diff --git a/gio/gdbusconnection.c b/gio/gdbusconnection.c
index 572b867c3..6a1cc9ec0 100644
--- a/gio/gdbusconnection.c
+++ b/gio/gdbusconnection.c
@@ -375,13 +375,14 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (GDBusConnection, g_dbus_connection, G_TYPE_OBJECT,
                          G_IMPLEMENT_INTERFACE (G_TYPE_ASYNC_INITABLE, async_initable_iface_init)
                          );
 
+static GHashTable *alive_connections = NULL;
+
 static void
 g_dbus_connection_dispose (GObject *object)
 {
   GDBusConnection *connection = G_DBUS_CONNECTION (object);
 
   G_LOCK (message_bus_lock);
-  //g_debug ("disposing %p", connection);
   if (connection == the_session_bus)
     {
       the_session_bus = NULL;
@@ -390,11 +391,20 @@ g_dbus_connection_dispose (GObject *object)
     {
       the_system_bus = NULL;
     }
+  CONNECTION_LOCK (connection);
   if (connection->worker != NULL)
     {
       _g_dbus_worker_stop (connection->worker);
       connection->worker = NULL;
+      if (alive_connections != NULL)
+        g_warn_if_fail (g_hash_table_remove (alive_connections, connection));
     }
+  else
+    {
+      if (alive_connections != NULL)
+        g_warn_if_fail (g_hash_table_lookup (alive_connections, connection) == NULL);
+    }
+  CONNECTION_UNLOCK (connection);
   G_UNLOCK (message_bus_lock);
 
   if (G_OBJECT_CLASS (g_dbus_connection_parent_class)->dispose != NULL)
@@ -1957,19 +1967,31 @@ on_worker_message_received (GDBusWorker  *worker,
                             GDBusMessage *message,
                             gpointer      user_data)
 {
-  GDBusConnection *connection = G_DBUS_CONNECTION (user_data);
+  GDBusConnection *connection;
   FilterCallback *filters;
   gboolean consumed_by_filter;
   gboolean altered_by_filter;
   guint num_filters;
   guint n;
+  gboolean alive;
+
+  G_LOCK (message_bus_lock);
+  alive = (g_hash_table_lookup (alive_connections, user_data) != NULL);
+  if (!alive)
+    {
+      G_UNLOCK (message_bus_lock);
+      return;
+    }
+  connection = G_DBUS_CONNECTION (user_data);
+  g_object_ref (connection);
+  G_UNLOCK (message_bus_lock);
 
   //g_debug ("in on_worker_message_received");
 
   g_object_ref (message);
   g_dbus_message_lock (message);
 
-  g_object_ref (connection);
+  //g_debug ("boo ref_count = %d %p %p", G_OBJECT (connection)->ref_count, connection, connection->worker);
 
   /* First collect the set of callback functions */
   CONNECTION_LOCK (connection);
@@ -2051,13 +2073,24 @@ on_worker_message_about_to_be_sent (GDBusWorker  *worker,
                                     GDBusMessage *message,
                                     gpointer      user_data)
 {
-  GDBusConnection *connection = G_DBUS_CONNECTION (user_data);
+  GDBusConnection *connection;
   FilterCallback *filters;
   guint num_filters;
   guint n;
+  gboolean alive;
+
+  G_LOCK (message_bus_lock);
+  alive = (g_hash_table_lookup (alive_connections, user_data) != NULL);
+  if (!alive)
+    {
+      G_UNLOCK (message_bus_lock);
+      return message;
+    }
+  connection = G_DBUS_CONNECTION (user_data);
+  g_object_ref (connection);
+  G_UNLOCK (message_bus_lock);
 
   //g_debug ("in on_worker_message_about_to_be_sent");
-  g_object_ref (connection);
 
   /* First collect the set of callback functions */
   CONNECTION_LOCK (connection);
@@ -2096,7 +2129,19 @@ on_worker_closed (GDBusWorker *worker,
                   GError      *error,
                   gpointer     user_data)
 {
-  GDBusConnection *connection = G_DBUS_CONNECTION (user_data);
+  GDBusConnection *connection;
+  gboolean alive;
+
+  G_LOCK (message_bus_lock);
+  alive = (g_hash_table_lookup (alive_connections, user_data) != NULL);
+  if (!alive)
+    {
+      G_UNLOCK (message_bus_lock);
+      return;
+    }
+  connection = G_DBUS_CONNECTION (user_data);
+  g_object_ref (connection);
+  G_UNLOCK (message_bus_lock);
 
   //g_debug ("in on_worker_closed: %s", error->message);
 
@@ -2104,6 +2149,8 @@ on_worker_closed (GDBusWorker *worker,
   if (!connection->closed)
     set_closed_unlocked (connection, remote_peer_vanished, error);
   CONNECTION_UNLOCK (connection);
+
+  g_object_unref (connection);
 }
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -2244,6 +2291,12 @@ initable_init (GInitable     *initable,
     }
 #endif
 
