diff --git a/lib/wp/object.c b/lib/wp/object.c
index 1ca284a8..18198017 100644
--- a/lib/wp/object.c
+++ b/lib/wp/object.c
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ struct _WpObjectPrivate
   WpObjectFeatures ft_active;
   GQueue *transitions; // element-type: WpFeatureActivationTransition*
   GSource *idle_advnc_source;
+  GWeakRef ongoing_transition;
 };
 
 enum {
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ wp_object_init (WpObject * self)
 
   g_weak_ref_init (&priv->core, NULL);
   priv->transitions = g_queue_new ();
+  g_weak_ref_init (&priv->ongoing_transition, NULL);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -189,6 +191,7 @@ wp_object_finalize (GObject * object)
   g_warn_if_fail (g_queue_is_empty (priv->transitions));
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->transitions, g_queue_free);
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->idle_advnc_source, g_source_unref);
+  g_weak_ref_clear (&priv->ongoing_transition);
   g_weak_ref_clear (&priv->core);
 
   /* everything must have been deactivated in dispose() */
@@ -309,17 +312,24 @@ static gboolean
 wp_object_advance_transitions (WpObject * self)
 {
   WpObjectPrivate *priv = wp_object_get_instance_private (self);
-  WpTransition *t;
 
   /* clear before advancing; a transition may need to schedule
      a new call to wp_object_advance_transitions() */
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->idle_advnc_source, g_source_unref);
 
-  while ((t = g_queue_peek_head (priv->transitions))) {
-    wp_transition_advance (t);
-    if (!wp_transition_get_completed (t))
+  while (TRUE) {
+    g_autoptr (WpTransition) t = g_weak_ref_get (&priv->ongoing_transition);
+    if (t) {
+      wp_transition_advance (t);
+      if (!wp_transition_get_completed (t))
+        break;
+    }
+
+    if (g_queue_is_empty (priv->transitions))
       break;
-    g_object_unref (g_queue_pop_head (priv->transitions));
+
+    g_weak_ref_set (&priv->ongoing_transition,
+        g_queue_pop_head (priv->transitions));
   }
 
   return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
@@ -382,7 +392,7 @@ wp_object_activate_closure (WpObject * self,
   wp_transition_set_source_tag (transition, wp_object_activate);
   wp_transition_set_data (transition, GUINT_TO_POINTER (features), NULL);
 
-  g_queue_push_tail (priv->transitions, g_object_ref (transition));
+  g_queue_push_tail (priv->transitions, transition);
 
   if (!priv->idle_advnc_source) {
     wp_core_idle_add (core, &priv->idle_advnc_source,
@@ -454,6 +464,7 @@ wp_object_update_features (WpObject * self, WpObjectFeatures activated,
 
   WpObjectPrivate *priv = wp_object_get_instance_private (self);
   guint old_ft = priv->ft_active;
+  g_autoptr (WpTransition) t = NULL;
 
   priv->ft_active |= activated;
   priv->ft_active &= ~deactivated;
@@ -464,7 +475,8 @@ wp_object_update_features (WpObject * self, WpObjectFeatures activated,
     g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (self), "active-features");
   }
 
-  if (!g_queue_is_empty (priv->transitions) && !priv->idle_advnc_source) {
+  t = g_weak_ref_get (&priv->ongoing_transition);
+  if ((t || !g_queue_is_empty (priv->transitions)) && !priv->idle_advnc_source) {
     g_autoptr (WpCore) core = g_weak_ref_get (&priv->core);
     g_return_if_fail (core != NULL);