diff --git a/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c b/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
index 9cf4a491..9780d798 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
@@ -1232,7 +1232,7 @@ err:
 		if (output->dumb[i])
 			drm_fb_unref(output->dumb[i]);
 		if (output->renderbuffer[i])
-			pixman->renderbuffer_destroy(output->renderbuffer[i]);
+			weston_renderbuffer_unref(output->renderbuffer[i]);
 
 		output->dumb[i] = NULL;
 		output->renderbuffer[i] = NULL;
@@ -1258,7 +1258,7 @@ drm_output_fini_pixman(struct drm_output *output)
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(output->dumb); i++) {
-		renderer->pixman->renderbuffer_destroy(output->renderbuffer[i]);
+		weston_renderbuffer_unref(output->renderbuffer[i]);
 		drm_fb_unref(output->dumb[i]);
 		output->dumb[i] = NULL;
 		output->renderbuffer[i] = NULL;
diff --git a/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c b/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
index 236aa468..e6689bf8 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
@@ -192,7 +192,8 @@ headless_output_disable_pixman(struct headless_output *output)
 {
 	struct weston_renderer *renderer = output->base.compositor->renderer;
 
-	renderer->pixman->renderbuffer_destroy(output->renderbuffer);
+	weston_renderbuffer_unref(output->renderbuffer);
+	output->renderbuffer = NULL;
 	renderer->pixman->output_destroy(&output->base);
 }
 
diff --git a/libweston/backend-rdp/rdp.c b/libweston/backend-rdp/rdp.c
index 9886d0b8..b68e4fd5 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-rdp/rdp.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-rdp/rdp.c
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ rdp_output_set_mode(struct weston_output *base, struct weston_mode *mode)
 		pixman_image_composite32(PIXMAN_OP_SRC, old_image, 0, new_image,
 					 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, mode->width,
 					 mode->height);
-		pixman->renderbuffer_destroy(rdpOutput->renderbuffer);
+		weston_renderbuffer_unref(rdpOutput->renderbuffer);
 		rdpOutput->renderbuffer = new_renderbuffer;
 	}
 
@@ -522,7 +522,8 @@ rdp_output_disable(struct weston_output *base)
 	if (!output->base.enabled)
 		return 0;
 
-	renderer->pixman->renderbuffer_destroy(output->renderbuffer);
+	weston_renderbuffer_unref(output->renderbuffer);
+	output->renderbuffer = NULL;
 	renderer->pixman->output_destroy(&output->base);
 
 	wl_event_source_remove(output->finish_frame_timer);
diff --git a/libweston/backend-vnc/vnc.c b/libweston/backend-vnc/vnc.c
index 69f33e38..ace6119d 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-vnc/vnc.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-vnc/vnc.c
@@ -449,11 +449,10 @@ static void
 fb_side_data_destroy(void *userdata)
 {
 	struct fb_side_data *fb_side_data = userdata;
-	struct weston_renderer *renderer = fb_side_data->renderer;
 
 	wl_list_remove(&fb_side_data->link);
 	pixman_region32_fini(&fb_side_data->damage);
-	renderer->pixman->renderbuffer_destroy(fb_side_data->renderbuffer);
+	weston_renderbuffer_unref(fb_side_data->renderbuffer);
 	free(fb_side_data);
 }
 
diff --git a/libweston/backend-wayland/wayland.c b/libweston/backend-wayland/wayland.c
index a4caf94e..9f11b347 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-wayland/wayland.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-wayland/wayland.c
@@ -257,12 +257,8 @@ static void
 wayland_shm_buffer_destroy(struct wayland_shm_buffer *buffer)
 {
 	cairo_surface_destroy(buffer->c_surface);
-	if (buffer->output) {
-		const struct pixman_renderer_interface *pixman;
-
-		pixman = buffer->output->base.compositor->renderer->pixman;
-		pixman->renderbuffer_destroy(buffer->renderbuffer);
-	}
+	if (buffer->output)
+		weston_renderbuffer_unref(buffer->renderbuffer);
 
 	wl_buffer_destroy(buffer->buffer);
 	munmap(buffer->data, buffer->size);
diff --git a/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c b/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c
index d286dd0a..edb2abb0 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-x11/x11.c
@@ -554,12 +554,11 @@ finish_frame_handler(void *data)
 static void
 x11_output_deinit_shm(struct x11_backend *b, struct x11_output *output)
 {
-	const struct weston_renderer *renderer = b->compositor->renderer;
 	xcb_void_cookie_t cookie;
 	xcb_generic_error_t *err;
 	xcb_free_gc(b->conn, output->gc);
 
