diff --git a/dlls/wbemprox/class.c b/dlls/wbemprox/class.c
index f32ee35c05..e82620281b 100644
--- a/dlls/wbemprox/class.c
+++ b/dlls/wbemprox/class.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ static ULONG WINAPI enum_class_object_Release(
     if (!refs)
     {
         TRACE("destroying %p\n", ec);
-        free_query( ec->query );
+        release_query( ec->query );
         heap_free( ec );
     }
     return refs;
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ HRESULT EnumWbemClassObject_create(
     ec->IEnumWbemClassObject_iface.lpVtbl = &enum_class_object_vtbl;
     ec->refs  = 1;
     ec->query = query;
+    addref_query( query );
     ec->index = 0;
 
     *ppObj = &ec->IEnumWbemClassObject_iface;
diff --git a/dlls/wbemprox/query.c b/dlls/wbemprox/query.c
index 0f41d44b2d..7e5872ab8a 100644
--- a/dlls/wbemprox/query.c
+++ b/dlls/wbemprox/query.c
@@ -395,16 +395,17 @@ static HRESULT execute_view( struct view *view )
     return S_OK;
 }
 
-static struct query *alloc_query(void)
+static struct query *create_query(void)
 {
     struct query *query;
 
     if (!(query = heap_alloc( sizeof(*query) ))) return NULL;
     list_init( &query->mem );
+    query->refs = 1;
     return query;
 }
 
-void free_query( struct query *query )
+static void free_query( struct query *query )
 {
     struct list *mem, *next;
 
@@ -416,13 +417,23 @@ void free_query( struct query *query )
     heap_free( query );
 }
 
+void addref_query( struct query *query )
+{
+    InterlockedIncrement( &query->refs );
+}
+
+void release_query( struct query *query )
+{
+    if (!InterlockedDecrement( &query->refs )) free_query( query );
+}
+
 HRESULT exec_query( const WCHAR *str, IEnumWbemClassObject **result )
 {
     HRESULT hr;
     struct query *query;
 
     *result = NULL;
-    if (!(query = alloc_query())) return E_OUTOFMEMORY;
+    if (!(query = create_query())) return E_OUTOFMEMORY;
     hr = parse_query( str, &query->view, &query->mem );
     if (hr != S_OK) goto done;
     hr = execute_view( query->view );
@@ -430,7 +441,7 @@ HRESULT exec_query( const WCHAR *str, IEnumWbemClassObject **result )
     hr = EnumWbemClassObject_create( NULL, query, (void **)result );
 
 done:
-    if (hr != S_OK) free_query( query );
+    release_query( query );
     return hr;
 }
 
diff --git a/dlls/wbemprox/wbemprox_private.h b/dlls/wbemprox/wbemprox_private.h
index 6865dddb33..e2ffce1515 100644
--- a/dlls/wbemprox/wbemprox_private.h
+++ b/dlls/wbemprox/wbemprox_private.h
@@ -106,11 +106,13 @@ struct view
 
 struct query
 {
+    LONG refs;
     struct view *view;
     struct list mem;
 };
 
-void free_query( struct query * ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
+void addref_query( struct query * ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
+void release_query( struct query *query ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 HRESULT exec_query( const WCHAR *, IEnumWbemClassObject ** ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 HRESULT parse_query( const WCHAR *, struct view **, struct list * ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 HRESULT create_view( const struct property *, const WCHAR *, const struct expr *,