diff --git a/include/lighttpd/utils.h b/include/lighttpd/utils.h
index bbb0641..dc93eb3 100644
--- a/include/lighttpd/utils.h
+++ b/include/lighttpd/utils.h
@@ -28,6 +28,13 @@ LI_API void li_ev_io_add_events(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *watcher, int events
 LI_API void li_ev_io_rem_events(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *watcher, int events);
 LI_API void li_ev_io_set_events(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *watcher, int events);
 
+#define li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(stopf, loop, watcher) do { \
+	ev_watcher *__w = (ev_watcher*) watcher;               \
+	if (ev_is_active(__w)) {                               \
+		ev_ref(loop);                                      \
+		stopf(loop, watcher);                              \
+	}                                                      \
+} while (0)
 
 /* URL inplace decode: replace %XX with character \xXX; replace control characters with '_' (< 32 || == 127) */
 LI_API void li_url_decode(GString *path);
diff --git a/src/common/angel_connection.c b/src/common/angel_connection.c
index ce35985..047d7e9 100644
--- a/src/common/angel_connection.c
+++ b/src/common/angel_connection.c
@@ -316,8 +316,8 @@ static void angel_connection_io_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *w, int revents)
 #endif
 							goto write_eagain;
 						default: /* Fatal error, connection has to be closed */
-							ev_async_stop(loop, &acon->out_notify_watcher);
-							ev_io_stop(loop, &acon->fd_watcher);
+							li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_async_stop, loop, &acon->out_notify_watcher);
+							li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_io_stop, loop, &acon->fd_watcher);
 							acon->close_cb(acon, NULL); /* TODO: set err */
 							return;
 						}
@@ -336,8 +336,8 @@ static void angel_connection_io_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *w, int revents)
 						send_item->value.fds.pos++;
 						continue;
 					case -1: /* Fatal error, connection has to be closed */
-							ev_async_stop(loop, &acon->out_notify_watcher);
-							ev_io_stop(loop, &acon->fd_watcher);
+							li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_async_stop, loop, &acon->out_notify_watcher);
+							li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_io_stop, loop, &acon->fd_watcher);
 							acon->close_cb(acon, NULL); /* TODO: set err */
 							return;
 					case -2: goto write_eagain;
@@ -366,8 +366,8 @@ write_eagain:
 	if (revents | EV_READ) {
 		GError *err = NULL;
 		if (!angel_connection_read(acon, &err)) {
-			ev_async_stop(loop, &acon->out_notify_watcher);
-			ev_io_stop(loop, &acon->fd_watcher);
+			li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_async_stop, loop, &acon->out_notify_watcher);
+			li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_io_stop, loop, &acon->fd_watcher);
 			acon->close_cb(acon, err);
 		}
 	}
@@ -390,12 +390,17 @@ liAngelConnection* li_angel_connection_new(struct ev_loop *loop, int fd, gpointe
 	acon->fd = fd;
 	acon->call_id_list = li_idlist_new(65535);
 	acon->call_table = g_ptr_array_new();
+
 	ev_io_init(&acon->fd_watcher, angel_connection_io_cb, fd, EV_READ);
 	ev_io_start(acon->loop, &acon->fd_watcher);
 	acon->fd_watcher.data = acon;
+	ev_unref(acon->loop); /* this watcher shouldn't keep the loop alive */
+
 	ev_async_init(&acon->out_notify_watcher, angel_connection_out_notify_cb);
 	ev_async_start(acon->loop, &acon->out_notify_watcher);
 	acon->out_notify_watcher.data = acon;
+	ev_unref(acon->loop); /* this watcher shouldn't keep the loop alive */
+
 	acon->out = g_queue_new();
 	acon->in.data = g_string_sized_new(1024);
 	acon->in.pos = 0;
@@ -442,8 +447,8 @@ void li_angel_connection_free(liAngelConnection *acon) {
 	g_mutex_free(acon->mutex);
 	acon->mutex = NULL;
 
