diff --git a/clutter/clutter-actor.c b/clutter/clutter-actor.c
index 667947e31..5f5d30f8a 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-actor.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-actor.c
@@ -2694,7 +2694,6 @@ clutter_actor_set_rotation_internal (ClutterActor      *self,
 {
   ClutterActorPrivate *priv = self->priv;
 
-  g_object_ref (self);
   g_object_freeze_notify (G_OBJECT (self));
 
   switch (axis)
@@ -2716,7 +2715,6 @@ clutter_actor_set_rotation_internal (ClutterActor      *self,
     }
 
   g_object_thaw_notify (G_OBJECT (self));
-  g_object_unref (self);
 
   clutter_actor_queue_redraw (self);
 }
@@ -11692,7 +11690,7 @@ clutter_actor_get_transformed_paint_volume (ClutterActor *self,
     return NULL;
 
   volume = clutter_actor_get_paint_volume (self);
-  if (!volume)
+  if (volume == NULL)
     return NULL;
 
   _clutter_actor_get_relative_modelview (self, relative_to_ancestor, &matrix);
@@ -11702,8 +11700,8 @@ clutter_actor_get_transformed_paint_volume (ClutterActor *self,
   _clutter_paint_volume_copy_static (volume, transformed_volume);
   _clutter_paint_volume_transform (transformed_volume, &matrix);
   _clutter_paint_volume_axis_align (transformed_volume);
-  g_object_unref (transformed_volume->actor);
-  transformed_volume->actor = g_object_ref (relative_to_ancestor);
+  _clutter_paint_volume_set_reference_actor (transformed_volume,
+                                             relative_to_ancestor);
 
   return transformed_volume;
 }
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-paint-volume.c b/clutter/clutter-paint-volume.c
index 4b6e98900..2eb1327b1 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-paint-volume.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-paint-volume.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ _clutter_paint_volume_new (ClutterActor *actor)
 
   pv = g_slice_new (ClutterPaintVolume);
 
-  pv->actor = g_object_ref (actor);
+  pv->actor = actor;
 
   memset (pv->vertices, 0, 8 * sizeof (ClutterVertex));
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ _clutter_paint_volume_init_static (ClutterActor *actor,
 {
   g_return_if_fail (actor != NULL);
 
-  pv->actor = g_object_ref (actor);
+  pv->actor = actor;
 
   memset (pv->vertices, 0, 8 * sizeof (ClutterVertex));
 
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ _clutter_paint_volume_copy_static (const ClutterPaintVolume *src_pv,
   g_return_if_fail (src_pv != NULL && dst_pv != NULL);
 
   memcpy (dst_pv, src_pv, sizeof (ClutterPaintVolume));
-  g_object_ref (dst_pv->actor);
   dst_pv->is_static = TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -136,9 +135,6 @@ clutter_paint_volume_copy (const ClutterPaintVolume *pv)
   g_return_val_if_fail (pv != NULL, NULL);
 
   copy = g_slice_dup (ClutterPaintVolume, pv);
-  if (copy->actor)
-    g_object_ref (copy->actor);
-
   copy->is_static = FALSE;
 
   return copy;
@@ -148,11 +144,6 @@ void
 _clutter_paint_volume_set_from_volume (ClutterPaintVolume       *pv,
                                        const ClutterPaintVolume *src)
 {
-  if (src->actor != pv->actor)
-    {
-      g_object_unref (pv->actor);
-      g_object_ref (src->actor);
-    }
   memcpy (pv, src, sizeof (ClutterPaintVolume));
 }
 
@@ -169,8 +160,6 @@ clutter_paint_volume_free (ClutterPaintVolume *pv)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (pv != NULL);
 
-  g_object_unref (pv->actor);
-
   if (G_LIKELY (pv->is_static))
     return;
 
@@ -918,6 +907,5 @@ _clutter_paint_volume_set_reference_actor (ClutterPaintVolume *pv,
 {
   g_return_if_fail (pv != NULL);
 
-  g_object_unref (pv->actor);
-  pv->actor = g_object_ref (actor);
+  pv->actor = actor;
 }