diff --git a/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h b/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h
index f236b3494..ef8de4b98 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h
+++ b/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ void     meta_cursor_tracker_set_window_cursor   (MetaCursorTracker   *tracker,
                                                   MetaCursorReference *cursor);
 void     meta_cursor_tracker_unset_window_cursor (MetaCursorTracker   *tracker);
 void     meta_cursor_tracker_set_root_cursor     (MetaCursorTracker   *tracker,
-                                                  MetaCursor           cursor);
+                                                  MetaCursorReference *cursor);
 
 void     meta_cursor_tracker_update_position (MetaCursorTracker *tracker,
 					      int                new_x,
diff --git a/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c b/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c
index a5ceb2e72..9e05edbb0 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c
+++ b/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c
@@ -396,11 +396,12 @@ meta_cursor_tracker_unset_window_cursor (MetaCursorTracker *tracker)
 }
 
 void
-meta_cursor_tracker_set_root_cursor (MetaCursorTracker *tracker,
-                                     MetaCursor         cursor)
+meta_cursor_tracker_set_root_cursor (MetaCursorTracker   *tracker,
+                                     MetaCursorReference *cursor)
 {
   g_clear_pointer (&tracker->root_cursor, meta_cursor_reference_unref);
-  tracker->root_cursor = meta_cursor_reference_from_theme (tracker, cursor);
+  if (cursor)
+    tracker->root_cursor = meta_cursor_reference_ref (cursor);
 
   sync_cursor (tracker);
 }
diff --git a/src/core/screen.c b/src/core/screen.c
index 38f8da8c7..030bab78c 100644
--- a/src/core/screen.c
+++ b/src/core/screen.c
@@ -1387,8 +1387,11 @@ meta_screen_update_cursor (MetaScreen *screen)
   MetaDisplay *display = screen->display;
   MetaCursor cursor = screen->current_cursor;
   Cursor xcursor;
+  MetaCursorReference *cursor_ref;
 
-  meta_cursor_tracker_set_root_cursor (screen->cursor_tracker, cursor);
+  cursor_ref = meta_cursor_reference_from_theme (screen->cursor_tracker, cursor);
+  meta_cursor_tracker_set_root_cursor (screen->cursor_tracker, cursor_ref);
+  meta_cursor_reference_unref (cursor_ref);
 
   /* Set a cursor for X11 applications that don't specify their own */
   xcursor = meta_display_create_x_cursor (display, cursor);