diff --git a/msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.pxd b/msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.pxd
index ec431ceec..0deea317c 100644
--- a/msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.pxd
+++ b/msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.pxd
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ cdef class CLContext:
 
 cdef class VisionBuf:
   cdef cppVisionBuf * buf
+  cdef object _owner
 
   @staticmethod
-  cdef create(cppVisionBuf*)
+  cdef create(cppVisionBuf*, object)
diff --git a/msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.pyx b/msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.pyx
index 7f4d2209a..d253756d8 100644
--- a/msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.pyx
+++ b/msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.pyx
@@ -30,11 +30,15 @@ cpdef enum VisionStreamType:
 
 cdef class VisionBuf:
   @staticmethod
-  cdef create(cppVisionBuf * cbuf):
+  cdef create(cppVisionBuf * cbuf, object owner):
     buf = VisionBuf()
     buf.buf = cbuf
+    buf._owner = owner  # Keep a reference to the owner to manage lifetime
     return buf
 
+  def __dealloc__(self):
+    self._owner = None # Explicitly release the reference
+
   @property
   def data(self):
     return np.asarray(<cnp.uint8_t[:self.buf.len]> self.buf.addr)
@@ -155,7 +159,7 @@ cdef class VisionIpcClient:
     buf = self.client.recv(&self.extra, timeout_ms)
     if not buf:
       return None
-    return VisionBuf.create(buf)
+    return VisionBuf.create(buf, self)
 
   def connect(self, bool blocking):
     return self.client.connect(blocking)