diff --git a/src/sys/device.c b/src/sys/device.c
index c56f97c9..7f332c8a 100644
--- a/src/sys/device.c
+++ b/src/sys/device.c
@@ -204,6 +204,14 @@ static NTSTATUS FspFsvolDeviceInit(PDEVICE_OBJECT DeviceObject)
 static VOID FspFsvolDeviceFini(PDEVICE_OBJECT DeviceObject)
 {
     PAGED_CODE();
+
+    FSP_FSVOL_DEVICE_EXTENSION *FsvolDeviceExtension = FspFsvolDeviceExtension(DeviceObject);
+
+    /*
+     * Dereference the virtual volume device so that it can now go away.
+     */
+    if (0 != FsvolDeviceExtension->FsvrtDeviceObject)
+        ObDereferenceObject(FsvolDeviceExtension->FsvrtDeviceObject);
 }
 
 BOOLEAN FspDeviceRetain(PDEVICE_OBJECT DeviceObject)
diff --git a/src/sys/fsctl.c b/src/sys/fsctl.c
index a430a931..3e41ab3a 100644
--- a/src/sys/fsctl.c
+++ b/src/sys/fsctl.c
@@ -230,6 +230,12 @@ static NTSTATUS FspFsctlMountVolume(
             &FsvolDeviceObject);
         if (NT_SUCCESS(Result))
         {
+            /*
+             * Reference the virtual volume device so that it will not go away while the
+             * file system device object is alive!
+             */
+            ObReferenceObject(FsvrtDeviceObject);
+
 #pragma prefast(suppress:28175, "We are a filesystem: ok to access SectorSize")
             FsvolDeviceObject->SectorSize = FsvrtDeviceExtension->VolumeParams.SectorSize;
             FsvolDeviceExtension = FspFsvolDeviceExtension(FsvolDeviceObject);