diff --git a/kitty/graphics.c b/kitty/graphics.c
index 09f651782..5205331a7 100644
--- a/kitty/graphics.c
+++ b/kitty/graphics.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ grman_realloc(GraphicsManager *old, index_type lines, index_type columns) {
     } else {
         self->images_capacity = old->images_capacity; self->images = old->images; self->image_count = old->image_count;
         old->images = NULL;
-        grman_free(old);
+        Py_DECREF(old);
     }
     return self;
 }
@@ -64,12 +64,13 @@ free_image(Image *img) {
     free_load_data(&(img->load_data));
 }
 
-GraphicsManager*
-grman_free(GraphicsManager* self) {
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < self->image_count; i++) free_image(self->images + i);
-    free(self->images);
+static void
+dealloc(GraphicsManager* self) {
+    if (self->images) {
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < self->image_count; i++) free_image(self->images + i);
+        free(self->images);
+    }
     Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
-    return NULL;
 }
 
 static size_t internal_id_counter = 1;
@@ -426,11 +427,6 @@ new(PyTypeObject UNUSED *type, PyObject *args, PyObject UNUSED *kwds) {
     return ans;
 }
 
-static void
-dealloc(GraphicsManager* self) {
-    grman_free(self);
-}
-
 static inline PyObject*
 image_as_dict(Image *img) {
 #define U(x) #x, img->x
diff --git a/kitty/graphics.h b/kitty/graphics.h
index 9d85357e8..b0cb3c7d9 100644
--- a/kitty/graphics.h
+++ b/kitty/graphics.h
@@ -49,5 +49,4 @@ PyTypeObject GraphicsManager_Type;
 
 GraphicsManager* grman_realloc(GraphicsManager *, index_type lines, index_type columns);
 void grman_clear(GraphicsManager*);
-GraphicsManager* grman_free(GraphicsManager*);
 const char* grman_handle_command(GraphicsManager *self, const GraphicsCommand *g, const uint8_t *payload);
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index f890fe196..8b8d7d5d2 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -213,8 +213,7 @@ static void
 dealloc(Screen* self) {
     pthread_mutex_destroy(&self->read_buf_lock);
     pthread_mutex_destroy(&self->write_buf_lock);
-    if (self->main_grman) { self->main_grman = grman_free(self->main_grman); }
-    if (self->alt_grman) { self->alt_grman = grman_free(self->alt_grman); }
+    Py_CLEAR(self->grman); Py_CLEAR(self->alt_grman);
     PyMem_RawFree(self->write_buf);
     Py_CLEAR(self->callbacks);
     Py_CLEAR(self->test_child);