diff --git a/libdc/include/dc/refable.h b/libdc/include/dc/refable.h
index 3f5ff00..22caffd 100644
--- a/libdc/include/dc/refable.h
+++ b/libdc/include/dc/refable.h
@@ -6,9 +6,12 @@ typedef void (*dc_cleanup_t)(void *);
 typedef struct {
     int ref;
     dc_cleanup_t cleanup;
+    int debug;
 } dc_refable_t;
 
 void *dc_ref(void *);
 void dc_unref(void *);
 
+void dc_ref_debug(void *);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/libdc/include/dc/session.h b/libdc/include/dc/session.h
index 1978955..5fe76e5 100644
--- a/libdc/include/dc/session.h
+++ b/libdc/include/dc/session.h
@@ -69,12 +69,15 @@ dc_api_t dc_session_api(dc_session_t s);
  * access to the internal account cache
  */
 void dc_session_add_account(dc_session_t s, dc_account_t u);
+void dc_session_add_account_new(dc_session_t s, dc_account_t u);
 dc_account_t dc_session_account_fullname(dc_session_t s, char const *f);
 
 /**
- * Adds a new channel to the internal cache.
+ * Adds a new channel to the internal cache. _new does the same, but doesn't
+ * increase the reference count.
  */
 void dc_session_add_channel(dc_session_t s, dc_channel_t u);
+void dc_session_add_channel_new(dc_session_t s, dc_channel_t u);
 
 dc_channel_t dc_session_channel_by_id(dc_session_t s, char const *snowflake);
 
@@ -96,9 +99,11 @@ dc_channel_t dc_session_channel_recipients(dc_session_t s,
                                            dc_account_t *r, size_t sz);
 
 /**
- * Add a guild to be managed by this session.
+ * Add a guild to be managed by this session. _new does the same, but doesn't
+ * ref the given reference.
  */
 void dc_session_add_guild(dc_session_t s, dc_guild_t g);
+void dc_session_add_guild_new(dc_session_t s, dc_guild_t g);
 GHashTable *dc_session_guilds(dc_session_t s);
 dc_guild_t dc_session_guild_by_name(dc_session_t s, char const *name);
 
diff --git a/libdc/src/refable.c b/libdc/src/refable.c
index 4b757f3..aacde10 100644
--- a/libdc/src/refable.c
+++ b/libdc/src/refable.c
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ void *dc_ref(void *arg)
     ptr = (dc_refable_t *)arg;
     ++ptr->ref;
 
+    if (ptr->debug) {
+        FILE *F = fopen("refdebug.txt", "a+");
+        fprintf(F, "libdc: ref inc: %p: %d\n", ptr, ptr->ref);
+        fclose(F);
+    }
+
     return arg;
 }
 
@@ -21,7 +27,33 @@ void dc_unref(void *arg)
     return_if_true(arg == NULL,);
 
     ptr = (dc_refable_t *)arg;
-    if ((--ptr->ref) <= 0 && ptr->cleanup != NULL) {
+    --ptr->ref;
+
+    if (ptr->debug) {
+        FILE *F = fopen("refdebug.txt", "a+");
+        fprintf(F, "libdc: ref dec: %p: %d\n",
+                ptr, ptr->ref
+            );
+        fclose(F);
+    }
+
+    if (ptr->ref <= 0 && ptr->cleanup != NULL) {
         ptr->cleanup(arg);
+
+        if (ptr->debug) {
+            FILE *F = fopen("refdebug.txt", "a+");
+            fprintf(F, "libdc: ref dec: %p: %d: cleanup!\n",
+                    ptr, ptr->ref
+                );
+            fclose(F);
+        }
     }
 }
+
+void dc_ref_debug(void *arg)
+{
+    dc_refable_t *ptr = NULL;
+    return_if_true(arg == NULL,);
+    ptr = (dc_refable_t *)arg;
+    ptr->debug = true;
+}
diff --git a/libdc/src/session.c b/libdc/src/session.c
index a467435..f602099 100644
--- a/libdc/src/session.c
+++ b/libdc/src/session.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ static void dc_session_handle_ready(dc_session_t s, dc_event_t e)
     json_t *user = NULL;
     json_t *relationships = NULL;
     json_t *presences = NULL;
-    size_t idx = 0, i = 0;
+    size_t idx = 0;
     json_t *c = NULL;
     json_t *channels = NULL;
     json_t *guilds = NULL;
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ static void dc_session_handle_ready(dc_session_t s, dc_event_t e)
             }
 
