diff --git a/src/examples/media-session/media-session.c b/src/examples/media-session/media-session.c
index d44c550d8..80381688b 100644
--- a/src/examples/media-session/media-session.c
+++ b/src/examples/media-session/media-session.c
@@ -237,9 +237,14 @@ int sm_object_remove_data(struct sm_object *obj, const char *id)
 int sm_object_destroy(struct sm_object *obj)
 {
 	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: object %d", obj->session, obj->id);
-	pw_proxy_destroy(obj->proxy);
-	if (obj->handle)
+	if (obj->proxy) {
+		pw_proxy_destroy(obj->proxy);
+		obj->proxy = NULL;
+	}
+	if (obj->handle) {
 		pw_proxy_destroy(obj->handle);
+		obj->handle = NULL;
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -958,10 +963,10 @@ static void bound_proxy(void *data, uint32_t id)
 }
 
 static const struct pw_proxy_events proxy_events = {
-        PW_VERSION_PROXY_EVENTS,
-        .destroy = destroy_proxy,
-        .done = done_proxy,
-        .bound = bound_proxy,
+	PW_VERSION_PROXY_EVENTS,
+	.destroy = destroy_proxy,
+	.done = done_proxy,
+	.bound = bound_proxy,
 };
 
 int sm_object_sync_update(struct sm_object *obj)
@@ -1617,7 +1622,8 @@ static void core_error(void *data, uint32_t id, int seq, int res, const char *me
 			id, seq, res, spa_strerror(res), message);
 
 	if (id == 0) {
-		pw_main_loop_quit(impl->loop);
+		if (res == -EPIPE)
+			pw_main_loop_quit(impl->loop);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1673,6 +1679,9 @@ static void session_shutdown(struct impl *impl)
 		sm_media_session_emit_remove(impl, obj);
 
 	sm_media_session_emit_destroy(impl);
+
+	pw_proxy_destroy((struct pw_proxy*)impl->registry);
+	pw_core_disconnect(impl->policy_core);
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
diff --git a/src/pipewire/core.c b/src/pipewire/core.c
index fd4eb146a..5423e7cce 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/core.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/core.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ void *pw_core_get_user_data(struct pw_core *core)
 	return core->user_data;
 }
 
-static int destroy_proxy(void *object, void *data)
+static int remove_proxy(void *object, void *data)
 {
 	struct pw_core *core = data;
 	struct pw_proxy *p = object;
@@ -172,8 +172,10 @@ static int destroy_proxy(void *object, void *data)
 	if (object == NULL)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (object != core)
+	if (object != core) {
+		p->core = NULL;
 		pw_proxy_remove(p);
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -197,7 +199,7 @@ static void proxy_core_destroy(void *data)
 	spa_list_for_each_safe(filter, f2, &core->filter_list, link)
 		pw_filter_disconnect(filter);
 
-	pw_map_for_each(&core->objects, destroy_proxy, core);
+	pw_map_for_each(&core->objects, remove_proxy, core);
 	pw_map_reset(&core->objects);
 
 	spa_list_consume(stream, &core->stream_list, link)
@@ -206,7 +208,7 @@ static void proxy_core_destroy(void *data)
 		pw_filter_destroy(filter);
 
 	pw_protocol_client_disconnect(core->conn);
-	core->client = NULL;
+	pw_proxy_destroy((struct pw_proxy*)core->client);
 
 	pw_mempool_destroy(core->pool);
 
@@ -439,6 +441,8 @@ struct pw_mempool * pw_core_get_mempool(struct pw_core *core)
 SPA_EXPORT
 int pw_core_disconnect(struct pw_core *core)
 {
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: disconnect", core);
 	pw_proxy_remove(&core->proxy);
+	pw_proxy_destroy(&core->proxy);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 06fc62b7c..5e7f9af5a 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -724,6 +724,7 @@ struct pw_resource {
 #define pw_proxy_emit(o,m,v,...) spa_hook_list_call(&o->listener_list, struct pw_proxy_events, m, v, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define pw_proxy_emit_destroy(p)	pw_proxy_emit(p, destroy, 0)
 #define pw_proxy_emit_bound(p,g)	pw_proxy_emit(p, bound, 0, g)
+#define pw_proxy_emit_removed(p)	pw_proxy_emit(p, removed, 0)
 #define pw_proxy_emit_done(p,s)		pw_proxy_emit(p, done, 0, s)
 #define pw_proxy_emit_error(p,s,r,m)	pw_proxy_emit(p, error, 0, s, r, m)
 
