diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index b4c5b2bce..716f864f9 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -1839,6 +1839,7 @@ meta_display_set_grab_op_cursor (MetaDisplay *display,
   unsigned char mask_bits[XIMaskLen (XI_LASTEVENT)] = { 0 };
   XIEventMask mask = { XIAllMasterDevices, sizeof (mask_bits), mask_bits };
   MetaCursor cursor = meta_cursor_for_grab_op (op);
+  MetaCursorReference *cursor_ref;
 
   XISetMask (mask.mask, XI_ButtonPress);
   XISetMask (mask.mask, XI_ButtonRelease);
@@ -1872,7 +1873,9 @@ meta_display_set_grab_op_cursor (MetaDisplay *display,
 
   meta_error_trap_pop (display);
 
-  meta_cursor_tracker_set_grab_cursor (screen->cursor_tracker, cursor);
+  cursor_ref = meta_cursor_reference_from_theme (screen->cursor_tracker, cursor);
+  meta_cursor_tracker_set_grab_cursor (screen->cursor_tracker, cursor_ref);
+  meta_cursor_reference_unref (cursor_ref);
 }
 
 gboolean
@@ -2111,7 +2114,7 @@ meta_display_end_grab_op (MetaDisplay *display,
         meta_screen_ungrab_all_keys (display->screen, timestamp);
     }
 
-  meta_cursor_tracker_set_grab_cursor (display->screen->cursor_tracker, META_CURSOR_DEFAULT);
+  meta_cursor_tracker_set_grab_cursor (display->screen->cursor_tracker, NULL);
 
   display->grab_timestamp = 0;
   display->grab_window = NULL;
diff --git a/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h b/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h
index 9da347a3c..ced31b3c1 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h
+++ b/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ struct _MetaCursorTrackerClass {
 gboolean meta_cursor_tracker_handle_xevent (MetaCursorTracker *tracker,
 					    XEvent            *xevent);
 
-void     meta_cursor_tracker_set_grab_cursor     (MetaCursorTracker  *tracker,
-                                                  MetaCursor          cursor);
+void     meta_cursor_tracker_set_grab_cursor     (MetaCursorTracker   *tracker,
+                                                  MetaCursorReference *cursor);
 void     meta_cursor_tracker_set_window_cursor   (MetaCursorTracker  *tracker,
                                                   struct wl_resource *buffer,
                                                   int                 hot_x,
diff --git a/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c b/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c
index ebc661b8a..beaf25594 100644
--- a/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c
+++ b/src/core/meta-cursor-tracker.c
@@ -372,12 +372,13 @@ meta_cursor_tracker_get_hot (MetaCursorTracker *tracker,
 }
 
 void
-meta_cursor_tracker_set_grab_cursor (MetaCursorTracker *tracker,
-                                     MetaCursor         cursor)
+meta_cursor_tracker_set_grab_cursor (MetaCursorTracker   *tracker,
+                                     MetaCursorReference *cursor)
 {
   g_clear_pointer (&tracker->grab_cursor, meta_cursor_reference_unref);
-  if (cursor != META_CURSOR_DEFAULT)
-    tracker->grab_cursor = meta_cursor_reference_from_theme (tracker, cursor);
+  if (cursor)
+    tracker->grab_cursor = meta_cursor_reference_ref (cursor);
+
   sync_cursor (tracker);
 }