diff --git a/src/nm-session-monitor.c b/src/nm-session-monitor.c
index c701bdb3b0..c163ee6ada 100644
--- a/src/nm-session-monitor.c
+++ b/src/nm-session-monitor.c
@@ -410,9 +410,10 @@ nm_session_monitor_get (void)
 	static NMSessionMonitor *singleton = NULL;
 
 	if (singleton)
-		return NM_SESSION_MONITOR (g_object_ref (singleton));
+		return g_object_ref (singleton);
 
-	return NM_SESSION_MONITOR (g_object_new (NM_TYPE_SESSION_MONITOR, NULL));
+	singleton = NM_SESSION_MONITOR (g_object_new (NM_TYPE_SESSION_MONITOR, NULL));
+	return singleton;
 }
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */