diff --git a/src/ecmascript/spidermonkey/element.cpp b/src/ecmascript/spidermonkey/element.cpp
index b7f8e329..b8793a5f 100644
--- a/src/ecmascript/spidermonkey/element.cpp
+++ b/src/ecmascript/spidermonkey/element.cpp
@@ -217,10 +217,13 @@ static void element_finalize(JS::GCContext *op, JSObject *obj)
 			mem_free(el_private);
 			JS::SetReservedSlot(obj, 1, JS::UndefinedValue());
 
-			dom_node_unref(el);
-			JS::SetReservedSlot(obj, 0, JS::UndefinedValue());
 		}
 	}
+
+	if (el) {
+		dom_node_unref(el);
+		JS::SetReservedSlot(obj, 0, JS::UndefinedValue());
+	}
 }
 
 static bool
@@ -5247,6 +5250,8 @@ getElement(JSContext *ctx, void *node)
 	el_private->thisval = r_el;
 	map_privates[node] = el_private;
 
+	dom_node_ref((dom_node *)node);
+
 	return el;
 }