diff --git a/sfx2/source/control/itemdel.cxx b/sfx2/source/control/itemdel.cxx
index 23f900902af9..096ab3752864 100644
--- a/sfx2/source/control/itemdel.cxx
+++ b/sfx2/source/control/itemdel.cxx
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ void SfxItemDisruptor_Impl::LaunchDeleteOnIdle()
 SfxItemDisruptor_Impl::~SfxItemDisruptor_Impl()
 {
     m_Idle.Stop();
+
+    // reset RefCount (was set to SFX_ITEMS_SPECIAL before!)
+    pItem->SetRefCount( 0 );
+
     delete pItem;
 }
 
diff --git a/svl/source/items/itempool.cxx b/svl/source/items/itempool.cxx
index fbf1281169b7..a2fd333b0470 100644
--- a/svl/source/items/itempool.cxx
+++ b/svl/source/items/itempool.cxx
@@ -334,12 +334,9 @@ void SfxItemPool::ReleaseDefaults
     for ( sal_uInt16 n = 0; n < nCount; ++n )
     {
         assert(IsStaticDefaultItem(pDefaults[n]));
-
+        pDefaults[n]->SetRefCount(0);
         if ( bDelete )
             { delete pDefaults[n] ; pDefaults[n]= nullptr; }
-        else
-            pDefaults[n]->SetRefCount(0);
-
     }
 
     if ( bDelete )
@@ -520,6 +517,9 @@ void SfxItemPool::Delete()
                 auto& rItemPtr = pImpl->maPoolDefaults[n];
                 if (rItemPtr)
                 {
+#ifdef DBG_UTIL
+                    SetRefCount(*rItemPtr, 0);
+#endif
                     delete rItemPtr;
                     rItemPtr = nullptr;
                 }
@@ -549,6 +549,9 @@ void SfxItemPool::Delete()
     {
         if (rItemPtr)
         {
+#ifdef DBG_UTIL
+            SetRefCount(*rItemPtr, 0);
+#endif
             delete rItemPtr;
             rItemPtr = nullptr;
         }
@@ -568,6 +571,7 @@ void SfxItemPool::SetPoolDefaultItem(const SfxPoolItem &rItem)
         pNewDefault->SetKind(SfxItemKind::PoolDefault);
         if (rOldDefault)
         {
+            rOldDefault->SetRefCount(0);
             DELETEZ(rOldDefault);
         }
         rOldDefault = pNewDefault;
@@ -592,6 +596,7 @@ void SfxItemPool::ResetPoolDefaultItem( sal_uInt16 nWhichId )
             pImpl->maPoolDefaults[GetIndex_Impl(nWhichId)];
         if (rOldDefault)
         {
+            rOldDefault->SetRefCount(0);
             DELETEZ(rOldDefault);
         }
     }
diff --git a/svl/source/items/poolio.cxx b/svl/source/items/poolio.cxx
index 30056e376b5f..42a68764caed 100644
--- a/svl/source/items/poolio.cxx
+++ b/svl/source/items/poolio.cxx
@@ -470,6 +470,7 @@ void SfxItemPool_Impl::readTheItems (
                     {
                         // Reuse
                         SfxItemPool::AddRef( *pOldItem, rpNewItem->GetRefCount() );
+                        SfxItemPool::SetRefCount( *rpNewItem, 0 );
                         delete rpNewItem;
                         rpNewItem = pOldItem;
                         bFound = true;