diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.c
index 07e507f24c4..9f484926dfd 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ zink_reset_batch_state(struct zink_context *ctx, struct zink_batch_state *bs)
    set_foreach(bs->surfaces, entry) {
       struct zink_surface *surf = (struct zink_surface *)entry->key;
       batch_usage_unset(&surf->batch_uses, !!bs->is_compute, bs->batch_id);
-      pipe_surface_reference((struct pipe_surface**)&surf, NULL);
+      zink_surface_reference(screen, &surf, NULL);
       _mesa_set_remove(bs->surfaces, entry);
    }
    set_foreach(bs->bufferviews, entry) {
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_clear.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_clear.c
index 730da29915e..e5aa63b76ed 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_clear.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_clear.c
@@ -404,6 +404,7 @@ zink_clear_texture(struct pipe_context *pctx,
          util_blitter_clear_depth_stencil(ctx->blitter, surf, flags, depth, stencil, box->x, box->y, box->width, box->height);
       }
    }
+   /* this will never destroy the surface */
    pipe_surface_reference(&surf, NULL);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_context.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_context.c
index 095ec61de36..0266215dc94 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_context.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_context.c
@@ -693,8 +693,7 @@ zink_sampler_view_destroy(struct pipe_context *pctx,
    if (pview->texture->target == PIPE_BUFFER)
       zink_buffer_view_reference(zink_screen(pctx->screen), &view->buffer_view, NULL);
    else {
-      struct pipe_surface *psurf = &view->image_view->base;
-      pipe_surface_reference(&psurf, NULL);
+      zink_surface_reference(zink_screen(pctx->screen), &view->image_view, NULL);
    }
    pipe_resource_reference(&pview->texture, NULL);
    FREE(view);
@@ -924,7 +923,7 @@ unbind_shader_image(struct zink_context *ctx, enum pipe_shader_type stage, unsig
    if (image_view->base.resource->target == PIPE_BUFFER)
       zink_buffer_view_reference(zink_screen(ctx->base.screen), &image_view->buffer_view, NULL);
    else
-      pipe_surface_reference((struct pipe_surface**)&image_view->surface, NULL);
+      zink_surface_reference(zink_screen(ctx->base.screen), &image_view->surface, NULL);
    pipe_resource_reference(&image_view->base.resource, NULL);
    image_view->base.resource = NULL;
    image_view->surface = NULL;
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_framebuffer.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_framebuffer.c
index cbd0a5bb0ff..b24ea76f7ec 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_framebuffer.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_framebuffer.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ zink_destroy_framebuffer(struct zink_screen *screen,
    for (int i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(fb->surfaces); ++i)
       pipe_surface_reference(fb->surfaces + i, NULL);
 
-   pipe_surface_reference(&fb->null_surface, NULL);
+   zink_surface_reference(screen, (struct zink_surface**)&fb->null_surface, NULL);
 
    ralloc_free(fb);
 }
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_surface.h b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_surface.h
index 61bc9c94fc4..7a471f9854a 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_surface.h
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_surface.h
@@ -47,6 +47,19 @@ zink_surface(struct pipe_surface *pipe)
 void
 zink_destroy_surface(struct zink_screen *screen, struct pipe_surface *psurface);
 
+static inline void
+zink_surface_reference(struct zink_screen *screen, struct zink_surface **dst, struct zink_surface *src)
+{
+   struct zink_surface *old_dst = *dst;
+
+   if (pipe_reference_described(old_dst ? &old_dst->base.reference : NULL,
+                                src ? &src->base.reference : NULL,
+                                (debug_reference_descriptor)
+                                debug_describe_surface))
+      zink_destroy_surface(screen, &old_dst->base);
+   *dst = src;
+}
+
 void
 zink_context_surface_init(struct pipe_context *context);