diff --git a/src/ssb.c b/src/ssb.c
index 0ba05cb7..c34df246 100644
--- a/src/ssb.c
+++ b/src/ssb.c
@@ -2722,22 +2722,30 @@ typedef struct _connect_t
 static void _tf_on_connect_getaddrinfo(uv_getaddrinfo_t* addrinfo, int result, struct addrinfo* info)
 {
 	connect_t* connect = addrinfo->data;
-	if (result == 0 && info)
+	if (!connect->ssb->shutting_down)
 	{
-		struct sockaddr_in addr = *(struct sockaddr_in*)info->ai_addr;
-		addr.sin_port = htons(connect->port);
-		tf_ssb_connection_create(connect->ssb, connect->host, &addr, connect->key);
+		if (result == 0 && info)
+		{
+			struct sockaddr_in addr = *(struct sockaddr_in*)info->ai_addr;
+			addr.sin_port = htons(connect->port);
+			tf_ssb_connection_create(connect->ssb, connect->host, &addr, connect->key);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			tf_printf("getaddrinfo(%s) => %s\n", connect->host, uv_strerror(result));
+		}
 	}
-	else
-	{
-		tf_printf("getaddrinfo(%s) => %s\n", connect->host, uv_strerror(result));
-	}
-	tf_free(connect);
 	uv_freeaddrinfo(info);
+	tf_ssb_unref(connect->ssb);
+	tf_free(connect);
 }
 
 void tf_ssb_connect(tf_ssb_t* ssb, const char* host, int port, const uint8_t* key)
 {
+	if (ssb->shutting_down)
+	{
+		return;
+	}
 	connect_t* connect = tf_malloc(sizeof(connect_t));
 	*connect = (connect_t) {
 		.ssb = ssb,
@@ -2749,11 +2757,13 @@ void tf_ssb_connect(tf_ssb_t* ssb, const char* host, int port, const uint8_t* ke
 	tf_ssb_connections_store(ssb->connections_tracker, host, port, id);
 	snprintf(connect->host, sizeof(connect->host), "%s", host);
 	memcpy(connect->key, key, k_id_bin_len);
+	tf_ssb_ref(ssb);
 	int r = uv_getaddrinfo(ssb->loop, &connect->req, _tf_on_connect_getaddrinfo, host, NULL, &(struct addrinfo) { .ai_family = AF_INET });
 	if (r < 0)
 	{
 		tf_printf("uv_getaddrinfo: %s\n", uv_strerror(r));
 		tf_free(connect);
+		tf_ssb_unref(ssb);
 	}
 }