diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-event.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-event.c
index af3baab69..8f3bbdb53 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-event.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-event.c
@@ -1165,7 +1165,7 @@ clutter_event_set_device (ClutterEvent       *event,
 
     case CLUTTER_DEVICE_ADDED:
     case CLUTTER_DEVICE_REMOVED:
-      g_set_object (&event->device.device, device);
+      event->device.device = device;
       break;
     }
 }
@@ -1423,9 +1423,6 @@ clutter_event_copy (const ClutterEvent *event)
 
     case CLUTTER_DEVICE_ADDED:
     case CLUTTER_DEVICE_REMOVED:
-      g_set_object (&new_event->device.device, event->device.device);
-      break;
-
     default:
       break;
     }
@@ -1482,7 +1479,6 @@ clutter_event_free (ClutterEvent *event)
           break;
         case CLUTTER_DEVICE_ADDED:
         case CLUTTER_DEVICE_REMOVED:
-          g_clear_object (&event->device.device);
           break;
 
         default:
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c
index 85db01d72..94c41cf93 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-impl.c
@@ -1448,7 +1448,7 @@ evdev_add_device (MetaSeatImpl           *seat,
 
   device = meta_input_device_native_new (seat, libinput_device);
 
-  seat->devices = g_slist_prepend (seat->devices, device);
+  seat->devices = g_slist_prepend (seat->devices, g_object_ref (device));
 
   /* Clutter assumes that device types are exclusive in the
    * ClutterInputDevice API */
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
index d06de2b17..3fd268091 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-seat-native.c
@@ -170,14 +170,6 @@ meta_seat_native_finalize (GObject *object)
   g_clear_object (&seat->core_keyboard);
   g_clear_object (&seat->impl);
 
-  for (iter = seat->devices; iter; iter = g_slist_next (iter))
-    {
-      ClutterInputDevice *device = iter->data;
-
-      g_object_unref (device);
-    }
-  g_slist_free (seat->devices);
-
   g_clear_pointer (&seat->tablet_cursors, g_hash_table_unref);
   g_object_unref (seat->cursor_renderer);