diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index 73de4b78..0b429d45 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #define IRSSI_GLOBAL_CONFIG "irssi.conf" /* config file name in /etc/ */
 #define IRSSI_HOME_CONFIG "config" /* config file name in ~/.irssi/ */
 
-#define IRSSI_ABI_VERSION 30
+#define IRSSI_ABI_VERSION 31
 
 #define DEFAULT_SERVER_ADD_PORT 6667
 #define DEFAULT_SERVER_ADD_TLS_PORT 6697
diff --git a/src/perl/perl-core.c b/src/perl/perl-core.c
index 866b86e8..24f0218c 100644
--- a/src/perl/perl-core.c
+++ b/src/perl/perl-core.c
@@ -65,10 +65,6 @@ static void perl_script_destroy_package(PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script)
 
 static void perl_script_destroy(PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script)
 {
-	perl_scripts = g_slist_remove(perl_scripts, script);
-
-	perl_signal_remove_script(script);
-	perl_source_remove_script(script);
 
 	signal_emit("script destroyed", 1, script);
 
@@ -277,6 +273,7 @@ static PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script_load(char *name, const char *path,
 	script->package = g_strdup_printf("Irssi::Script::%s", name);
 	script->path = g_strdup(path);
         script->data = g_strdup(data);
+	script->refcount = 1;
 
 	perl_scripts = g_slist_append(perl_scripts, script);
 	signal_emit("script created", 1, script);
@@ -311,10 +308,37 @@ PERL_SCRIPT_REC *perl_script_load_data(const char *data)
 /* Unload perl script */
 void perl_script_unload(PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script)
 {
-        g_return_if_fail(script != NULL);
+	GSList *link;
+	g_return_if_fail(script != NULL);
 
 	perl_script_destroy_package(script);
-        perl_script_destroy(script);
+
+	perl_signal_remove_script(script);
+	perl_source_remove_script(script);
+
+	link = g_slist_find(perl_scripts, script);
+	if (link != NULL) {
+		perl_scripts = g_slist_remove_link(perl_scripts, link);
+		g_slist_free(link);
+		perl_script_unref(script);
+	}
+}
+
+/* Enter a perl script (signal or input source) */
+void perl_script_ref(PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script)
+{
+	g_return_if_fail(script != NULL);
+
+	script->refcount++;
+}
+
+void perl_script_unref(PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script)
+{
+	g_return_if_fail(script != NULL);
+
+	script->refcount--;
+	if (!script->refcount)
+		perl_script_destroy(script);
 }
 
 /* Find loaded script by name */
diff --git a/src/perl/perl-core.h b/src/perl/perl-core.h
index 0d3a1a2f..6ea637ae 100644
--- a/src/perl/perl-core.h
+++ b/src/perl/perl-core.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ typedef struct {
         /* Script can be loaded from a file, or from some data in memory */
 	char *path; /* FILE: full path for file */
 	char *data; /* DATA: data used for the script */
+	int refcount; /* 0 = destroy */
 } PERL_SCRIPT_REC;
 
 extern GSList *perl_scripts;
@@ -26,6 +27,11 @@ PERL_SCRIPT_REC *perl_script_load_data(const char *data);
 /* Unload perl script */
 void perl_script_unload(PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script);
 
+/* Mark a script as entered */
+void perl_script_ref(PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script);
+/* Mark a script as exited */
+void perl_script_unref(PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script);
+
 /* Find loaded script by name */
 PERL_SCRIPT_REC *perl_script_find(const char *name);
 /* Find loaded script by package */
diff --git a/src/perl/perl-signals.c b/src/perl/perl-signals.c
index 27522f5e..f5f9d6e2 100644
--- a/src/perl/perl-signals.c
+++ b/src/perl/perl-signals.c
@@ -414,13 +414,17 @@ static void sig_func(const void *p1, const void *p2,
 		     const void *p5, const void *p6)
 {
 	PERL_SIGNAL_REC *rec;
+	PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script;
 	const void *args[SIGNAL_MAX_ARGUMENTS];
 
 	args[0] = p1; args[1] = p2; args[2] = p3;
 	args[3] = p4; args[4] = p5; args[5] = p6;
 
 	rec = signal_get_user_data();
-	perl_call_signal(rec->script, rec->func, signal_get_emitted_id(), args);
+	script = rec->script;
+	perl_script_ref(script);
+	perl_call_signal(script, rec->func, signal_get_emitted_id(), args);
+	perl_script_unref(script);
 }
 
 static void perl_signal_add_full_int(const char *signal, SV *func,
diff --git a/src/perl/perl-sources.c b/src/perl/perl-sources.c
index 3c72be22..69d86f1f 100644
--- a/src/perl/perl-sources.c
+++ b/src/perl/perl-sources.c
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ static int perl_source_event(PERL_SOURCE_REC *rec)
 	PUTBACK;
 
         perl_source_ref(rec);
+	perl_script_ref(rec->script);
 	perl_call_sv(rec->func, G_EVAL|G_DISCARD);
 
 	if (SvTRUE(ERRSV)) {
@@ -86,6 +87,8 @@ static int perl_source_event(PERL_SOURCE_REC *rec)
                 g_free(error);
 	}
 
+	perl_script_unref(rec->script);
+
 	if (perl_source_unref(rec) && rec->once)
 		perl_source_destroy(rec);