diff --git a/button.c b/button.c
index 0be4eadd3..5a5c545b2 100644
--- a/button.c
+++ b/button.c
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ luaA_button_array_set(lua_State *L, int idx, button_array_t *buttons)
     button_array_init(buttons);
     lua_pushnil(L);
     while(lua_next(L, idx))
-        button_array_append(buttons, button_ref(L));
+        button_array_append(buttons, button_ref(L, -1));
 }
 
 /** Push an array of button as an Lua table onto the stack.
diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index 0921f34be..24733f8ae 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ client_manage(xcb_window_t w, xcb_get_geometry_reply_t *wgeom, int phys_screen,
 
     c = client_new(globalconf.L);
     /* Push client in client list */
-    client_array_push(&globalconf.clients, client_ref(globalconf.L));
+    client_array_push(&globalconf.clients, client_ref(globalconf.L, -1));
 
 
     screen = c->screen = screen_getbycoord(&globalconf.screens.tab[phys_screen],
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ client_manage(xcb_window_t w, xcb_get_geometry_reply_t *wgeom, int phys_screen,
     client_setborder(c, wgeom->border_width);
 
     if(ewmh_window_icon_get_reply(ewmh_icon_cookie))
-        c->icon = image_ref(globalconf.L);
+        c->icon = image_ref(globalconf.L, -1);
 
     /* we honor size hints by default */
     c->size_hints_honor = true;
@@ -1460,7 +1460,7 @@ luaA_client_newindex(lua_State *L)
         break;
       case A_TK_ICON:
         image_unref(L, c->icon);
-        c->icon = image_ref(L);
+        c->icon = image_ref(L, 3);
         /* execute hook */
         hook_property(client, c, "icon");
         break;
diff --git a/common/luaobject.h b/common/luaobject.h
index 0070b4e32..2eb602a64 100644
--- a/common/luaobject.h
+++ b/common/luaobject.h
@@ -73,12 +73,14 @@ typedef struct
     }                                                                          \
                                                                                \
     static inline type *                                                       \
-    prefix##_ref(lua_State *L)                                                 \
+    prefix##_ref(lua_State *L, int ud)                                         \
     {                                                                          \
-        if(lua_isnil(L, -1))                                                   \
+        if(lua_isnil(L, ud))                                                   \
             return NULL;                                                       \
-        type *item = luaL_checkudata(L, -1, lua_type);                         \
+        type *item = luaL_checkudata(L, ud, lua_type);                         \
+        lua_pushvalue(L, ud);                                                  \
         luaA_ref_array_append(&item->refs, luaL_ref(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX));    \
+        lua_remove(L, ud);                                                     \
         return item;                                                           \
     }                                                                          \
                                                                                \
diff --git a/key.c b/key.c
index 3c774f59d..6eb46396a 100644
--- a/key.c
+++ b/key.c
@@ -1066,7 +1066,7 @@ luaA_key_array_set(lua_State *L, int idx, key_array_t *keys)
 
     lua_pushnil(L);
     while(lua_next(L, idx))
-        key_array_append(keys, key_ref(L));
+        key_array_append(keys, key_ref(L, -1));
 }
 
 /** Push an array of key as an Lua table onto the stack.
diff --git a/property.c b/property.c
index 206be214a..c39e7f9f2 100644
--- a/property.c
+++ b/property.c
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ property_handle_net_wm_icon(void *data,
     {
         image_unref(globalconf.L, c->icon);
         if(ewmh_window_icon_from_reply(reply))
-            c->icon = image_ref(globalconf.L);
+            c->icon = image_ref(globalconf.L, -1);
         /* execute hook */
         hook_property(client, c, "icon");
     }
diff --git a/tag.c b/tag.c
index 92984b657..8caf4ce98 100644
--- a/tag.c
+++ b/tag.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ tag_append_to_screen(screen_t *s)
     int phys_screen = screen_virttophys(screen_index);
 
     tag->screen = s;
-    tag_array_append(&s->tags, tag_ref(globalconf.L));
+    tag_array_append(&s->tags, tag_ref(globalconf.L, -1));
     ewmh_update_net_numbers_of_desktop(phys_screen);
     ewmh_update_net_desktop_names(phys_screen);
     ewmh_update_workarea(phys_screen);
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ tag_remove_from_screen(tag_t *tag)
 void
 tag_client(client_t *c)
 {
-    tag_t *t = tag_ref(globalconf.L);
+    tag_t *t = tag_ref(globalconf.L, -1);
 
     /* don't tag twice */
     if(is_client_tagged(c, t))
diff --git a/titlebar.c b/titlebar.c
index 86b061824..1379d58cd 100644
--- a/titlebar.c
+++ b/titlebar.c
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ void
 titlebar_client_attach(client_t *c)
 {
     /* check if we can register the object */
-    wibox_t *t = wibox_ref(globalconf.L);
+    wibox_t *t = wibox_ref(globalconf.L, -1);
 
     titlebar_client_detach(c);
 
diff --git a/wibox.c b/wibox.c
index 7a4d2b714..eb092b205 100644
--- a/wibox.c
+++ b/wibox.c
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ wibox_attach(screen_t *s)
 {
     int phys_screen = screen_virttophys(screen_array_indexof(&globalconf.screens, s));
 
-    wibox_t *wibox = wibox_ref(globalconf.L);
+    wibox_t *wibox = wibox_ref(globalconf.L, -1);
 
     wibox_detach(wibox);
 
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ luaA_wibox_newindex(lua_State *L)
         break;
       case A_TK_BG_IMAGE:
         image_unref(L, wibox->bg_image);
-        wibox->bg_image = image_ref(L);
+        wibox->bg_image = image_ref(L, 3);
         wibox->need_update = true;
         break;
       case A_TK_ALIGN:
diff --git a/widget.c b/widget.c
index 5d83a9ca8..831103345 100644
--- a/widget.c
+++ b/widget.c
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ luaA_table2widgets(lua_State *L, widget_node_array_t *widgets)
         {
             widget_node_t w;
             p_clear(&w, 1);
-            w.widget = widget_ref(L);
+            w.widget = widget_ref(L, -1);
             widget_node_array_append(widgets, w);
         }
         else
diff --git a/widgets/imagebox.c b/widgets/imagebox.c
index 00d65e0a8..195218dad 100644
--- a/widgets/imagebox.c
+++ b/widgets/imagebox.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ luaA_imagebox_newindex(lua_State *L, awesome_token_t token)
 
       case A_TK_IMAGE:
         image_unref(L, d->image);
-        d->image = image_ref(L);
+        d->image = image_ref(L, 3);
         break;
       case A_TK_BG:
         if(lua_isnil(L, 3))
diff --git a/widgets/textbox.c b/widgets/textbox.c
index b17285e8f..9fb5f4db1 100644
--- a/widgets/textbox.c
+++ b/widgets/textbox.c
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ luaA_textbox_newindex(lua_State *L, awesome_token_t token)
         break;
       case A_TK_BG_IMAGE:
         image_unref(L, d->bg_image);
-        d->bg_image = image_ref(L);
+        d->bg_image = image_ref(L, 3);
         break;
       case A_TK_BG:
         if(lua_isnil(L, 3))