-	ev_io_stop(acon->loop, &acon->fd_watcher);
-	ev_async_stop(acon->loop, &acon->out_notify_watcher);
+	li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_async_stop, acon->loop, &acon->out_notify_watcher);
+	li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_io_stop, acon->loop, &acon->fd_watcher);
 
 	li_idlist_free(acon->call_id_list);
 	while (NULL != (send_item = g_queue_pop_head(acon->out))) {
diff --git a/src/main/server.c b/src/main/server.c
index b3f26f2..89191a2 100644
--- a/src/main/server.c
+++ b/src/main/server.c
@@ -45,18 +45,16 @@ static void server_setup_free(gpointer _ss) {
 	g_slice_free(liServerSetup, _ss);
 }
 
-#define CATCH_SIGNAL(loop, cb, n) do {\
-	ev_init(&srv->sig_w_##n, cb); \
-	ev_signal_set(&srv->sig_w_##n, SIG##n); \
-	ev_signal_start(loop, &srv->sig_w_##n); \
-	srv->sig_w_##n.data = srv; \
-	ev_unref(loop); /* Signal watchers shouldn't keep loop alive */ \
+#define CATCH_SIGNAL(loop, cb, n) do {              \
+    ev_init(&srv->sig_w_##n, cb);                   \
+    ev_signal_set(&srv->sig_w_##n, SIG##n);         \
+    ev_signal_start(loop, &srv->sig_w_##n);         \
+    srv->sig_w_##n.data = srv;                      \
+    /* Signal watchers shouldn't keep loop alive */ \
+    ev_unref(loop);                                 \
 } while (0)
 
-#define UNCATCH_SIGNAL(loop, n) do {\
-	ev_ref(loop); \
-	ev_signal_stop(loop, &srv->sig_w_##n); \
-} while (0)
+#define UNCATCH_SIGNAL(loop, n) li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_signal_stop, loop, &srv->sig_w_##n)
 
 static void sigint_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, struct ev_signal *w, int revents) {
 	liServer *srv = (liServer*) w->data;
diff --git a/src/main/stat_cache.c b/src/main/stat_cache.c
index 1e4014d..63376cb 100644
--- a/src/main/stat_cache.c
+++ b/src/main/stat_cache.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void stat_cache_free(liStatCache *sc) {
 	g_thread_join(sc->thread);
 	g_slice_free(liStatCacheEntry, dummy);
 
-	ev_async_stop(sc->delete_queue.loop, &sc->job_watcher);
+	li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_async_stop, sc->delete_queue.loop, &sc->job_watcher);
 
 	/* clear cache */
 	g_hash_table_iter_init(&iter, sc->entries);
diff --git a/src/main/worker.c b/src/main/worker.c
index 59c2629..74a21dd 100644
--- a/src/main/worker.c
+++ b/src/main/worker.c
@@ -392,8 +392,7 @@ void li_worker_free(liWorker *wrk) {
 		g_queue_clear(&wrk->closing_sockets);
 	}
 
-	ev_ref(wrk->loop);
-	ev_async_stop(wrk->loop, &wrk->job_async_queue_watcher);
+	li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_async_stop, wrk->loop, &wrk->job_async_queue_watcher);
 
 	{ /* free timestamps */
 		guint i;
@@ -405,8 +404,7 @@ void li_worker_free(liWorker *wrk) {
 		g_array_free(wrk->timestamps_local, TRUE);
 	}
 
-	ev_ref(wrk->loop);
-	ev_async_stop(wrk->loop, &wrk->li_worker_exit_watcher);
+	li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_async_stop, wrk->loop, &wrk->li_worker_exit_watcher);
 
 	{
 		GAsyncQueue *q = wrk->job_async_queue;
@@ -426,11 +424,9 @@ void li_worker_free(liWorker *wrk) {
 
 	g_async_queue_unref(wrk->new_con_queue);
 
-	ev_ref(wrk->loop);
-	ev_timer_stop(wrk->loop, &wrk->stats_watcher);
+	li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_timer_stop, wrk->loop, &wrk->stats_watcher);
 
-	ev_ref(wrk->loop);
-	ev_async_stop(wrk->loop, &wrk->collect_watcher);
+	li_ev_safe_ref_and_stop(ev_async_stop, wrk->loop, &wrk->collect_watcher);
 	li_collect_watcher_cb(wrk->loop, &wrk->collect_watcher, 0);
 	g_async_queue_unref(wrk->collect_queue);