diff --git a/src/st/st-theme-node.c b/src/st/st-theme-node.c
index cf6769ac9..d742c6bda 100644
--- a/src/st/st-theme-node.c
+++ b/src/st/st-theme-node.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 static void st_theme_node_init               (StThemeNode          *node);
 static void st_theme_node_class_init         (StThemeNodeClass     *klass);
+static void st_theme_node_dispose           (GObject                 *object);
 static void st_theme_node_finalize           (GObject                 *object);
 
 static const ClutterColor BLACK_COLOR = { 0, 0, 0, 0xff };
@@ -27,9 +28,43 @@ st_theme_node_class_init (StThemeNodeClass *klass)
 {
   GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
 
+  object_class->dispose = st_theme_node_dispose;
   object_class->finalize = st_theme_node_finalize;
 }
 
+
+static void
+st_theme_node_dispose (GObject *gobject)
+{
+  StThemeNode *node = ST_THEME_NODE (gobject);
+
+  if (node->context)
+    {
+      g_object_unref (node->context);
+      node->context = NULL;
+    }
+
+  if (node->theme)
+    {
+      g_object_unref (node->theme);
+      node->theme = NULL;
+    }
+
+  if (node->parent_node)
+    {
+      g_object_unref (node->parent_node);
+      node->parent_node = NULL;
+    }
+
+  if (node->border_image)
+    {
+      g_object_unref (node->border_image);
+      node->border_image = NULL;
+    }
+
+  G_OBJECT_CLASS (st_theme_node_parent_class)->dispose (gobject);
+}
+
 static void
 st_theme_node_finalize (GObject *object)
 {
@@ -59,12 +94,6 @@ st_theme_node_finalize (GObject *object)
       node->font_desc = NULL;
     }
 
-  if (node->border_image)
-    {
-      g_object_unref (node->border_image);
-      node->border_image = NULL;
-    }
-
   if (node->shadow)
     {
       st_shadow_free (node->shadow);
diff --git a/src/st/st-widget.c b/src/st/st-widget.c
index dba5a040e..75da099fc 100644
--- a/src/st/st-widget.c
+++ b/src/st/st-widget.c
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ st_widget_dispose (GObject *gobject)
 
   if (priv->theme_node)
     {
+      g_object_run_dispose (G_OBJECT (priv->theme_node));
       g_object_unref (priv->theme_node);
       priv->theme_node = NULL;
     }