diff --git a/src/st/st-theme-context.c b/src/st/st-theme-context.c
index 1087dfe7d..7b1b03a45 100644
--- a/src/st/st-theme-context.c
+++ b/src/st/st-theme-context.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "st-texture-cache.h"
 #include "st-theme.h"
 #include "st-theme-context.h"
+#include "st-theme-node-private.h"
 
 struct _StThemeContext {
   GObject parent;
@@ -36,6 +37,8 @@ struct _StThemeContext {
   /* set of StThemeNode */
   GHashTable *nodes;
 
+  gulong stylesheets_changed_id;
+
   int scale_factor;
 };
 
@@ -83,6 +86,8 @@ st_theme_context_finalize (GObject *object)
                                         (gpointer) st_theme_context_changed,
                                         context);
 
+  g_clear_signal_handler (&context->stylesheets_changed_id, context->theme);
+
   if (context->nodes)
     g_hash_table_unref (context->nodes);
   if (context->root_node)
@@ -254,6 +259,19 @@ on_icon_theme_changed (StTextureCache *cache,
   g_source_set_name_by_id (id, "[gnome-shell] changed_idle");
 }
 
+static void
+on_custom_stylesheets_changed (StTheme        *theme,
+                               StThemeContext *context)
+{
+  GHashTableIter iter;
+  StThemeNode *node;
+
+  g_hash_table_iter_init (&iter, context->nodes);
+
+  while (g_hash_table_iter_next (&iter, (gpointer *) &node, NULL))
+    _st_theme_node_reset_for_stylesheet_change (node);
+}
+
 /**
  * st_theme_context_get_for_stage:
  * @stage: a #ClutterStage
@@ -299,12 +317,17 @@ st_theme_context_set_theme (StThemeContext          *context,
   if (context->theme != theme)
     {
       if (context->theme)
-        g_object_unref (context->theme);
+        g_clear_signal_handler (&context->stylesheets_changed_id, context->theme);
 
-      context->theme = theme;
+      g_set_object (&context->theme, theme);
 
       if (context->theme)
-        g_object_ref (context->theme);
+        {
+          context->stylesheets_changed_id =
+            g_signal_connect (context->theme, "custom-stylesheets-changed",
+                              G_CALLBACK (on_custom_stylesheets_changed),
+                              context);
+        }
 
       st_theme_context_changed (context);
     }
diff --git a/src/st/st-theme-node-private.h b/src/st/st-theme-node-private.h
index 47be65dba..578a06e72 100644
--- a/src/st/st-theme-node-private.h
+++ b/src/st/st-theme-node-private.h
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ void _st_theme_node_ensure_background (StThemeNode *node);
 void _st_theme_node_ensure_geometry (StThemeNode *node);
 void _st_theme_node_apply_margins (StThemeNode *node,
                                    ClutterActor *actor);
+void _st_theme_node_reset_for_stylesheet_change (StThemeNode *node);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/src/st/st-theme-node.c b/src/st/st-theme-node.c
index 1261e9257..2454fd0aa 100644
--- a/src/st/st-theme-node.c
+++ b/src/st/st-theme-node.c
@@ -77,16 +77,13 @@ maybe_free_properties (StThemeNode *node)
     }
 }
 
-static void
-on_custom_stylesheets_changed (StTheme *theme,
-                               gpointer data)
+void
+_st_theme_node_reset_for_stylesheet_change (StThemeNode *node)
 {
-  StThemeNode *node = data;
   maybe_free_properties (node);
   node->properties_computed = FALSE;
 }
 
-
 static void
 st_theme_node_dispose (GObject *gobject)
 {
@@ -110,12 +107,6 @@ st_theme_node_dispose (GObject *gobject)
       node->icon_colors = NULL;
     }
 
-  if (node->theme && node->stylesheets_changed_id)
-    {
-      g_signal_handler_disconnect (node->theme, node->stylesheets_changed_id);
-      node->stylesheets_changed_id = 0;
-    }
-
   st_theme_node_paint_state_free (&node->cached_state);
 
   g_clear_object (&node->theme);
@@ -228,14 +219,7 @@ st_theme_node_new (StThemeContext    *context,
   if (theme == NULL && parent_node != NULL)
     theme = parent_node->theme;
 
-  if (theme != NULL)
-    {
-      node->theme = g_object_ref (theme);
-      node->stylesheets_changed_id =
-        g_signal_connect (node->theme, "custom-stylesheets-changed",
-                          G_CALLBACK (on_custom_stylesheets_changed), node);
-    }
-
+  g_set_object (&node->theme, theme);
   node->element_type = element_type;
   node->element_id = g_strdup (element_id);
   node->element_classes = split_on_whitespace (element_class);