-	renderer->pixman->renderbuffer_destroy(output->renderbuffer);
+	weston_renderbuffer_unref(output->renderbuffer);
 	output->renderbuffer = NULL;
 	cookie = xcb_shm_detach_checked(b->conn, output->segment);
 	err = xcb_request_check(b->conn, cookie);
diff --git a/libweston/compositor.c b/libweston/compositor.c
index cf1f351d..fbb8eeeb 100644
--- a/libweston/compositor.c
+++ b/libweston/compositor.c
@@ -8899,6 +8899,25 @@ weston_output_disable_planes_decr(struct weston_output *output)
 
 }
 
+WL_EXPORT struct weston_renderbuffer *
+weston_renderbuffer_ref(struct weston_renderbuffer *renderbuffer)
+{
+	renderbuffer->refcount++;
+
+	return renderbuffer;
+}
+
+WL_EXPORT void
+weston_renderbuffer_unref(struct weston_renderbuffer *renderbuffer)
+{
+	assert(renderbuffer->refcount > 0);
+
+	if (--renderbuffer->refcount > 0)
+		return;
+
+	renderbuffer->destroy(renderbuffer);
+}
+
 /** Tell the renderer that the target framebuffer size has changed
  *
  * \param output The output that was resized.
diff --git a/libweston/libweston-internal.h b/libweston/libweston-internal.h
index 87354067..54d71032 100644
--- a/libweston/libweston-internal.h
+++ b/libweston/libweston-internal.h
@@ -48,8 +48,17 @@
 
 struct weston_renderbuffer {
 	pixman_region32_t damage;
+	int refcount;
+
+	void (*destroy)(struct weston_renderbuffer *renderbuffer);
 };
 
+struct weston_renderbuffer *
+weston_renderbuffer_ref(struct weston_renderbuffer *renderbuffer);
+
+void
+weston_renderbuffer_unref(struct weston_renderbuffer *renderbuffer);
+
 struct weston_renderer_options {
 };
 
diff --git a/libweston/pixman-renderer.c b/libweston/pixman-renderer.c
index 4ecdf432..643f7945 100644
--- a/libweston/pixman-renderer.c
+++ b/libweston/pixman-renderer.c
@@ -1133,6 +1133,9 @@ pixman_renderer_output_destroy(struct weston_output *output)
 	free(po);
 }
 
+static void
+pixman_renderer_renderbuffer_destroy(struct weston_renderbuffer *renderbuffer);
+
 static struct weston_renderbuffer *
 pixman_renderer_create_image_from_ptr(struct weston_output *output,
 				      pixman_format_code_t format, int width,
@@ -1153,6 +1156,8 @@ pixman_renderer_create_image_from_ptr(struct weston_output *output,
 	}
 
 	pixman_region32_init(&renderbuffer->base.damage);
+	renderbuffer->base.refcount = 1;
+	renderbuffer->base.destroy = pixman_renderer_renderbuffer_destroy;
 	wl_list_insert(&po->renderbuffer_list, &renderbuffer->link);
 
 	return &renderbuffer->base;
@@ -1178,6 +1183,8 @@ pixman_renderer_create_image(struct weston_output *output,
 	}
 
 	pixman_region32_init(&renderbuffer->base.damage);
+	renderbuffer->base.refcount = 1;
+	renderbuffer->base.destroy = pixman_renderer_renderbuffer_destroy;
 	wl_list_insert(&po->renderbuffer_list, &renderbuffer->link);
 
 	return &renderbuffer->base;
@@ -1200,6 +1207,5 @@ static struct pixman_renderer_interface pixman_renderer_interface = {
 	.output_destroy = pixman_renderer_output_destroy,
 	.create_image_from_ptr = pixman_renderer_create_image_from_ptr,
 	.create_image = pixman_renderer_create_image,
-	.renderbuffer_destroy = pixman_renderer_renderbuffer_destroy,
 	.renderbuffer_get_image = pixman_renderer_renderbuffer_get_image,
 };
diff --git a/libweston/pixman-renderer.h b/libweston/pixman-renderer.h
index f7143520..e67501ad 100644
--- a/libweston/pixman-renderer.h
+++ b/libweston/pixman-renderer.h
@@ -56,6 +56,5 @@ struct pixman_renderer_interface {
 	struct weston_renderbuffer *(*create_image)(struct weston_output *output,
 						    pixman_format_code_t format,
 						    int width, int height);
-	void (*renderbuffer_destroy)(struct weston_renderbuffer *renderbuffer);
 	pixman_image_t *(*renderbuffer_get_image)(struct weston_renderbuffer *renderbuffer);
 };