diff --git a/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c b/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c
index 79876e6ac..3704bb347 100644
--- a/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c
+++ b/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c
@@ -130,14 +130,9 @@ clutter_backend_win32_dispose (GObject *gobject)
   ClutterStageManager *stage_manager;
 
   CLUTTER_NOTE (BACKEND, "Disposing the of stages");
-
   stage_manager = clutter_stage_manager_get_default ();
 
-  /* Destroy all of the stages. g_slist_foreach is used because the
-     finalizer for the stages will remove the stage from the
-     stage_manager's list and g_slist_foreach has some basic
-     protection against this */
-  g_slist_foreach (stage_manager->stages, (GFunc) clutter_actor_destroy, NULL);
+  g_object_unref (stage_manager);
 
   CLUTTER_NOTE (BACKEND, "Removing the event source");
   _clutter_backend_win32_events_uninit (CLUTTER_BACKEND (backend_win32));