diff --git a/lib/widget/dialog.c b/lib/widget/dialog.c
index ebfaedb0a..1b054449e 100644
--- a/lib/widget/dialog.c
+++ b/lib/widget/dialog.c
@@ -903,12 +903,9 @@ del_widget (void *w)
     if (d == h->current)
         dlg_set_current_widget_next (h);
 
-    h->widgets = g_list_remove_link (h->widgets, d);
+    h->widgets = g_list_delete_link (h->widgets, d);
     if (h->widgets == NULL)
         h->current = NULL;
-    send_message (d->data, NULL, MSG_DESTROY, 0, NULL);
-    g_free (d->data);
-    g_list_free_1 (d);
 
     /* widget has been deleted in runtime */
     if (widget_get_state (WIDGET (h), WST_ACTIVE))
@@ -916,6 +913,8 @@ del_widget (void *w)
         dlg_redraw (h);
         dlg_select_current_widget (h);
     }
+
+    WIDGET (w)->owner = NULL;
 }
 
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -1177,8 +1176,8 @@ dlg_destroy (WDialog * h)
 {
     /* if some widgets have history, save all history at one moment here */
     dlg_save_history (h);
-    dlg_broadcast_msg (h, MSG_DESTROY);
-    g_list_free_full (h->widgets, g_free);
+    g_list_foreach (h->widgets, (GFunc) widget_destroy, NULL);
+    g_list_free (h->widgets);
     mc_event_group_del (h->event_group);
     g_free (h->event_group);
     g_free (h->title);
diff --git a/lib/widget/widget-common.c b/lib/widget/widget-common.c
index f1e263c16..5e093f41d 100644
--- a/lib/widget/widget-common.c
+++ b/lib/widget/widget-common.c
@@ -215,6 +215,15 @@ widget_init (Widget * w, int y, int x, int lines, int cols,
 
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+void
+widget_destroy (Widget * w)
+{
+    send_message (w, NULL, MSG_DESTROY, 0, NULL);
+    g_free (w);
+}
+
+/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
 /* Default callback for widgets */
 cb_ret_t
 widget_default_callback (Widget * w, Widget * sender, widget_msg_t msg, int parm, void *data)
diff --git a/lib/widget/widget-common.h b/lib/widget/widget-common.h
index 5ce18ad57..c6573a51c 100644
--- a/lib/widget/widget-common.h
+++ b/lib/widget/widget-common.h
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ void hotkey_draw (Widget * w, const hotkey_t hotkey, gboolean focused);
 /* widget initialization */
 void widget_init (Widget * w, int y, int x, int lines, int cols,
                   widget_cb_fn callback, widget_mouse_cb_fn mouse_callback);
+void widget_destroy (Widget * w);
 /* Default callback for widgets */
 cb_ret_t widget_default_callback (Widget * w, Widget * sender, widget_msg_t msg, int parm,
                                   void *data);
diff --git a/src/editor/editcmd.c b/src/editor/editcmd.c
index 24bafab0f..b34ee0601 100644
--- a/src/editor/editcmd.c
+++ b/src/editor/editcmd.c
@@ -2268,6 +2268,7 @@ edit_close_cmd (WEdit * edit)
             unlock_file (edit->filename_vpath);
 
         del_widget (edit);
+        widget_destroy (WIDGET (edit));
 
         if (edit_widget_is_editor (CONST_WIDGET (h->current->data)))
             edit = (WEdit *) h->current->data;
diff --git a/src/filemanager/filegui.c b/src/filemanager/filegui.c
index 5e3e41822..6086a7237 100644
--- a/src/filemanager/filegui.c
+++ b/src/filemanager/filegui.c
@@ -904,8 +904,7 @@ file_op_context_create_ui (file_op_context_t * ctx, gboolean with_eta,
                                                     progress_buttons[2].text,
                                                     progress_button_callback));
         progress_buttons[2].len = button_get_len (BUTTON (progress_buttons[2].w));
-        send_message (progress_buttons[2].w, NULL, MSG_DESTROY, 0, NULL);
-        g_free (progress_buttons[2].w);
+        widget_destroy (progress_buttons[2].w);
     }
     progress_buttons[2].w = progress_buttons[1].w;