diff --git a/src/node_io_watcher.cc b/src/node_io_watcher.cc
index 2f05c7fd4e2..baf46411bc9 100644
--- a/src/node_io_watcher.cc
+++ b/src/node_io_watcher.cc
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ void IOWatcher::Initialize(Handle<Object> target) {
 void IOWatcher::Callback(EV_P_ ev_io *w, int revents) {
   IOWatcher *io = static_cast<IOWatcher*>(w->data);
   assert(w == &io->watcher_);
+  assert(!(revents & EV_ERROR));
   HandleScope scope;
 
   Local<Value> callback_v = io->handle_->Get(callback_symbol);
@@ -50,7 +51,9 @@ void IOWatcher::Callback(EV_P_ ev_io *w, int revents) {
   argv[0] = Local<Value>::New(revents & EV_READ ? True() : False());
   argv[1] = Local<Value>::New(revents & EV_WRITE ? True() : False());
 
+  io->Ref();
   callback->Call(io->handle_, 2, argv);
+  io->Unref();
 
   if (try_catch.HasCaught()) {
     FatalException(try_catch);
@@ -76,27 +79,16 @@ Handle<Value> IOWatcher::New(const Arguments& args) {
 }
 
 
-Handle<Value> IOWatcher::Start(const Arguments& args) {
-  HandleScope scope;
-
-  IOWatcher *io = Unwrap(args.Holder());
-
-  ev_io_start(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &io->watcher_);
-  assert(ev_is_active(&io->watcher_));
-
-  return Undefined();
-}
-
 Handle<Value> IOWatcher::Set(const Arguments& args) {
   HandleScope scope;
 
-  IOWatcher *io = Unwrap(args.Holder());
-
   if (!args[0]->IsInt32()) {
     return ThrowException(Exception::TypeError(
           String::New("First arg should be a file descriptor.")));
   }
 
+  IOWatcher *io = ObjectWrap::Unwrap<IOWatcher>(args.This());
+
   int fd = args[0]->Int32Value();
 
   if (!args[1]->IsBoolean()) {
@@ -120,19 +112,38 @@ Handle<Value> IOWatcher::Set(const Arguments& args) {
   return Undefined();
 }
 
+
+Handle<Value> IOWatcher::Start(const Arguments& args) {
+  HandleScope scope;
+  IOWatcher *io = ObjectWrap::Unwrap<IOWatcher>(args.This());
+  io->Start();
+  return Undefined();
+}
+
+
 Handle<Value> IOWatcher::Stop(const Arguments& args) {
   HandleScope scope;
-  IOWatcher *io = Unwrap(args.This());
+  IOWatcher *io = ObjectWrap::Unwrap<IOWatcher>(args.This());
   io->Stop();
   return Undefined();
 }
 
 
+void IOWatcher::Start () {
+  if (!ev_is_active(&watcher_)) {
+    ev_io_start(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &watcher_);
+    Ref();
+  }
+  assert(ev_is_active(&watcher_));
+}
+
+
 void IOWatcher::Stop () {
   if (ev_is_active(&watcher_)) {
     ev_io_stop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &watcher_);
-    assert(!ev_is_active(&watcher_));
+    Unref();
   }
+  assert(!ev_is_active(&watcher_));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/node_io_watcher.h b/src/node_io_watcher.h
index d1d9d2dc2a3..95a135e7660 100644
--- a/src/node_io_watcher.h
+++ b/src/node_io_watcher.h
@@ -7,20 +7,22 @@
 
 namespace node {
 
-class IOWatcher {
+class IOWatcher : ObjectWrap {
  public:
   static void Initialize(v8::Handle<v8::Object> target);
 
  protected:
   static v8::Persistent<v8::FunctionTemplate> constructor_template;
 
-  IOWatcher() {
+  IOWatcher() : ObjectWrap() {
     ev_init(&watcher_, IOWatcher::Callback);
     watcher_.data = this;
   }
 
   ~IOWatcher() {
+    Stop();
     assert(!ev_is_active(&watcher_));
+    assert(!ev_is_pending(&watcher_));
   }
 
   static v8::Handle<v8::Value> New(const v8::Arguments& args);
@@ -28,47 +30,13 @@ class IOWatcher {
   static v8::Handle<v8::Value> Stop(const v8::Arguments& args);
   static v8::Handle<v8::Value> Set(const v8::Arguments& args);
 
-  inline void Wrap(v8::Handle<v8::Object> handle) {
-    assert(handle_.IsEmpty());
-    assert(handle->InternalFieldCount() > 0);
-    handle_ = v8::Persistent<v8::Object>::New(handle);
-    handle_->SetInternalField(0, v8::External::New(this));
-    MakeWeak();
-  }
-
-  inline void MakeWeak(void) {
-    handle_.MakeWeak(this, WeakCallback);
-  }
-
-
-
  private:
   static void Callback(EV_P_ ev_io *watcher, int revents);
 
-  static void WeakCallback (v8::Persistent<v8::Value> value, void *data)
-  {
-    IOWatcher *io = static_cast<IOWatcher*>(data);
-    assert(value == io->handle_);
-    if (!ev_is_active(&io->watcher_)) {
-      value.Dispose();
-      delete io;
-    } else {
-      //value.ClearWeak();
-      io->MakeWeak();
-    }
-  }
-
-  static IOWatcher* Unwrap(v8::Handle<v8::Object> handle) {
-    assert(!handle.IsEmpty());
-    assert(handle->InternalFieldCount() > 0);
-    return static_cast<IOWatcher*>(v8::Handle<v8::External>::Cast(
-        handle->GetInternalField(0))->Value());
-  }
-
+  void Start();
   void Stop();
 
   ev_io watcher_;
-  v8::Persistent<v8::Object> handle_;
 };
 
 }  // namespace node