diff --git a/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActiveMgr.cpp b/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActiveMgr.cpp
index 1b04bee98..803b96bba 100644
--- a/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActiveMgr.cpp
+++ b/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActiveMgr.cpp
@@ -58,20 +58,21 @@ epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & timerQueueActiveMgr ::
 void timerQueueActiveMgr ::
     release ( epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & queue )
 {
-    timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate * pPriv = & queue;
     {
         epicsGuard < epicsMutex > locker ( this->mutex );
         assert ( queue.timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate::referenceCount > 0u );
         queue.timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate::referenceCount--;
-        if ( queue.timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate::referenceCount == 0u ) {
-            if ( queue.sharingOK () ) {
-                this->sharedQueueList.remove ( queue );
-            }
+        if ( queue.timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate::referenceCount > 0u ) {
+            return;
+        }
+        else if ( queue.sharingOK () ) {
+            this->sharedQueueList.remove ( queue );
         }
     }
     // delete only after we release the guard in case the embedded 
     // reference is the last one and this object is destroyed
     // as a side effect
+    timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate * pPriv = & queue;
     delete pPriv;
 }