+  G_LOCK (message_bus_lock);
+  if (alive_connections == NULL)
+    alive_connections = g_hash_table_new (g_direct_hash, g_direct_equal);
+  g_hash_table_insert (alive_connections, connection, connection);
+  G_UNLOCK (message_bus_lock);
+
   connection->worker = _g_dbus_worker_new (connection->stream,
                                            connection->capabilities,
                                            (connection->flags & G_DBUS_CONNECTION_FLAGS_DELAY_MESSAGE_PROCESSING),
diff --git a/gio/gdbusprivate.c b/gio/gdbusprivate.c
index d96121b97..442d5e140 100644
--- a/gio/gdbusprivate.c
+++ b/gio/gdbusprivate.c
@@ -1443,22 +1443,14 @@ _g_dbus_worker_new (GIOStream                              *stream,
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-/* This can be called from any thread - frees worker - guarantees no callbacks
- * will ever be issued again
+/* This can be called from any thread - frees worker. Note that
+ * callbacks might still happen if called from another thread than the
+ * worker - use your own synchronization primitive in the callbacks.
  */
 void
 _g_dbus_worker_stop (GDBusWorker *worker)
 {
-  /* If we're called in the worker thread it means we are called from
-   * a worker callback. This is fine, we just can't lock in that case since
-   * we're already holding the lock...
-   */
-  if (g_thread_self () != worker->thread)
-    g_mutex_lock (worker->read_lock);
   worker->stopped = TRUE;
-  if (g_thread_self () != worker->thread)
-    g_mutex_unlock (worker->read_lock);
-
   g_cancellable_cancel (worker->cancellable);
   _g_dbus_worker_unref (worker);
 }
diff --git a/gio/tests/gdbus-connection.c b/gio/tests/gdbus-connection.c
index 1271b78b7..d9447a38f 100644
--- a/gio/tests/gdbus-connection.c
+++ b/gio/tests/gdbus-connection.c
@@ -116,13 +116,13 @@ test_connection_life_cycle (void)
   g_assert (!g_dbus_error_is_remote_error (error));
   g_assert (c == NULL);
   g_error_free (error);
-  error = NULL;
 
   /*
    *  Check for correct behavior when a bus is present
    */
   session_bus_up ();
   /* case 1 */
+  error = NULL;
   c = g_bus_get_sync (G_BUS_TYPE_SESSION, NULL, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
   g_assert (c != NULL);
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ test_connection_life_cycle (void)
   /*
    * Check that singleton handling work
    */
+  error = NULL;
   c2 = g_bus_get_sync (G_BUS_TYPE_SESSION, NULL, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
   g_assert (c2 != NULL);
@@ -1070,12 +1071,13 @@ test_connection_basic (void)
   g_assert (exit_on_close);
   g_assert (flags == G_DBUS_CAPABILITY_FLAGS_NONE ||
             flags == G_DBUS_CAPABILITY_FLAGS_UNIX_FD_PASSING);
-
   g_object_unref (stream);
-  g_object_unref (connection);
   g_free (name);
   g_free (guid);
 
+  _g_object_wait_for_single_ref (connection);
+  g_object_unref (connection);
+
   session_bus_down ();
 }
 
diff --git a/gio/tests/gdbus-tests.c b/gio/tests/gdbus-tests.c
index 347ff3664..fa40930f3 100644
--- a/gio/tests/gdbus-tests.c
+++ b/gio/tests/gdbus-tests.c
@@ -158,6 +158,40 @@ _g_bus_get_priv (GBusType            bus_type,
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#if 1
+/* toggle refs are not easy to use (maybe not even safe) when multiple
+ * threads are involved so implement this by busy-waiting for now
+ */
+gboolean
+_g_object_wait_for_single_ref_do (gpointer object)
+{
+  guint num_ms_elapsed;
+  gboolean timed_out;
+
+  timed_out = FALSE;
+  num_ms_elapsed = 0;
+
+  while (TRUE)
+    {
+      if (G_OBJECT (object)->ref_count == 1)
+        goto out;
+
+      if (num_ms_elapsed > 5000)
+        {
+          timed_out = TRUE;
+          goto out;
+        }
+
+      usleep (10 * 1000);
+      num_ms_elapsed += 10;
+    }
+
+ out:
+  return timed_out;
+}
+
+#else
+
 typedef struct
 {
   GMainLoop *loop;
@@ -201,19 +235,31 @@ _g_object_wait_for_single_ref_do (gpointer object)
   g_object_add_toggle_ref (G_OBJECT (object),
                            on_wait_for_single_ref_toggled,
                            &data);
+  /* the reference could have been removed between us checking the
+   * ref_count and the toggle ref being added
+   */
+  if (G_OBJECT (object)->ref_count == 2)
+    goto single_ref_already;
+
   g_object_unref (object);
-
   g_main_loop_run (data.loop);
-
   g_object_ref (object);
+
+single_ref_already:
   g_object_remove_toggle_ref (object,
                               on_wait_for_single_ref_toggled,
                               &data);
 
   g_source_remove (timeout_id);
   g_main_loop_unref (data.loop);
+
  out:
+  if (data.timed_out)
+    {
+      g_printerr ("b ref_count is %d\n", G_OBJECT (object)->ref_count);
+    }
   return data.timed_out;
 }
+#endif
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */