diff --git a/src/database.c b/src/database.c
index 2a32b82c..4d70b73d 100644
--- a/src/database.c
+++ b/src/database.c
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ static void subhier_clean(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto__subhier **s
 			leaf = nextleaf;
 		}
 		if(peer->retained){
-			db__msg_store_deref(db, &peer->retained);
+			db__msg_store_ref_dec(db, &peer->retained);
 		}
 		subhier_clean(db, &peer->children);
 		mosquitto__free(peer->topic);
@@ -232,7 +232,12 @@ void db__msg_store_clean(struct mosquitto_db *db)
 	}
 }
 
-void db__msg_store_deref(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto_msg_store **store)
+void db__msg_store_ref_inc(struct mosquitto_msg_store *store)
+{
+	store->ref_count++;
+}
+
+void db__msg_store_ref_dec(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto_msg_store **store)
 {
 	(*store)->ref_count--;
 	if((*store)->ref_count == 0){
@@ -271,7 +276,7 @@ static void db__message_remove(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto_msg_dat
 			msg_data->msg_count12--;
 			msg_data->msg_bytes12 -= item->store->payloadlen;
 		}
-		db__msg_store_deref(db, &item->store);
+		db__msg_store_ref_dec(db, &item->store);
 	}
 
 	mosquitto_property_free_all(&item->properties);
@@ -450,7 +455,7 @@ int db__message_insert(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context, uint1
 	msg->prev = NULL;
 	msg->next = NULL;
 	msg->store = stored;
-	msg->store->ref_count++;
+	db__msg_store_ref_inc(msg->store);
 	msg->mid = mid;
 	msg->timestamp = mosquitto_time();
 	msg->direction = dir;
@@ -543,7 +548,7 @@ void db__messages_delete_list(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto_client_m
 
 	DL_FOREACH_SAFE(*head, tail, tmp){
 		DL_DELETE(*head, tail);
-		db__msg_store_deref(db, &tail->store);
+		db__msg_store_ref_dec(db, &tail->store);
 		mosquitto_property_free_all(&tail->properties);
 		mosquitto__free(tail);
 	}
diff --git a/src/handle_connect.c b/src/handle_connect.c
index 7fc160e9..1bd35ace 100644
--- a/src/handle_connect.c
+++ b/src/handle_connect.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ void connection_check_acl(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context, st
 								   msg_tail->store->qos, msg_tail->store->retain, MOSQ_ACL_READ) != MOSQ_ERR_SUCCESS){
 
 				DL_DELETE((*head), msg_tail);
-				db__msg_store_deref(db, &msg_tail->store);
+				db__msg_store_ref_dec(db, &msg_tail->store);
 				mosquitto_property_free_all(&msg_tail->properties);
 				mosquitto__free(msg_tail);
 			}
diff --git a/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h b/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
index 478aa0f6..540dbcbe 100644
--- a/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
+++ b/src/mosquitto_broker_internal.h
@@ -619,7 +619,8 @@ int db__message_store(struct mosquitto_db *db, const struct mosquitto *source, u
 int db__message_store_find(struct mosquitto *context, uint16_t mid, struct mosquitto_msg_store **stored);
 void db__msg_store_add(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto_msg_store *store);
 void db__msg_store_remove(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto_msg_store *store);
-void db__msg_store_deref(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto_msg_store **store);
+void db__msg_store_ref_inc(struct mosquitto_msg_store *store);
+void db__msg_store_ref_dec(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto_msg_store **store);
 void db__msg_store_clean(struct mosquitto_db *db);
 void db__msg_store_compact(struct mosquitto_db *db);
 int db__message_reconnect_reset(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context);
diff --git a/src/persist_read.c b/src/persist_read.c
index 1ae2f7a6..48437e46 100644
--- a/src/persist_read.c
+++ b/src/persist_read.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ static int persist__client_msg_restore(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct P_client_
 		return 1;
 	}
 	cmsg->store = load->store;
-	cmsg->store->ref_count++;
+	db__msg_store_ref_inc(cmsg->store);
 
 	context = persist__find_or_add_context(db, chunk->client_id, 0);
 	if(!context){
diff --git a/src/subs.c b/src/subs.c
index 11093819..91d34266 100644
--- a/src/subs.c
+++ b/src/subs.c
@@ -146,14 +146,14 @@ static int subs__process(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto__subhier *hie
 		}
 #endif
 		if(hier->retained){
-			db__msg_store_deref(db, &hier->retained);
+			db__msg_store_ref_dec(db, &hier->retained);
 #ifdef WITH_SYS_TREE
 			db->retained_count--;
 #endif
 		}
 		if(stored->payloadlen){
 			hier->retained = stored;
-			hier->retained->ref_count++;
+			db__msg_store_ref_inc(hier->retained);
 #ifdef WITH_SYS_TREE
 			db->retained_count++;
 #endif
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ int sub__messages_queue(struct mosquitto_db *db, const char *source_id, const ch
 	clients - this is required because websockets client calls
 	db__message_write(), which could remove the message if ref_count==0.
 	*/
-	(*stored)->ref_count++;
+	db__msg_store_ref_inc(*stored);
 
 	HASH_FIND(hh, db->subs, tokens->topic, tokens->topic_len, subhier);
 	if(subhier){
@@ -818,7 +818,7 @@ int sub__messages_queue(struct mosquitto_db *db, const char *source_id, const ch
 	sub__topic_tokens_free(tokens);
 
 	/* Remove our reference and free if needed. */
-	db__msg_store_deref(db, stored);
+	db__msg_store_ref_dec(db, stored);
 
 	return rc;
 }
@@ -981,7 +981,7 @@ static int retain__process(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto__subhier *b
 	struct mosquitto_msg_store *retained;
 
 	if(branch->retained->message_expiry_time > 0 && now > branch->retained->message_expiry_time){
-		db__msg_store_deref(db, &branch->retained);
+		db__msg_store_ref_dec(db, &branch->retained);
 		branch->retained = NULL;
 #ifdef WITH_SYS_TREE
 		db->retained_count--;