diff --git a/include/fc/rpc/api_connection.hpp b/include/fc/rpc/api_connection.hpp
index 4f632c8..c7c752f 100644
--- a/include/fc/rpc/api_connection.hpp
+++ b/include/fc/rpc/api_connection.hpp
@@ -22,15 +22,15 @@ namespace fc {
          public:
             typedef typename std::function<Signature>::result_type result_type;
 
-            callback_functor( fc::api_connection& con, uint64_t id )
+            callback_functor( std::shared_ptr< fc::api_connection > con, uint64_t id )
             :_callback_id(id),_api_connection(con){}
 
             template<typename... Args> 
             result_type operator()( Args... args )const;
 
          private:
-            uint64_t                           _callback_id;
-            fc::api_connection&                _api_connection;
+            uint64_t _callback_id;
+            std::shared_ptr< fc::api_connection > _api_connection;
       };
 
       template<typename R, typename Arg0, typename ... Args>
@@ -91,7 +91,12 @@ namespace fc {
             return _methods[method_id](args);
          }
 
-         fc::api_connection&  get_connection(){ auto tmp = _api_connection.lock(); FC_ASSERT( tmp, "connection closed"); return *tmp; }
+         std::shared_ptr< fc::api_connection > get_connection()
+         {
+            std::shared_ptr< fc::api_connection > locked = _api_connection.lock();
+            FC_ASSERT( locked, "connection closed" );
+            return locked;
+         }
 
          std::vector<std::string> get_method_names()const
          {
@@ -391,7 +396,7 @@ namespace fc {
       template<typename... Args> 
       typename callback_functor<Signature>::result_type callback_functor<Signature>::operator()( Args... args )const
       {
-         _api_connection.send_callback( _callback_id, fc::variants{ args... } ).template as< result_type >();
+         _api_connection->send_callback( _callback_id, fc::variants{ args... } ).template as< result_type >();
       }
 
 
@@ -401,17 +406,17 @@ namespace fc {
          public:
           typedef void result_type;
 
-          callback_functor( fc::api_connection& con, uint64_t id )
+          callback_functor( std::shared_ptr< fc::api_connection > con, uint64_t id )
           :_callback_id(id),_api_connection(con){}
 
           void operator()( Args... args )const
           {
-             _api_connection.send_notice( _callback_id, fc::variants{ args... } );
+             _api_connection->send_notice( _callback_id, fc::variants{ args... } );
           }
 
          private:
-          uint64_t            _callback_id;
-          fc::api_connection& _api_connection;
+          uint64_t _callback_id;
+          std::shared_ptr< fc::api_connection > _api_connection;
       };
    } // namespace detail