diff --git a/src/bin/elementary/test_ui_tab_pager.c b/src/bin/elementary/test_ui_tab_pager.c
index fe7dc968f7..ab0559276e 100644
--- a/src/bin/elementary/test_ui_tab_pager.c
+++ b/src/bin/elementary/test_ui_tab_pager.c
@@ -558,7 +558,6 @@ _tran_set_btn_scroll_cb(void *data, const Efl_Event *ev EINA_UNUSED)
 {
    Efl_Ui_Spotlight_Manager_Scroll *scroll = efl_new(EFL_UI_SPOTLIGHT_MANAGER_SCROLL_CLASS);
    efl_ui_spotlight_manager_set(data, scroll);
-   efl_unref(scroll);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -566,7 +565,6 @@ _tran_set_btn_stack_cb(void *data, const Efl_Event *ev EINA_UNUSED)
 {
    Efl_Ui_Spotlight_Manager_Scroll *stack = efl_new(EFL_UI_SPOTLIGHT_MANAGER_STACK_CLASS);
    efl_ui_spotlight_manager_set(data, stack);
-   efl_unref(stack);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/lib/elementary/efl_ui_spotlight_container.c b/src/lib/elementary/efl_ui_spotlight_container.c
index 9906864d7a..37ee165667 100644
--- a/src/lib/elementary/efl_ui_spotlight_container.c
+++ b/src/lib/elementary/efl_ui_spotlight_container.c
@@ -214,9 +214,7 @@ _efl_ui_spotlight_container_efl_object_finalize(Eo *obj, Efl_Ui_Spotlight_Contai
    //set a view manager in case nothing is here
    if (!manager)
      {
-        Eo *plain;
-        plain = efl_add(EFL_UI_SPOTLIGHT_MANAGER_PLAIN_CLASS, obj);
-        efl_ui_spotlight_manager_set(obj, plain);
+         efl_ui_spotlight_manager_set(obj, efl_new(EFL_UI_SPOTLIGHT_MANAGER_PLAIN_CLASS));
      }
    else
      {
@@ -605,7 +603,10 @@ _efl_ui_spotlight_container_spotlight_manager_set(Eo *obj, Efl_Ui_Spotlight_Cont
 
    if (pd->transition)
      {
+        EINA_SAFETY_ON_FALSE_RETURN(efl_ownable_get(pd->transition));
         efl_parent_set(pd->transition, obj);
+        //the api indicates that the caller passes ownership to this function, so we need to unref here
+        efl_unref(pd->transition);
         //disable animation when not finalized yet, this help reducing the overhead of scheduling a animation that will not be displayed
         efl_ui_spotlight_manager_animation_enabled_set(pd->transition, efl_finalized_get(obj));
         efl_ui_spotlight_manager_bind(pd->transition, obj,
diff --git a/src/lib/elementary/efl_ui_spotlight_util.c b/src/lib/elementary/efl_ui_spotlight_util.c
index 308b4f3eaa..c49ebd4d8c 100644
--- a/src/lib/elementary/efl_ui_spotlight_util.c
+++ b/src/lib/elementary/efl_ui_spotlight_util.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ typedef struct {
 EOLIAN static Efl_Ui_Spotlight_Container*
 _efl_ui_spotlight_util_stack_gen(Efl_Ui_Widget *parent)
 {
-   Efl_Ui_Spotlight_Manager *manager = efl_add(EFL_UI_SPOTLIGHT_MANAGER_STACK_CLASS, parent);
+   Efl_Ui_Spotlight_Manager *manager = efl_new(EFL_UI_SPOTLIGHT_MANAGER_STACK_CLASS);
    return efl_add(EFL_UI_SPOTLIGHT_CONTAINER_CLASS, parent,
                   efl_ui_spotlight_manager_set(efl_added, manager));
 }
diff --git a/src/tests/elementary/efl_ui_test_spotlight.c b/src/tests/elementary/efl_ui_test_spotlight.c
index 7a39e6e940..6b5a79291d 100644
--- a/src/tests/elementary/efl_ui_test_spotlight.c
+++ b/src/tests/elementary/efl_ui_test_spotlight.c
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ _create_transition(void)
 {
    Eo *obj;
 
-   obj = efl_add(efl_ui_spotlight_manager_realized_class_get(), win);
+   obj = efl_new(efl_ui_spotlight_manager_realized_class_get());
    efl_object_override(obj, &transition_tracker);
 
    return obj;