             dc_account_add_friend(s->login, u);
-            dc_session_add_account(s, u);
+            dc_session_add_account_new(s, u);
         }
     }
 
@@ -142,14 +142,7 @@ static void dc_session_handle_ready(dc_session_t s, dc_event_t e)
         json_array_foreach(guilds, idx, c) {
             dc_guild_t guild = dc_guild_from_json(c);
             continue_if_true(guild == NULL);
-            dc_session_add_guild(s, guild);
-
-            /* add their channels to our own thing
-             */
-            for (i = 0; i < dc_guild_channels(guild); i++) {
-                dc_channel_t chan = dc_guild_nth_channel(guild, i);
-                dc_session_add_channel(s, chan);
-            }
+            dc_session_add_guild_new(s, guild);
         }
     }
 
@@ -159,14 +152,10 @@ static void dc_session_handle_ready(dc_session_t s, dc_event_t e)
     if (channels != NULL && json_is_array(channels)) {
         json_array_foreach(channels, idx, c) {
             dc_channel_t chan = dc_channel_from_json(c);
-            if (chan == NULL) {
-                continue;
-            }
-
+            continue_if_true(chan == NULL);
             /* TODO: dedup recipients
              */
-
-            dc_session_add_channel(s, chan);
+            dc_session_add_channel_new(s, chan);
         }
     }
 
@@ -249,6 +238,18 @@ bool dc_session_logout(dc_session_t s)
         s->gateway = NULL;
     }
 
+    if (s->accounts != NULL) {
+        g_hash_table_remove_all(s->accounts);
+    }
+
+    if (s->guilds != NULL) {
+        g_hash_table_remove_all(s->guilds);
+    }
+
+    if (s->channels != NULL) {
+        g_hash_table_remove_all(s->channels);
+    }
+
     s->ready = false;
 
     return true;
@@ -325,6 +326,12 @@ bool dc_session_equal_me_fullname(dc_session_t s, char const *a)
 }
 
 void dc_session_add_account(dc_session_t s, dc_account_t u)
+{
+    return_if_true(s == NULL || u == NULL,);
+    dc_session_add_account_new(s, dc_ref(u));
+}
+
+void dc_session_add_account_new(dc_session_t s, dc_account_t u)
 {
     return_if_true(s == NULL || u == NULL,);
     return_if_true(dc_account_id(u) == NULL,);
@@ -332,7 +339,7 @@ void dc_session_add_account(dc_session_t s, dc_account_t u)
     char const *id = dc_account_id(u);
 
     if (!g_hash_table_contains(s->accounts, id)) {
-        g_hash_table_insert(s->accounts, strdup(id), dc_ref(u));
+        g_hash_table_insert(s->accounts, strdup(id), u);
     }
 }
 
