diff --git a/src/servers/app/ServerApp.cpp b/src/servers/app/ServerApp.cpp
index 38606ae4e2..30f8a5b7a8 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/ServerApp.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/ServerApp.cpp
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ ServerApp::_DispatchMessage(int32 code, BPrivate::LinkReceiver& link)
 				STRACE(("ServerApp %s: Deleting Bitmap %ld\n", Signature(),
 					token));
 
-				bitmap->ReleaseReference();
+				bitmap->ReleaseClientReference();
 			}
 
 			fMapLocker.Unlock();
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ ServerApp::_DispatchMessage(int32 code, BPrivate::LinkReceiver& link)
 
 				ServerPicture* picture = _FindPicture(token);
 				if (picture != NULL)
-					picture->ReleaseReference();
+					picture->ReleaseClientReference();
 			}
 			break;
 		}
diff --git a/src/servers/app/ServerBitmap.cpp b/src/servers/app/ServerBitmap.cpp
index f3476c8ccc..f0570f5c54 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/ServerBitmap.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/ServerBitmap.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ ServerBitmap::ServerBitmap(BRect rect, color_space space, uint32 flags,
 	fBytesPerRow(0),
 	fSpace(space),
 	fFlags(flags),
-	fOwner(NULL)
+	fOwner(NULL),
+	fHasClientReference(true)
 	// fToken is initialized (if used) by the BitmapManager
 {
 	int32 minBytesPerRow = get_bytes_per_row(space, fWidth);
@@ -91,7 +92,8 @@ ServerBitmap::ServerBitmap(const ServerBitmap* bitmap)
 	fAllocationCookie(NULL),
 	fOverlay(NULL),
 	fBuffer(NULL),
-	fReferenceCount(1)
+	fReferenceCount(1),
+	fHasClientReference(false)
 {
 	if (bitmap) {
 		fWidth = bitmap->fWidth;
@@ -220,6 +222,18 @@ ServerBitmap::Owner() const
 }
 
 
+bool
+ServerBitmap::ReleaseClientReference()
+{
+	if (!fHasClientReference)
+		return false;
+
+	fHasClientReference = false;
+	ReleaseReference();
+	return true;
+}
+
+
 void
 ServerBitmap::PrintToStream()
 {
diff --git a/src/servers/app/ServerBitmap.h b/src/servers/app/ServerBitmap.h
index 5da3088ac9..787687ed70 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/ServerBitmap.h
+++ b/src/servers/app/ServerBitmap.h
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ public:
 			bool			SetOwner(ServerApp* owner);
 			ServerApp*		Owner() const;
 
+			bool			ReleaseClientReference();
+
 	//! Does a shallow copy of the bitmap passed to it
 	inline	void			ShallowCopy(const ServerBitmap *from);
 
@@ -112,6 +114,7 @@ protected:
 
 			ServerApp*		fOwner;
 			int32			fToken;
+			bool			fHasClientReference;
 };
 
 class UtilityBitmap : public ServerBitmap {
diff --git a/src/servers/app/ServerPicture.cpp b/src/servers/app/ServerPicture.cpp
index 2d23b5e9d5..8a1714bf3a 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/ServerPicture.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/ServerPicture.cpp
@@ -784,7 +784,8 @@ ServerPicture::ServerPicture()
 	fFile(NULL),
 	fPictures(NULL),
 	fUsurped(NULL),
-	fOwner(NULL)
+	fOwner(NULL),
+	fHasClientReference(true)
 {
 	fToken = gTokenSpace.NewToken(kPictureToken, this);
 	fData = new(std::nothrow) BMallocIO();
@@ -799,7 +800,8 @@ ServerPicture::ServerPicture(const ServerPicture& picture)
 	fData(NULL),
 	fPictures(NULL),
 	fUsurped(NULL),
-	fOwner(NULL)
+	fOwner(NULL),
+	fHasClientReference(false)
 {
 	fToken = gTokenSpace.NewToken(kPictureToken, this);
 
@@ -826,7 +828,8 @@ ServerPicture::ServerPicture(const char* fileName, int32 offset)
 	fData(NULL),
 	fPictures(NULL),
 	fUsurped(NULL),
-	fOwner(NULL)
+	fOwner(NULL),
+	fHasClientReference(true)
 {
 	fToken = gTokenSpace.NewToken(kPictureToken, this);
 
@@ -877,6 +880,18 @@ ServerPicture::SetOwner(ServerApp* owner)
 }
 
 
+bool
+ServerPicture::ReleaseClientReference()
+{
+	if (!fHasClientReference)
+		return false;
+
+	fHasClientReference = false;
+	ReleaseReference();
+	return true;
+}
+
+
 void
 ServerPicture::EnterStateChange()
 {
diff --git a/src/servers/app/ServerPicture.h b/src/servers/app/ServerPicture.h
index 1b26a70d85..512da18c70 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/ServerPicture.h
+++ b/src/servers/app/ServerPicture.h
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ public:
 			int32				Token() { return fToken; }
 			bool				SetOwner(ServerApp* owner);
 
+			bool				ReleaseClientReference();
+
 			void				EnterStateChange();
 			void				ExitStateChange();
 
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ private:
 			PictureList*		fPictures;
 			ServerPicture*		fUsurped;
 			ServerApp*			fOwner;
+			bool				fHasClientReference;
 };
 
 #endif	// SERVER_PICTURE_H