diff --git a/src/pipewire/proxy.c b/src/pipewire/proxy.c
index 109155382..a7c92a7e9 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/proxy.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/proxy.c
@@ -220,38 +220,58 @@ void pw_proxy_add_object_listener(struct pw_proxy *proxy,
 SPA_EXPORT
 void pw_proxy_destroy(struct pw_proxy *proxy)
 {
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: destroy id:%u removed:%u zombie:%u ref:%u", proxy,
+			proxy->id, proxy->removed, proxy->zombie, proxy->refcount);
+
 	assert(!proxy->destroyed);
 	proxy->destroyed = true;
 
-	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: destroy id:%u removed:%u zombie:%u", proxy,
-			proxy->id, proxy->removed, proxy->zombie);
-
-	if (!proxy->zombie) {
-		proxy->zombie = true;
-		pw_proxy_emit_destroy(proxy);
-	}
 	if (!proxy->removed) {
-		/* if the server did not remove this proxy, remove ourselves
-		 * from the proxy objects and schedule a destroy. */
-		if (proxy->core && !proxy->core->destroyed) {
+		/* if the server did not remove this proxy, schedule a
+		 * destroy if we can */
+		if (proxy->core) {
 			pw_core_destroy(proxy->core, proxy);
+			proxy->refcount++;
 		} else {
 			proxy->removed = true;
 		}
 	}
 	if (proxy->removed) {
-		if (proxy->core && !proxy->core->destroyed)
+		if (proxy->core)
 			pw_map_remove(&proxy->core->objects, proxy->id);
-
-		pw_proxy_unref(proxy);
 	}
+
+	if (!proxy->zombie) {
+		/* mark zombie and emit destroyed. No more
+		 * events will be emited on zombie objects */
+		proxy->zombie = true;
+		pw_proxy_emit_destroy(proxy);
+	}
+	pw_proxy_unref(proxy);
 }
 
+/** called when cleaning up or when the server removed the resource. Can
+ * be called multiple times */
 void pw_proxy_remove(struct pw_proxy *proxy)
 {
-	proxy->removed = true;
-	proxy->destroyed = false;
-	pw_proxy_destroy(proxy);
+	assert(proxy->refcount > 0);
+
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: remove id:%u removed:%u destroyed:%u zombie:%u", proxy,
+			proxy->id, proxy->removed, proxy->destroyed, proxy->zombie);
+
+	proxy->refcount++;
+	if (!proxy->removed) {
+		/* mark removed and emit the removed signal only once and
+		 * only when not already destroyed */
+		proxy->removed = true;
+		if (!proxy->destroyed)
+			pw_proxy_emit_removed(proxy);
+	}
+	if (proxy->destroyed) {
+		proxy->destroyed = false;
+		pw_proxy_destroy(proxy);
+	}
+	pw_proxy_unref(proxy);
 }
 
 SPA_EXPORT
@@ -262,6 +282,8 @@ void pw_proxy_unref(struct pw_proxy *proxy)
 		return;
 
 	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: free %u", proxy, proxy->id);
+	/** client must explicitly destroy all proxies */
+	assert(proxy->destroyed);
 	free(proxy);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pipewire/proxy.h b/src/pipewire/proxy.h
index 7aec20c78..b640211c9 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/proxy.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/proxy.h
@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@ struct pw_proxy_events {
 	/** a proxy is bound to a global id */
         void (*bound) (void *data, uint32_t global_id);
 
+	/** a proxy is removed from the server. Use pw_proxy_destroy to
+	 * free the proxy. */
+        void (*removed) (void *data);
+
 	/** a reply to a sync method completed */
         void (*done) (void *data, int seq);