diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/nine/iunknown.c b/src/gallium/frontends/nine/iunknown.c
index 2f3286a2308..d9b67ab7a4e 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/nine/iunknown.c
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/nine/iunknown.c
@@ -134,12 +134,14 @@ NineUnknown_Release( struct NineUnknown *This )
     ULONG r = p_atomic_dec_return(&This->refs);
 
     if (r == 0) {
+        struct NineDevice9 *device = This->device;
         /* Containers (here with !forward) take care of item destruction */
+
         if (!This->container && This->bind == 0) {
             This->dtor(This);
         }
-        if (This->device) {
-            NineUnknown_Release(NineUnknown(This->device));
+        if (device) {
+            NineUnknown_Release(NineUnknown(device));
         }
     }
     return r;
@@ -156,14 +158,15 @@ NineUnknown_ReleaseWithDtorLock( struct NineUnknown *This )
     ULONG r = p_atomic_dec_return(&This->refs);
 
     if (r == 0) {
+        struct NineDevice9 *device = This->device;
         /* Containers (here with !forward) take care of item destruction */
         if (!This->container && This->bind == 0) {
             NineLockGlobalMutex();
             This->dtor(This);
             NineUnlockGlobalMutex();
         }
-        if (This->device) {
-            NineUnknown_ReleaseWithDtorLock(NineUnknown(This->device));
+        if (device) {
+            NineUnknown_ReleaseWithDtorLock(NineUnknown(device));
         }
     }
     return r;