diff --git a/dom/storage/PBackgroundStorage.ipdl b/dom/storage/PBackgroundStorage.ipdl
index 716e0f87e3b7..9b84f0e7956a 100644
--- a/dom/storage/PBackgroundStorage.ipdl
+++ b/dom/storage/PBackgroundStorage.ipdl
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ sync protocol PBackgroundStorage
   manager PBackground;
 
 parent:
-  async __delete__();
+  async DeleteMe();
 
   sync Preload(nsCString originSuffix,
                nsCString originNoSuffix,
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ parent:
   async ClearMatchingOriginAttributes(OriginAttributesPattern pattern);
 
 child:
+  async __delete__();
+
   async Observe(nsCString topic,
                 nsString originAttributesPattern,
                 nsCString originScope);
diff --git a/dom/storage/StorageIPC.cpp b/dom/storage/StorageIPC.cpp
index 5430045bab59..b526c5d242e2 100644
--- a/dom/storage/StorageIPC.cpp
+++ b/dom/storage/StorageIPC.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "mozilla/ipc/BackgroundChild.h"
 #include "mozilla/ipc/BackgroundParent.h"
 #include "mozilla/ipc/PBackgroundChild.h"
+#include "mozilla/ipc/PBackgroundParent.h"
 #include "mozilla/Unused.h"
 #include "nsIDiskSpaceWatcher.h"
 #include "nsThreadUtils.h"
@@ -52,25 +53,6 @@ private:
   }
 };
 
-NS_IMPL_ADDREF(StorageDBChild)
-
-NS_IMETHODIMP_(MozExternalRefCountType) StorageDBChild::Release(void)
-{
-  NS_PRECONDITION(0 != mRefCnt, "dup release");
-  nsrefcnt count = --mRefCnt;
-  NS_LOG_RELEASE(this, count, "StorageDBChild");
-  if (count == 1 && mIPCOpen) {
-    Send__delete__(this);
-    return 0;
-  }
-  if (count == 0) {
-    mRefCnt = 1;
-    delete this;
-    return 0;
-  }
-  return count;
-}
-
 void
 StorageDBChild::AddIPDLReference()
 {
@@ -405,6 +387,8 @@ ShutdownObserver::Observe(nsISupports* aSubject,
   if (sStorageChild) {
     sStorageChildDown = true;
 
+    MOZ_ALWAYS_TRUE(sStorageChild->PBackgroundStorageChild::SendDeleteMe());
+
     NS_RELEASE(sStorageChild);
     sStorageChild = nullptr;
   }
@@ -601,6 +585,18 @@ StorageDBParent::ActorDestroy(ActorDestroyReason aWhy)
   // Implement me! Bug 1005169
 }
 
+mozilla::ipc::IPCResult
+StorageDBParent::RecvDeleteMe()
+{
+  AssertIsOnBackgroundThread();
+
+  IProtocol* mgr = Manager();
+  if (!PBackgroundStorageParent::Send__delete__(this)) {
+    return IPC_FAIL_NO_REASON(mgr);
+  }
+  return IPC_OK();
+}
+
 mozilla::ipc::IPCResult
 StorageDBParent::RecvAsyncPreload(const nsCString& aOriginSuffix,
                                   const nsCString& aOriginNoSuffix,
diff --git a/dom/storage/StorageIPC.h b/dom/storage/StorageIPC.h
index 9c985fcd5cab..a4d932761b3d 100644
--- a/dom/storage/StorageIPC.h
+++ b/dom/storage/StorageIPC.h
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ public:
   static StorageDBChild*
   GetOrCreate();
 
-  NS_IMETHOD_(MozExternalRefCountType) AddRef(void);
-  NS_IMETHOD_(MozExternalRefCountType) Release(void);
+  NS_INLINE_DECL_REFCOUNTING(StorageDBChild);
 
   void AddIPDLReference();
   void ReleaseIPDLReference();
@@ -111,9 +110,6 @@ private:
 
   nsTHashtable<nsCStringHashKey>& OriginsHavingData();
 
-  ThreadSafeAutoRefCnt mRefCnt;
-  NS_DECL_OWNINGTHREAD
-
   // Held to get caches to forward answers to.
   RefPtr<LocalStorageManager> mManager;
 
@@ -229,6 +225,8 @@ public:
 private:
   // IPC
   virtual void ActorDestroy(ActorDestroyReason aWhy) override;
+  mozilla::ipc::IPCResult RecvDeleteMe() override;
+
   mozilla::ipc::IPCResult RecvAsyncPreload(const nsCString& aOriginSuffix,
                                            const nsCString& aOriginNoSuffix,
                                            const bool& aPriority) override;