diff --git a/oio-win.c b/oio-win.c
index c4ccc122e..4d750a2c0 100644
--- a/oio-win.c
+++ b/oio-win.c
@@ -673,6 +673,7 @@ int oio_timeout(oio_req* req, int64_t timeout) {
     return -1;
   }
 
+  oio_refs_++;
   req->flags |= OIO_REQ_PENDING;
   return 0;
 }
@@ -738,6 +739,7 @@ static void oio_poll() {
        req = RB_MIN(oio_timer_s, &oio_timers_)) {
     RB_REMOVE(oio_timer_s, &oio_timers_, req);
     req->flags &= ~OIO_REQ_PENDING;
+    oio_refs_--;
     ((oio_timer_cb)req->cb)(req, req->due - oio_now_);
   }
 
diff --git a/test/test-timeout.c b/test/test-timeout.c
index 481d7529b..5fc513053 100644
--- a/test/test-timeout.c
+++ b/test/test-timeout.c
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ void timeout_cb(oio_req *req) {
 
 void exit_timeout_cb(oio_req *req) {
   ASSERT(req != NULL);
-  free(req);
   ASSERT(timeouts == expected);
   exit(0);
 }
@@ -33,7 +32,7 @@ TEST_IMPL(timeout) {
 
   oio_init();
 
-  /* Let 10 timers time out it 500 ms. */
+  /* Let 10 timers time out in 500 ms total. */
   for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
     req = (oio_req*)malloc(sizeof(*req));
     ASSERT(req != NULL)