diff --git a/kitty/shaders.c b/kitty/shaders.c
index 81d7bcf24..f448c8f0d 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.c
+++ b/kitty/shaders.c
@@ -562,8 +562,8 @@ render_window_title(OSWindow *os_window, Screen *screen UNUSED, GLfloat xstart,
     unsigned bar_width = (unsigned)ceilf(right - left);
     if (!window->title_bar_data.buf || window->title_bar_data.width != bar_width || window->title_bar_data.height != bar_height) {
         free(window->title_bar_data.buf);
+        Py_CLEAR(window->title_bar_data.last_drawn_title_object_id);
         window->title_bar_data.buf = malloc((size_t)4 * bar_width * bar_height);
-        window->title_bar_data.last_drawn_title_object_id = NULL;
         if (!window->title_bar_data.buf) return 0;
         window->title_bar_data.height = bar_height;
         window->title_bar_data.width = bar_width;
@@ -575,6 +575,7 @@ render_window_title(OSWindow *os_window, Screen *screen UNUSED, GLfloat xstart,
         if (!draw_window_title(os_window, title, RGBCOL(highlight_fg, default_fg), RGBCOL(highlight_bg, default_bg), window->title_bar_data.buf, bar_width, bar_height)) return 0;
 #undef RGBCOL
         window->title_bar_data.last_drawn_title_object_id = window->title;
+        Py_INCREF(window->title_bar_data.last_drawn_title_object_id);
     }
     static ImageRenderData data = {.group_count=1};
     xstart = clamp_position_to_nearest_pixel(xstart, os_window->viewport_width);
diff --git a/kitty/state.c b/kitty/state.c
index c5fea20e0..1de2752eb 100644
--- a/kitty/state.c
+++ b/kitty/state.c
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ update_os_window_title(OSWindow *os_window) {
 static void
 destroy_window(Window *w) {
     Py_CLEAR(w->render_data.screen); Py_CLEAR(w->title);
+    Py_CLEAR(w->title_bar_data.last_drawn_title_object_id);
     free(w->title_bar_data.buf); w->title_bar_data.buf = NULL;
     release_gpu_resources_for_window(w);
     if (w->window_logo.id) {