diff --git a/modules/module-lua-scripting/module.c b/modules/module-lua-scripting/module.c
index 03afa5eb..96eee063 100644
--- a/modules/module-lua-scripting/module.c
+++ b/modules/module-lua-scripting/module.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ wp_lua_scripting_plugin_disable (WpPlugin * plugin)
 {
   WpLuaScriptingPlugin * self = WP_LUA_SCRIPTING_PLUGIN (plugin);
 
-  g_clear_pointer (&self->L, wplua_free);
+  g_clear_pointer (&self->L, wplua_unref);
   g_clear_object (&self->export_core);
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/module-lua-scripting/wplua/wplua.c b/modules/module-lua-scripting/wplua/wplua.c
index ec197196..18f942f1 100644
--- a/modules/module-lua-scripting/wplua/wplua.c
+++ b/modules/module-lua-scripting/wplua/wplua.c
@@ -101,14 +101,39 @@ wplua_new (void)
     lua_settable (L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX);
   }
 
+  /* refcount */
+  lua_pushinteger (L, 1);
+  lua_rawsetp (L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, L);
+
+  return L;
+}
+
+lua_State *
+wplua_ref (lua_State *L)
+{
+  lua_Integer refcount;
+  lua_rawgetp (L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, L);
+  refcount = lua_tointeger (L, -1);
+  lua_pushinteger (L, refcount + 1);
+  lua_rawsetp (L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, L);
+  lua_pop (L, 1);
   return L;
 }
 
 void
-wplua_free (lua_State * L)
+wplua_unref (lua_State * L)
 {
-  wp_debug ("closing lua_State %p", L);
-  lua_close (L);
+  lua_Integer refcount;
+  lua_rawgetp (L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, L);
+  refcount = lua_tointeger (L, -1);
+  if (refcount > 1) {
+    lua_pushinteger (L, refcount - 1);
+    lua_rawsetp (L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, L);
+    lua_pop (L, 1);
+  } else {
+    wp_debug ("closing lua_State %p", L);
+    lua_close (L);
+  }
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/modules/module-lua-scripting/wplua/wplua.h b/modules/module-lua-scripting/wplua/wplua.h
index 03783f0b..cb34d155 100644
--- a/modules/module-lua-scripting/wplua/wplua.h
+++ b/modules/module-lua-scripting/wplua/wplua.h
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ typedef enum {
 } WpLuaSandboxFlags;
 
 lua_State * wplua_new (void);
-void wplua_free (lua_State * L);
+lua_State * wplua_ref (lua_State *L);
+void wplua_unref (lua_State * L);
 
 void wplua_enable_sandbox (lua_State * L, WpLuaSandboxFlags flags);
 int wplua_push_sandbox (lua_State * L);
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ gboolean wplua_load_path (lua_State * L, const gchar *path, GError **error);
 
 gboolean wplua_pcall (lua_State * L, int nargs, int nres, GError **error);
 
-G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(lua_State, wplua_free)
+G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(lua_State, wplua_unref)
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/tests/wplua/wplua.c b/tests/wplua/wplua.c
index 7e8b91e5..dea8f9fc 100644
--- a/tests/wplua/wplua.c
+++ b/tests/wplua/wplua.c
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ static void
 test_wplua_basic ()
 {
   lua_State *L = wplua_new ();
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ test_wplua_construct ()
   g_object_ref (obj);
   g_assert_cmpint (obj->ref_count, ==, 2);
 
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
   g_assert_cmpint (obj->ref_count, ==, 1);
 }
 
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ test_wplua_properties ()
   test_load_and_call (L, code2, sizeof (code2) - 1, 0, 0, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
 
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ test_wplua_closure ()
   g_assert_true (lua_isboolean (L, -1));
   g_assert_true (lua_toboolean (L, -1));
 
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
 
   g_assert_true (closure->is_invalid);
   g_closure_unref (closure);
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ test_wplua_signals ()
     "assert(o['test-boolean'] == false)\n";
   test_load_and_call (L, code, sizeof (code) - 1, 0, 0, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ test_wplua_sandbox_script ()
   g_assert_error (error, WP_DOMAIN_LUA, WP_LUA_ERROR_RUNTIME);
   g_clear_error (&error);
 
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ test_wplua_sandbox_config ()
   test_load_and_call (L, code7, sizeof (code7) - 1, 0, 0, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
 
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ test_wplua_convert_asv ()
   g_assert_true (g_variant_lookup (nested, "string", "&s", &test_str));
   g_assert_cmpstr (test_str, ==, "baz");
 
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ test_wplua_convert_gvariant_array ()
   g_assert_true (g_variant_lookup (nested, "string", "&s", &test_str));
   g_assert_cmpstr (test_str, ==, "baz");
 
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
 }
 static void
 test_wplua_convert_wp_properties ()
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ test_wplua_convert_wp_properties ()
   test_load_and_call (L, code2, sizeof (code2) - 1, 0, 0, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
 
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ test_wplua_script_arguments ()
   test_load_and_call (L, code2, sizeof (code2) - 1, 1, 0, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
 
-  wplua_free (L);
+  wplua_unref (L);
 }
 
 gint