diff --git a/src/xpub.cpp b/src/xpub.cpp
index afc0ba2a..9c4f1e2f 100644
--- a/src/xpub.cpp
+++ b/src/xpub.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ void zmq::xpub_t::xread_activated (pipe_t *pipe_)
         //  Apply the subscription to the trie
         unsigned char *const data = (unsigned char *) sub.data ();
         const size_t size = sub.size ();
+        metadata_t* metadata = sub.metadata();
         if (size > 0 && (*data == 0 || *data == 1)) {
             if (manual)
             {
@@ -100,7 +101,9 @@ void zmq::xpub_t::xread_activated (pipe_t *pipe_)
 
                 pending_pipes.push_back(pipe_);
                 pending_data.push_back(blob_t(data, size));
-                pending_metadata.push_back(sub.metadata());
+                if (metadata)
+                    metadata->add_ref();
+                pending_metadata.push_back(metadata);
                 pending_flags.push_back(0);
             }
             else
@@ -117,7 +120,9 @@ void zmq::xpub_t::xread_activated (pipe_t *pipe_)
                 if (options.type == ZMQ_XPUB && (unique || (*data == 1 && verbose_subs) ||
                         (*data == 0 && verbose_unsubs && verbose_subs))) {
                     pending_data.push_back(blob_t(data, size));
-                    pending_metadata.push_back(sub.metadata());
+                    if (metadata)
+                        metadata->add_ref();
+                    pending_metadata.push_back(metadata);
                     pending_flags.push_back(0);
                 }
             }
@@ -125,7 +130,9 @@ void zmq::xpub_t::xread_activated (pipe_t *pipe_)
         else {
             //  Process user message coming upstream from xsub socket
             pending_data.push_back (blob_t (data, size));
-            pending_metadata.push_back (sub.metadata ());
+            if (metadata)
+                metadata->add_ref();
+            pending_metadata.push_back (metadata);
             pending_flags.push_back (sub.flags ());
         }
         sub.close ();
@@ -280,6 +287,8 @@ int zmq::xpub_t::xrecv (msg_t *msg_)
     // set metadata only if there is some
     if (metadata_t* metadata = pending_metadata.front ()) {
         msg_->set_metadata (metadata);
+        // Remove ref corresponding to vector placement
+        metadata->drop_ref();
     }
 
     msg_->set_flags (pending_flags.front ());