diff --git a/src/libeis-client.c b/src/libeis-client.c
index e4dea02..42051e8 100644
--- a/src/libeis-client.c
+++ b/src/libeis-client.c
@@ -245,6 +245,8 @@ eis_client_disconnect(struct eis_client *client)
 		source_remove(client->source);
 		break;
 	}
+
+	eis_client_unref(client);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -596,7 +598,6 @@ eis_client_new(struct eis *eis, int fd)
 	client->id = ++client_id;
 	list_init(&client->devices);
 
-	list_append(&eis->clients, &client->link);
 	struct source *s = source_add_autoclose(eis->sink, fd,
 						client_dispatch, client);
 	client->source = source_ref(s);
@@ -605,6 +606,8 @@ eis_client_new(struct eis *eis, int fd)
 	if (rc != 0)
 		client = eis_client_unref(client);
 
+	eis_add_client(eis, eis_client_ref(client));
+
 	return client;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libeis-fd.c b/src/libeis-fd.c
index 983f52b..52ef471 100644
--- a/src/libeis-fd.c
+++ b/src/libeis-fd.c
@@ -84,8 +84,11 @@ eis_backend_fd_add_fd(struct eis *eis, int fd)
 	assert(eis);
 	assert(eis->backend);
 
-	if (eis_client_new(eis, fd) != NULL)
-		return 0;
-	else
+	struct eis_client *client = eis_client_new(eis, fd);
+	if (client == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	eis_client_unref(client);
+
+	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/libeis-private.h b/src/libeis-private.h
index 19d06ff..1ba5d59 100644
--- a/src/libeis-private.h
+++ b/src/libeis-private.h
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ eis_client_new(struct eis *eis, int fd);
 struct eis*
 eis_client_get_context(struct eis_client *client);
 
+void
+eis_add_client(struct eis *eis, struct eis_client *client);
+
 void
 eis_client_connect_device(struct eis_client *client,
 			  struct eis_device *device);
diff --git a/src/libeis-socket.c b/src/libeis-socket.c
index 12b4642..4276a0f 100644
--- a/src/libeis-socket.c
+++ b/src/libeis-socket.c
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ listener_dispatch(struct source *source, void *data)
 	if (fd == -1)
 		return;
 
-	eis_client_new(eis, fd);
+	struct eis_client *client = eis_client_new(eis, fd);
+	eis_client_unref(client);
 }
 
 _public_ int
diff --git a/src/libeis.c b/src/libeis.c
index 23d36fd..1195d50 100644
--- a/src/libeis.c
+++ b/src/libeis.c
@@ -334,3 +334,9 @@ eis_next_event_type(struct eis *eis)
 	struct eis_event *e = list_first_entry(&eis->event_queue, e, link);
 	return e->type;
 }
+
+void
+eis_add_client(struct eis *eis, struct eis_client *client)
+{
+	list_append(&eis->clients, &client->link);
+}