diff --git a/src/lib/eo/eo.c b/src/lib/eo/eo.c
index f147f0d2c7..50b8e6673f 100644
--- a/src/lib/eo/eo.c
+++ b/src/lib/eo/eo.c
@@ -697,19 +697,11 @@ _eo_add_internal_start(const char *file, int line, const Eo_Class *klass_id, Eo
 
    _eo_condtor_reset(obj);
 
-   _eo_ref(obj);
+   eo_ref(eo_id);
 
+   /* Reference for the parent if is_ref is done in _eo_add_end */
    eo_parent_set(eo_id, parent_id);
 
-   /* If there's a parent. Ref. Eo_add should return an object with either a
-    * parent ref, or with the lack of, just a ref. */
-     {
-        if (ref && eo_parent_get(eo_id))
-          {
-             _eo_ref(obj);
-          }
-     }
-
    /* eo_id can change here. Freeing is done on the resolved object. */
    eo_id = eo_constructor(eo_id);
    if (!eo_id)
@@ -724,10 +716,16 @@ _eo_add_internal_start(const char *file, int line, const Eo_Class *klass_id, Eo
      }
    else if (eo_id != _eo_obj_id_get(obj))
      {
+        EO_OBJ_POINTER_RETURN_VAL(eo_id, new_obj, NULL);
         /* We have two refs at this point. */
         _eo_unref(obj);
-        _eo_unref(obj);
+        eo_del((Eo *) obj->header.id);
 
+        _eo_ref(new_obj);
+     }
+
+   if (ref && eo_parent_get(eo_id))
+     {
         eo_ref(eo_id);
      }
 
@@ -1374,11 +1372,11 @@ eo_isa(const Eo *eo_id, const Eo_Class *klass_id)
 EAPI Eo *
 eo_xref_internal(const char *file, int line, Eo *obj_id, const Eo *ref_obj_id)
 {
-   EO_OBJ_POINTER_RETURN_VAL(obj_id, obj, obj_id);
-
-   _eo_ref(obj);
+   eo_ref(obj_id);
 
 #ifdef EO_DEBUG
+   EO_OBJ_POINTER_RETURN_VAL(obj_id, obj, obj_id);
+
    Eo_Xref_Node *xref = calloc(1, sizeof(*xref));
    xref->ref_obj = ref_obj_id;
    xref->file = file;
@@ -1419,7 +1417,7 @@ eo_xunref(Eo *obj_id, const Eo *ref_obj_id)
 #else
    (void) ref_obj_id;
 #endif
-   _eo_unref(obj);
+   eo_unref(obj_id);
 }
 
 EAPI Eo *
@@ -1427,7 +1425,11 @@ eo_ref(const Eo *obj_id)
 {
    EO_OBJ_POINTER_RETURN_VAL(obj_id, obj, (Eo *)obj_id);
 
-   _eo_ref(obj);
+   ++(obj->user_refcount);
+   if (EINA_UNLIKELY(obj->user_refcount == 1))
+     {
+        _eo_ref(obj);
+     }
    return (Eo *)obj_id;
 }
 
@@ -1436,7 +1438,17 @@ eo_unref(const Eo *obj_id)
 {
    EO_OBJ_POINTER_RETURN(obj_id, obj);
 
-   _eo_unref(obj);
+   --(obj->user_refcount);
+   if (EINA_UNLIKELY(obj->user_refcount <= 0))
+     {
+        if (obj->user_refcount < 0)
+          {
+             ERR("Obj:%p. User refcount (%d) < 0. Too many unrefs.", obj, obj->user_refcount);
+             return;
+          }
+
+        _eo_unref(obj);
+     }
 }
 
 EAPI int
@@ -1444,7 +1456,7 @@ eo_ref_get(const Eo *obj_id)
 {
    EO_OBJ_POINTER_RETURN_VAL(obj_id, obj, 0);
 
-   return obj->refcount;
+   return obj->user_refcount;
 }
 
 EAPI void
diff --git a/src/lib/eo/eo_base_class.c b/src/lib/eo/eo_base_class.c
index 2e2fe3fb2e..92e10af655 100644
--- a/src/lib/eo/eo_base_class.c
+++ b/src/lib/eo/eo_base_class.c
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ _eo_base_parent_set(Eo *obj, Eo_Base_Data *pd, Eo *parent_id)
          * the process of deleting the object.*/
         if (!parent_id && !eo_obj->del_triggered)
           {
-             _eo_unref(eo_obj);
+             eo_unref(obj);
           }
      }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/eo/eo_private.h b/src/lib/eo/eo_private.h
index 9958c8210f..d47fcca93a 100644
--- a/src/lib/eo/eo_private.h
+++ b/src/lib/eo/eo_private.h
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ struct _Eo_Object
      Eo_Del_Intercept del_intercept;
 
      short refcount;
+     short user_refcount;
 #ifdef EO_DEBUG
      short datarefcount;
 #endif
@@ -322,8 +323,9 @@ _eo_unref(_Eo_Object *obj)
 
         if (obj->del_intercept)
           {
-             (obj->refcount)++;
-             obj->del_intercept(_eo_obj_id_get(obj));
+             Eo *obj_id = _eo_obj_id_get(obj);
+             eo_ref(obj_id);
+             obj->del_intercept(obj_id);
              return;
           }
 
diff --git a/src/tests/eo/suite/eo_test_class_behaviour_errors.c b/src/tests/eo/suite/eo_test_class_behaviour_errors.c
index 12c478f454..3b25b389c0 100644
--- a/src/tests/eo/suite/eo_test_class_behaviour_errors.c
+++ b/src/tests/eo/suite/eo_test_class_behaviour_errors.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ START_TEST(eo_destructor_unref)
    Eo *obj = eo_add(klass, NULL);
    fail_if(!obj);
 
-   TEST_EO_ERROR("_eo_unref", "Object %p deletion already triggered. You wrongly call eo_unref() within a destructor.");
+   TEST_EO_ERROR("eo_unref", "Obj:%p. User refcount (%d) < 0. Too many unrefs.");
    eo_unref(obj);
 
    eina_log_print_cb_set(eina_log_print_cb_stderr, NULL);
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ START_TEST(eo_destructor_double_del)
    eo_manual_free_set(obj, EINA_TRUE);
    fail_if(!obj);
 
-   TEST_EO_ERROR("_eo_unref", "Object %p already destructed.");
+   TEST_EO_ERROR("eo_unref", "Obj:%p. User refcount (%d) < 0. Too many unrefs.");
    eo_del(obj);
    eo_del(obj);