diff --git a/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager-dummy.c b/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager-dummy.c
index 45ba0242e..f96f261af 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager-dummy.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-monitor-manager-dummy.c
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ append_monitor (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
     {
       MetaCrtcMode *mode = l->data;
 
-      output_info->modes[i] = mode;
+      output_info->modes[i] = g_object_ref (mode);
     }
   output_info->n_modes = n_mode_specs;
   output_info->possible_crtcs = g_new0 (MetaCrtc *, 1);
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ append_tiled_monitor (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
         {
           MetaCrtcMode *mode = l->data;
 
-          output_info->modes[j] = mode;
+          output_info->modes[j] = g_object_ref (mode);
         }
       output_info->n_modes = G_N_ELEMENTS (mode_specs);
 
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-monitor.c b/src/backends/meta-monitor.c
index badde7cea..4f8a43604 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-monitor.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-monitor.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ typedef struct _MetaMonitorMode
 {
   MetaMonitor *monitor;
   char *id;
+  unsigned int n_crtc_modes;
   MetaMonitorModeSpec spec;
   MetaMonitorCrtcMode *crtc_modes;
 } MetaMonitorMode;
@@ -777,10 +778,11 @@ meta_monitor_normal_generate_modes (MetaMonitorNormal *monitor_normal)
                                              crtc_mode_info->height,
                                              crtc_mode);
       mode->id = generate_mode_id (&mode->spec);
+      mode->n_crtc_modes = 1;
       mode->crtc_modes = g_new (MetaMonitorCrtcMode, 1);
       mode->crtc_modes[0] = (MetaMonitorCrtcMode) {
         .output = output,
-        .crtc_mode = crtc_mode
+        .crtc_mode = g_object_ref (crtc_mode)
       };
 
       /*
@@ -1175,8 +1177,9 @@ create_tiled_monitor_mode (MetaMonitorTiled *monitor_tiled,
     meta_monitor_create_spec (monitor, width, height, reference_crtc_mode);
   mode->parent.id = generate_mode_id (&mode->parent.spec);
 
+  mode->parent.n_crtc_modes = g_list_length (monitor_priv->outputs);
   mode->parent.crtc_modes = g_new0 (MetaMonitorCrtcMode,
-                                    g_list_length (monitor_priv->outputs));
+                                    mode->parent.n_crtc_modes);
   for (l = monitor_priv->outputs, i = 0; l; l = l->next, i++)
     {
       MetaOutput *output = l->data;
@@ -1193,7 +1196,7 @@ create_tiled_monitor_mode (MetaMonitorTiled *monitor_tiled,
 
       mode->parent.crtc_modes[i] = (MetaMonitorCrtcMode) {
         .output = output,
-        .crtc_mode = tiled_crtc_mode
+        .crtc_mode = g_object_ref (tiled_crtc_mode)
       };
 
       is_preferred = (is_preferred &&
@@ -1309,8 +1312,9 @@ create_untiled_monitor_mode (MetaMonitorTiled *monitor_tiled,
                                                 crtc_mode_info->height,
                                                 crtc_mode);
   mode->parent.id = generate_mode_id (&mode->parent.spec);
+  mode->parent.n_crtc_modes = g_list_length (monitor_priv->outputs);
   mode->parent.crtc_modes = g_new0 (MetaMonitorCrtcMode,
-                                    g_list_length (monitor_priv->outputs));
+                                    mode->parent.n_crtc_modes);
 
