typedef struct CD {
     Artist *artist;
+    SV     *artist_ref;
     /* ... */
 } CD;
 
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@
     cd->artist = artist;
 
     /* WHY DOESN'T THIS SAVE THE ARTIST FROM DESTRUCTION? */
-    SvREFCNT_inc(artist->perlobj);
+    cd->artist_ref = newSVsv(artist_sv);
 
     cd_ref = newSV(0);
     sv_setref_pv(cd_ref, "CD", (void*)cd);
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@
 void
 destroy_cd(SV *cd_sv) {
     CD *cd = INT2PTR( CD*, SvIV(SvRV(cd_sv)) );
-    SvREFCNT_dec(cd->artist->perlobj);
+    SvREFCNT_dec(cd->artist_ref);
     Safefree(cd);
 }