandleExA (GET_MODULE_HANDLE_EX_FLAG_FROM_ADDRESS | GET_MODULE_HANDLE_EX_FLAG_PIN,
+                          (const char *) gio_win32_appinfo_init,
+                          &gio_dll_extra);
+      /* gio DLL cannot be unloaded now */
 
       g_once_init_leave (&initialized, TRUE);
     }