diff --git a/src/format_ogg.c b/src/format_ogg.c
index 64cd0801..b7c8b658 100644
--- a/src/format_ogg.c
+++ b/src/format_ogg.c
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ void format_ogg_free_headers (ogg_state_t *ogg_info)
     {
         refbuf_t *to_release = header;
         header = header->next;
+        to_release->next = NULL;
         refbuf_release (to_release);
     }
     ogg_info->header_pages = NULL;
diff --git a/src/refbuf.c b/src/refbuf.c
index 11478fcc..bdc1978d 100644
--- a/src/refbuf.c
+++ b/src/refbuf.c
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@
 
 #include "refbuf.h"
 
+#define CATMODULE "refbuf"
+
+#include "logging.h"
+
+
 void refbuf_initialize(void)
 {
 }
@@ -33,22 +38,19 @@ void refbuf_shutdown(void)
 {
 }
 
-refbuf_t *refbuf_new(unsigned int size)
+refbuf_t *refbuf_new (unsigned int size)
 {
     refbuf_t *refbuf;
 
     refbuf = (refbuf_t *)malloc(sizeof(refbuf_t));
     if (refbuf == NULL)
-        return NULL;
+        abort();
     refbuf->data = NULL;
     if (size)
     {
         refbuf->data = malloc (size);
         if (refbuf->data == NULL)
-        {
-            free (refbuf);
-            return NULL;
-        }
+            abort();
     }
     refbuf->len = size;
     refbuf->sync_point = 0;
@@ -64,18 +66,29 @@ void refbuf_addref(refbuf_t *self)
     self->_count++;
 }
 
+static void refbuf_release_associated (refbuf_t *ref)
+{
+    if (ref == NULL)
+        return;
+    while (ref && ref->_count == 1)
+    {
+        refbuf_t *to_go = ref;
+        ref = to_go->next;
+        to_go->next = NULL;
+        refbuf_release (to_go);
+    }
+}
+
 void refbuf_release(refbuf_t *self)
 {
     if (self == NULL)
         return;
     self->_count--;
-    if (self->_count == 0) {
-        while (self->associated)
-        {
-            refbuf_t *ref = self->associated;
-            self->associated = ref->next;
-            refbuf_release (ref);
-        }
+    if (self->_count == 0)
+    {
+        refbuf_release_associated (self->associated);
+        if (self->next)
+            DEBUG0 ("next not null");
         free(self->data);
         free(self);
     }
diff --git a/src/source.c b/src/source.c
index c4245dd5..26b228cd 100644
--- a/src/source.c
+++ b/src/source.c
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ void source_clear_source (source_t *source)
     {
         refbuf_t *p = source->stream_data;
         source->stream_data = p->next;
+        p->next = NULL;
         /* can be referenced by burst handler as well */
         while (p->_count > 1)
             refbuf_release (p);
@@ -806,6 +807,7 @@ void source_main (source_t *source)
                 }
                 source->stream_data = to_go->next;
                 source->queue_size -= to_go->len;
+                to_go->next = NULL;
                 refbuf_release (to_go);
             }
         }