diff --git a/ETL/trunk/ETL/_handle.h b/ETL/trunk/ETL/_handle.h
index 3f07503..ae534d5 100644
--- a/ETL/trunk/ETL/_handle.h
+++ b/ETL/trunk/ETL/_handle.h
@@ -32,7 +32,13 @@
 
 /* === H E A D E R S ======================================================= */
 
+// include the next line in an attempt to increase stability
+#define ETL_LOCK_REFCOUNTS
+
 #include <cassert>
+#ifdef ETL_LOCK_REFCOUNTS
+#include <glibmm/thread.h>
+#endif
 
 /* === M A C R O S ========================================================= */
 
@@ -67,6 +73,9 @@ class shared_object
 {
 private:
 	mutable int refcount;
+#ifdef ETL_LOCK_REFCOUNTS
+	mutable Glib::Mutex mutex;
+#endif
 
 protected:
 	shared_object():refcount(0) { }
@@ -79,11 +88,19 @@ protected:
 
 public:
 	void ref()const
-		{ assert(refcount>=0); refcount++; }
+	{
+#ifdef ETL_LOCK_REFCOUNTS
+		Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+#endif
+		assert(refcount>=0); refcount++;
+	}
 
 	//! Returns \c false if object needs to be deleted
 	bool unref()const
 	{
+#ifdef ETL_LOCK_REFCOUNTS
+		Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+#endif
 		assert(refcount>0);
 
 		refcount--;
@@ -91,6 +108,9 @@ public:
 		if(refcount==0) {
 #ifdef ETL_SELF_DELETING_SHARED_OBJECT
 			refcount=-666;
+#ifdef ETL_LOCK_REFCOUNTS
+			lock.release();
+#endif
 			delete this;
 #endif
 			return false;
@@ -100,7 +120,12 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	int count()const
-		{ return refcount; }
+	{ 
+#ifdef ETL_LOCK_REFCOUNTS
+		Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+#endif
+		return refcount;
+	}
 }; // END of class shared_object
 
 // ========================================================================
diff --git a/synfig-studio/trunk/src/gtkmm/app.cpp b/synfig-studio/trunk/src/gtkmm/app.cpp
index 1da982b..b5d4101 100644
--- a/synfig-studio/trunk/src/gtkmm/app.cpp
+++ b/synfig-studio/trunk/src/gtkmm/app.cpp
@@ -1016,16 +1016,16 @@ App::App(int *argc, char ***argv):
 {
 	app_base_path_=etl::dirname(etl::dirname((*argv)[0]));
 
-
-	ui_interface_=new GlobalUIInterface();
-
-	gdk_rgb_init();
-
 	// don't call thread_init() if threads are already initialized
 	// on some machines bonobo_init() initialized threads before we get here
 	if (!g_thread_supported())
 		Glib::thread_init();
 
+	// class UIInterface inherits from etl::shared_object, so we need the thread stuff initialised already
+	ui_interface_=new GlobalUIInterface();
+
+	gdk_rgb_init();
+
 	distance_system=Distance::SYSTEM_UNITS;
 
 	if(mkdir(get_user_app_directory().c_str(),ACCESSPERMS)<0)