diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index bfe10ae01..bb3668dad 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -47,10 +47,7 @@ update_os_window_viewport(OSWindow *window, bool notify_boss) {
 
 // callbacks {{{
 
-void
-remove_os_window_reference(OSWindow *w) { if (w->handle) glfwSetWindowUserPointer(w->handle, NULL); }
-
-static inline void 
+void 
 update_os_window_references() {
     for (size_t i = 0; i < global_state.num_os_windows; i++) {
         OSWindow *w = global_state.os_windows + i;
diff --git a/kitty/state.c b/kitty/state.c
index f7f30b315..dec00a915 100644
--- a/kitty/state.c
+++ b/kitty/state.c
@@ -182,7 +182,6 @@ bool
 remove_os_window(id_type os_window_id) {
     bool found = false;
     WITH_OS_WINDOW(os_window_id)
-        remove_os_window_reference(os_window);
         found = true;
         make_os_window_context_current(os_window);
     END_WITH_OS_WINDOW
@@ -190,6 +189,7 @@ remove_os_window(id_type os_window_id) {
         WITH_OS_WINDOW_REFS
             REMOVER(global_state.os_windows, os_window_id, global_state.num_os_windows, OSWindow, destroy_os_window_item, global_state.capacity);
         END_WITH_OS_WINDOW_REFS
+        update_os_window_references();
     }
     return found;
 }
diff --git a/kitty/state.h b/kitty/state.h
index 0b036db0e..5f93683c4 100644
--- a/kitty/state.h
+++ b/kitty/state.h
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ void gl_init();
 void remove_vao(ssize_t vao_idx);
 bool remove_os_window(id_type os_window_id);
 void make_os_window_context_current(OSWindow *w);
-void remove_os_window_reference(OSWindow *w);
+void update_os_window_references();
 void mark_os_window_for_close(OSWindow* w, bool yes);
 void update_os_window_viewport(OSWindow *window, bool);
 bool should_os_window_close(OSWindow* w);