@@ -362,6 +369,12 @@ dc_channel_t dc_session_channel_by_id(dc_session_t s, char const *snowflake)
 }
 
 void dc_session_add_channel(dc_session_t s, dc_channel_t u)
+{
+    return_if_true(s == NULL || u == NULL,);
+    dc_session_add_channel_new(s, dc_ref(u));
+}
+
+void dc_session_add_channel_new(dc_session_t s, dc_channel_t u)
 {
     return_if_true(s == NULL || u == NULL,);
     return_if_true(dc_channel_id(u) == NULL,);
@@ -369,7 +382,7 @@ void dc_session_add_channel(dc_session_t s, dc_channel_t u)
     char const *id = dc_channel_id(u);
 
     if (!g_hash_table_contains(s->channels, id)) {
-        g_hash_table_insert(s->channels, strdup(id), dc_ref(u));
+        g_hash_table_insert(s->channels, strdup(id), u);
         /* TODO: dedup for saving storage
          */
     }
@@ -392,12 +405,7 @@ dc_channel_t dc_session_make_channel(dc_session_t s, dc_account_t *r,
         }
 
         return_if_true(c == NULL, NULL);
-        dc_session_add_channel(s, c);
-        /* unref once to match the proper ref count after
-         * dc_session_add_channel()
-         * BUG: if dc_session_add_channel() fails this is bad
-         */
-        dc_unref(c);
+        dc_session_add_channel_new(s, c);
     }
 
     if (dc_channel_messages(c) <= 0 && dc_channel_is_dm(c)) {
@@ -453,17 +461,31 @@ GHashTable *dc_session_guilds(dc_session_t s)
 }
 
 void dc_session_add_guild(dc_session_t s, dc_guild_t g)
+{
+    return_if_true(s == NULL || g == NULL,);
+    dc_session_add_guild_new(s, dc_ref(g));
+}
+
+void dc_session_add_guild_new(dc_session_t s, dc_guild_t g)
 {
     return_if_true(s == NULL || g == NULL,);
     return_if_true(dc_guild_id(g) == NULL,);
 
     char const *id = dc_guild_id(g);
+    size_t i = 0;
 
     if (!g_hash_table_contains(s->guilds, id)) {
-        g_hash_table_insert(s->guilds, strdup(id), dc_ref(g));
+        g_hash_table_insert(s->guilds, strdup(id), g);
         /* TODO: dedup for saving storage
          */
     }
+
+    /* add their channels to our own thing
+     */
+    for (i = 0; i < dc_guild_channels(g); i++) {
+        dc_channel_t chan = dc_guild_nth_channel(g, i);
+        dc_session_add_channel(s, chan);
+    }
 }
 
 dc_guild_t dc_session_guild_by_name(dc_session_t s, char const *name)
diff --git a/ncdc/src/login.c b/ncdc/src/login.c
index e162d70..07a7ade 100644
--- a/ncdc/src/login.c
+++ b/ncdc/src/login.c
@@ -50,9 +50,8 @@ bool ncdc_cmd_login(ncdc_mainwindow_t n, size_t ac,
     dc_unref(current_session);
     current_session = dc_ref(s);
 
-    LOG(n, L"login: %ls: authentication successful, waiting for ready from websocket...",
-        av[1]
-        );
+    LOG(n, L"login: %ls: authentication successful, waiting for ready "
+        L"from websocket...", av[1]);
 
     while (!dc_session_is_ready(current_session))
         ;
diff --git a/ncdc/src/mainwindow.c b/ncdc/src/mainwindow.c
index 879c054..c152652 100644
--- a/ncdc/src/mainwindow.c
+++ b/ncdc/src/mainwindow.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ ncdc_mainwindow_t ncdc_mainwindow_new(void)
     ptr->focus = FOCUS_INPUT;
     ncdc_mainwindow_update_focus(ptr);
 
-    return ptr;
+    return dc_ref(ptr);
 }
 
 static bool
diff --git a/ncdc/src/msg.c b/ncdc/src/msg.c
index b8acda3..1a8aeb9 100644
--- a/ncdc/src/msg.c
+++ b/ncdc/src/msg.c
@@ -63,9 +63,7 @@ bool ncdc_cmd_msg(ncdc_mainwindow_t n, size_t ac,
 
 cleanup:
 
-    dc_unref(c);
     dc_unref(m);
-
     free(target);
     free(message);