diff --git a/legacy/evas/ChangeLog b/legacy/evas/ChangeLog
index 6c9cd16ba8..437395c5f0 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/ChangeLog
+++ b/legacy/evas/ChangeLog
@@ -143,5 +143,6 @@
 2011-03-08  Carsten Haitzler (The Rasterman)
 
 	* Fix problem with different x vsync api between SGI and EXT flavor
-        as they have the same base name, but different prototypes.
-
+        as they have the same base name, but different prototypes
+        * Add evas_object_ref() and evas_object_unref() to defer
+        deletion of objects until all references are removed
diff --git a/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h b/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h
index c9f9f7171e..f3d19b6acf 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h
+++ b/legacy/evas/src/lib/Evas.h
@@ -898,6 +898,9 @@ typedef void      (*Evas_Async_Events_Put_Cb)(void *target, Evas_Callback_Type t
    EAPI void              evas_object_name_set              (Evas_Object *obj, const char *name) EINA_ARG_NONNULL(1);
    EAPI const char       *evas_object_name_get              (const Evas_Object *obj) EINA_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT EINA_ARG_NONNULL(1) EINA_PURE;
 
+   EAPI void              evas_object_ref                   (Evas_Object *obj);
+   EAPI void              evas_object_unref                 (Evas_Object *obj);
+   
    EAPI void              evas_object_del                   (Evas_Object *obj) EINA_ARG_NONNULL(1);
    EAPI void              evas_object_move                  (Evas_Object *obj, Evas_Coord x, Evas_Coord y) EINA_ARG_NONNULL(1);
    EAPI void              evas_object_resize                (Evas_Object *obj, Evas_Coord w, Evas_Coord h) EINA_ARG_NONNULL(1);
diff --git a/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_object_main.c b/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_object_main.c
index 57c36e0470..4b949e6653 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_object_main.c
+++ b/legacy/evas/src/lib/canvas/evas_object_main.c
@@ -355,6 +355,53 @@ evas_object_was_inside(Evas_Object *obj, Evas_Coord x, Evas_Coord y)
 }
 /* routines apps will call */
 
+/**
+ * Increments object reference count to defer deletion
+ * 
+ * This increments the reference count of an object, which if greater than
+ * 0 will defer deletion by evas_object_del() until all references are
+ * released back to 0. References cannot go below 0 and unreferencing more
+ * times that referencing will result in the reference count being limited
+ * to 0. References are limited to 2^32 - 1 for an object. Referencing it more
+ * than this will result in it being limited to this value.
+ * 
+ * @param obj The given evas object to reference
+ * @ingroup Evas_Object_Group_Basic
+ * @since 1.1.0
+ */
+EAPI void
+evas_object_ref(Evas_Object *obj)
+{
+   MAGIC_CHECK(obj, Evas_Object, MAGIC_OBJ);
+   return;
+   MAGIC_CHECK_END();
+   obj->ref++;
+   if (obj->ref == 0) obj->ref--;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Decrements object reference count to defer deletion
+ * 
+ * This decrements the reference count of an object. If the object has had
+ * evas_object_del() called on it while references were more than 0, it will
+ * be deleted at the time this function is called as it normally would have
+ * been. See evas_object_ref() for more information.
+ * 
+ * @param obj The given evas object to unreference
+ * @ingroup Evas_Object_Group_Basic
+ * @since 1.1.0
+ */
+EAPI void
+evas_object_unref(Evas_Object *obj)
+{
+   MAGIC_CHECK(obj, Evas_Object, MAGIC_OBJ);
+   return;
+   MAGIC_CHECK_END();
+   if (obj->ref == 0) return;
+   obj->ref--;
+   if ((obj->del_ref) && (obj->ref == 0)) evas_object_del(obj);
+}
+
 /**
  * Deletes the given evas object and frees its memory.
  *
@@ -374,6 +421,11 @@ evas_object_del(Evas_Object *obj)
 
    if (obj->delete_me) return;
 
+   if (obj->ref > 0)
+     {
+        obj->del_ref = 1;
+        return;
+     }
 #ifdef EVAS_FRAME_QUEUING
    evas_common_frameq_flush();
 #endif
diff --git a/legacy/evas/src/lib/include/evas_private.h b/legacy/evas/src/lib/include/evas_private.h
index 88487fd421..a8dbf4b6af 100644
--- a/legacy/evas/src/lib/include/evas_private.h
+++ b/legacy/evas/src/lib/include/evas_private.h
@@ -459,6 +459,8 @@ struct _Evas_Object
    struct {
       int                      in_move, in_resize;
    } doing;
+   
+   unsigned int                ref;
 
    unsigned char               delete_me;
 
@@ -487,6 +489,7 @@ struct _Evas_Object
    Eina_Bool                   changed_move : 1;
    Eina_Bool                   changed_move_only : 1;
    Eina_Bool                   changed_nomove : 1;
+   Eina_Bool                   del_ref : 1;
 };
 
 struct _Evas_Func_Node