diff --git a/kdeui/widgets/kmainwindow.cpp b/kdeui/widgets/kmainwindow.cpp
index c44aa47..81b8576 100644
--- a/kdeui/widgets/kmainwindow.cpp
+++ b/kdeui/widgets/kmainwindow.cpp
@@ -224,6 +224,8 @@ KMainWindow::KMainWindow(KMainWindowPrivate &dd, QWidget *parent, Qt::WFlags f)
 
 void KMainWindowPrivate::init(KMainWindow *_q)
 {
+    KGlobal::ref();
+
     q = _q;
 
     q->setAnimated(KGlobalSettings::graphicEffectsLevel() & KGlobalSettings::SimpleAnimationEffects);
@@ -535,13 +537,14 @@ void KMainWindow::closeEvent ( QCloseEvent *e )
                 // don't call queryExit() twice
                 disconnect(qApp, SIGNAL(aboutToQuit()), this, SLOT(_k_shuttingDown()));
                 d->shuttingDown = true;
-                KGlobal::deref();             // ...done with this window, the process will quit (unless it's doing something else)
             }  else {
                 // cancel closing, it's stupid to end up with no windows at all....
                 e->ignore();
             }
         }
     } else e->ignore(); //if the window should not be closed, don't close it
+
+    KGlobal::deref();
 }
 
 bool KMainWindow::queryExit()