   for (l = monitor_priv->outputs, i = 0; l; l = l->next, i++)
     {
@@ -1320,7 +1324,7 @@ create_untiled_monitor_mode (MetaMonitorTiled *monitor_tiled,
         {
           mode->parent.crtc_modes[i] = (MetaMonitorCrtcMode) {
             .output = output,
-            .crtc_mode = crtc_mode
+            .crtc_mode = g_object_ref (crtc_mode)
           };
         }
       else
@@ -1680,6 +1684,8 @@ static void
 meta_monitor_mode_free (MetaMonitorMode *monitor_mode)
 {
   g_free (monitor_mode->id);
+  for (int i = 0; i < monitor_mode->n_crtc_modes; i++)
+    g_clear_object (&monitor_mode->crtc_modes[i].crtc_mode);
   g_free (monitor_mode->crtc_modes);
   g_free (monitor_mode);
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-output.c b/src/backends/meta-output.c
index aca5a42f5..b278d7ecf 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-output.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-output.c
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ meta_output_info_unref (MetaOutputInfo *output_info)
       g_free (output_info->serial);
       g_free (output_info->edid_checksum_md5);
       g_clear_pointer (&output_info->edid_info, meta_edid_info_free);
+      for (int i = 0; i < output_info->n_modes; i++)
+        g_object_unref (output_info->modes[i]);
       g_free (output_info->modes);
       g_free (output_info->possible_crtcs);
       g_free (output_info->possible_clones);
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-output-kms.c b/src/backends/native/meta-output-kms.c
index 27b7533a5..e522947d1 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-output-kms.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-output-kms.c
@@ -194,13 +194,13 @@ add_common_modes (MetaOutputInfo *output_info,
           crtc_mode = meta_gpu_kms_get_mode_from_kms_mode (gpu_kms,
                                                            fallback_mode,
                                                            META_CRTC_REFRESH_RATE_MODE_VARIABLE);
-          g_ptr_array_add (array, crtc_mode);
+          g_ptr_array_add (array, g_object_ref (crtc_mode));
         }
 
       crtc_mode = meta_gpu_kms_get_mode_from_kms_mode (gpu_kms,
                                                        fallback_mode,
                                                        META_CRTC_REFRESH_RATE_MODE_FIXED);
-      g_ptr_array_add (array, crtc_mode);
+      g_ptr_array_add (array, g_object_ref (crtc_mode));
     }
 
   output_info->modes = g_renew (MetaCrtcMode *, output_info->modes,
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ init_output_modes (MetaOutputInfo    *output_info,
             meta_gpu_kms_get_mode_from_kms_mode (gpu_kms,
                                                  kms_mode,
                                                  META_CRTC_REFRESH_RATE_MODE_VARIABLE);
-          output_info->modes[i++] = crtc_mode;
+          output_info->modes[i++] = g_object_ref (crtc_mode);
           if (!output_info->preferred_mode && kms_mode == kms_preferred_mode)
             output_info->preferred_mode = crtc_mode;
         }
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ init_output_modes (MetaOutputInfo    *output_info,
       crtc_mode = meta_gpu_kms_get_mode_from_kms_mode (gpu_kms,
                                                        kms_mode,
                                                        META_CRTC_REFRESH_RATE_MODE_FIXED);
-      output_info->modes[i++] = crtc_mode;
+      output_info->modes[i++] = g_object_ref (crtc_mode);
       if (!output_info->preferred_mode && kms_mode == kms_preferred_mode)
         output_info->preferred_mode = crtc_mode;
     }
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-output-xrandr.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-output-xrandr.c
index 5b9b70ed4..55f32ae11 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-output-xrandr.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-output-xrandr.c
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ output_info_init_modes (MetaOutputInfo *output_info,
             {
               if (sanity_check_duplicate (output_info->modes, n_actual_modes, mode))
                 {
-                  output_info->modes[n_actual_modes] = mode;
+                  output_info->modes[n_actual_modes] = g_object_ref (mode);
                   n_actual_modes += 1;
                 }
               else
diff --git a/src/tests/meta-monitor-test-utils.c b/src/tests/meta-monitor-test-utils.c
index bfd6e8fd3..243e8a6e3 100644
--- a/src/tests/meta-monitor-test-utils.c
+++ b/src/tests/meta-monitor-test-utils.c
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ meta_create_monitor_test_setup (MetaBackend          *backend,
           int mode_index;
 
           mode_index = setup->outputs[i].modes[j];
-          modes[j] = g_list_nth_data (test_setup->modes, mode_index);
+          modes[j] = g_object_ref (g_list_nth_data (test_setup->modes, mode_index));
         }
 
       n_possible_crtcs = setup->outputs[i].n_possible_crtcs;