diff --git a/src/libCom/timer/epicsTimer.cpp b/src/libCom/timer/epicsTimer.cpp
index 01ae58c93..2364074ce 100644
--- a/src/libCom/timer/epicsTimer.cpp
+++ b/src/libCom/timer/epicsTimer.cpp
@@ -64,8 +64,10 @@ epicsTimerNotify::expireStatus epicsTimerForC::expire ( const epicsTime & )
     return noRestart;
 }
 
-epicsTimerQueueActiveForC::epicsTimerQueueActiveForC ( bool okToShare, unsigned priority ) :
-    timerQueueActive ( okToShare, priority )
+epicsTimerQueueActiveForC ::
+    epicsTimerQueueActiveForC ( RefMgr & refMgr, 
+        bool okToShare, unsigned priority ) :
+    timerQueueActive ( refMgr, okToShare, priority )
 {
 }
 
@@ -75,9 +77,7 @@ epicsTimerQueueActiveForC::~epicsTimerQueueActiveForC ()
 
 void epicsTimerQueueActiveForC::release ()
 {
-    epicsSingleton < timerQueueActiveMgr >::reference pMgr = 
-        timerQueueMgrEPICS.getReference ();
-    pMgr->release ( *this );
+    _refMgr->release ( *this );
 }
 
 epicsTimerQueuePassiveForC::epicsTimerQueuePassiveForC ( 
@@ -203,10 +203,10 @@ extern "C" epicsTimerQueueId epicsShareAPI
     epicsTimerQueueAllocate ( int okToShare, unsigned int threadPriority )
 {
     try {
-        epicsSingleton < timerQueueActiveMgr >::reference ref = 
+        epicsSingleton < timerQueueActiveMgr > :: reference ref = 
             timerQueueMgrEPICS.getReference ();
         epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & tmr = 
-            ref->allocate ( okToShare ? true : false, threadPriority );
+            ref->allocate ( ref, okToShare ? true : false, threadPriority );
         return &tmr;
     }
     catch ( ... ) {
diff --git a/src/libCom/timer/timerPrivate.h b/src/libCom/timer/timerPrivate.h
index 57d1c6ced..f673c891b 100644
--- a/src/libCom/timer/timerPrivate.h
+++ b/src/libCom/timer/timerPrivate.h
@@ -120,11 +120,14 @@ private:
     friend class timerQueueActiveMgr;
 };
 
+extern epicsSingleton < timerQueueActiveMgr > timerQueueMgrEPICS;
+
 class timerQueueActive : public epicsTimerQueueActive, 
     public epicsThreadRunable, public epicsTimerQueueNotify,
     public timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate {
 public:
-    timerQueueActive ( bool okToShare, unsigned priority );
+    typedef epicsSingleton < timerQueueActiveMgr > :: reference RefMgr;
+    timerQueueActive ( RefMgr &, bool okToShare, unsigned priority );
     epicsTimer & createTimer ();
     epicsTimerForC & createTimerForC ( epicsTimerCallback pCallback, void *pArg );
     void show ( unsigned int level ) const;
@@ -132,6 +135,7 @@ public:
     unsigned threadPriority () const;
 protected:
     ~timerQueueActive ();
+    RefMgr _refMgr;
 private:
     timerQueue queue;
     epicsEvent rescheduleEvent;
@@ -151,9 +155,10 @@ private:
 
 class timerQueueActiveMgr {
 public:
+    typedef epicsSingleton < timerQueueActiveMgr > :: reference RefThis;
 	timerQueueActiveMgr ();
     ~timerQueueActiveMgr ();
-    epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & allocate ( bool okToShare, 
+    epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & allocate ( RefThis &, bool okToShare, 
         unsigned threadPriority = epicsThreadPriorityMin + 10 );
     void release ( epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & );
 private:
@@ -163,8 +168,6 @@ private:
     timerQueueActiveMgr & operator = ( const timerQueueActiveMgr & );
 };
 
-extern epicsSingleton < timerQueueActiveMgr > timerQueueMgrEPICS;
-
 class timerQueuePassive : public epicsTimerQueuePassive {
 public:
     timerQueuePassive ( epicsTimerQueueNotify & );
@@ -202,7 +205,7 @@ private:
 struct epicsTimerQueueActiveForC : public timerQueueActive, 
     public tsDLNode < epicsTimerQueueActiveForC > {
 public:
-    epicsTimerQueueActiveForC ( bool okToShare, unsigned priority );
+    epicsTimerQueueActiveForC ( RefMgr &, bool okToShare, unsigned priority );
     void release ();
     void * operator new ( size_t );
     void operator delete ( void * );
diff --git a/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActive.cpp b/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActive.cpp
index aa6e83af0..c9db12043 100644
--- a/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActive.cpp
+++ b/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActive.cpp
@@ -38,11 +38,13 @@ epicsTimerQueueActive & epicsTimerQueueActive::allocate ( bool okToShare, unsign
 {
     epicsSingleton < timerQueueActiveMgr >::reference pMgr = 
         timerQueueMgrEPICS.getReference ();
-    return pMgr->allocate ( okToShare, threadPriority );
+    return pMgr->allocate ( pMgr, okToShare, threadPriority );
 }
 
-timerQueueActive::timerQueueActive ( bool okToShareIn, unsigned priority ) :
-    queue ( *this ), thread ( *this, "timerQueue", 
+timerQueueActive ::
+    timerQueueActive ( RefMgr & refMgr, 
+        bool okToShareIn, unsigned priority ) :
+    _refMgr ( refMgr ), queue ( *this ), thread ( *this, "timerQueue", 
         epicsThreadGetStackSize ( epicsThreadStackMedium ), priority ),
     sleepQuantum ( epicsThreadSleepQuantum() ), okToShare ( okToShareIn ), 
     exitFlag ( false ), terminateFlag ( false )
diff --git a/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActiveMgr.cpp b/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActiveMgr.cpp
index 8ccd0d09c..89288a6cb 100644
--- a/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActiveMgr.cpp
+++ b/src/libCom/timer/timerQueueActiveMgr.cpp
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ timerQueueActiveMgr::~timerQueueActiveMgr ()
     epicsGuard < epicsMutex > locker ( this->mutex );
 }
     
-epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & timerQueueActiveMgr::allocate (
-        bool okToShare, unsigned threadPriority )
+epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & timerQueueActiveMgr ::
+    allocate ( RefThis & refThis, bool okToShare, unsigned threadPriority )
 {
     epicsGuard < epicsMutex > locker ( this->mutex );
     if ( okToShare ) {
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & timerQueueActiveMgr::allocate (
     }
 
     epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & queue = 
-        * new epicsTimerQueueActiveForC ( okToShare, threadPriority );
+        * new epicsTimerQueueActiveForC ( refThis, okToShare, threadPriority );
     queue.timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate::referenceCount = 1u;
     if ( okToShare ) {
         this->sharedQueueList.add ( queue );
@@ -55,18 +55,24 @@ epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & timerQueueActiveMgr::allocate (
     return queue;
 }
 
-void timerQueueActiveMgr::release ( epicsTimerQueueActiveForC &queue )
+void timerQueueActiveMgr ::
+    release ( epicsTimerQueueActiveForC & 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 );
+    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 );
+            }
         }
-        timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate *pPriv = &queue;
-        delete pPriv;
     }
+    // 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
+    delete pPriv;
 }
 
 timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate::timerQueueActiveMgrPrivate () :