diff --git a/src/main/c/jpy_jobj.c b/src/main/c/jpy_jobj.c
index d67ff684..cdc571f1 100644
--- a/src/main/c/jpy_jobj.c
+++ b/src/main/c/jpy_jobj.c
@@ -727,7 +727,8 @@ int JType_InitSlots(JPy_JType* type)
     typeObj = JTYPE_AS_PYTYPE(type);
 
     // This is hacky to make the caller JType_GetType able to call JPy_INCREF regardless if the type was already created,
-    // but it will cause a ref counting error when this function fails, and we need to remove the type from the registry
+    // but it will cause a ref counting error when this function fails, and we need to remove the type from the registry.
+    // The proper ref counting needs to be done in JType_GetType().
     //    #if defined(JPY_COMPAT_39P)
     //        Py_SET_REFCNT(typeObj, 1);
     //    #else
diff --git a/src/main/c/jpy_jtype.c b/src/main/c/jpy_jtype.c
index fc0c089f..ab7997be 100644
--- a/src/main/c/jpy_jtype.c
+++ b/src/main/c/jpy_jtype.c
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ JPy_JType* JType_GetType(JNIEnv* jenv, jclass classRef, jboolean resolve)
         // registered-but-yet-finalized super classes, causing JType_InitSlots to fail for one of them because its super
         // class is not finalized. When this happens, the affected classes will not be properly resolved.
         if (JType_InitSuperType(jenv, type, JNI_FALSE) < 0) {
+            JPy_DIAG_PRINT(JPy_DIAG_F_TYPE, "JType_GetType: error: JType_InitSuperType() failed for javaName=\"%s\"\n", type->javaName);
             PyDict_DelItem(JPy_Types, typeKey);
             JPy_DECREF(typeKey);
             JPy_DECREF(type);
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ JPy_JType* JType_GetType(JNIEnv* jenv, jclass classRef, jboolean resolve)
         }
 
         JType_AddClassAttribute(jenv, type);
+        // 'type' will be returned as a new reference. 'typeKey' needs to be released.
         JPy_DECREF(typeKey);
 
         //printf("T5: type->tp_init=%p\n", ((PyTypeObject*)type)->tp_init);
@@ -230,24 +232,22 @@ JPy_JType* JType_GetType(JNIEnv* jenv, jclass classRef, jboolean resolve)
             return NULL;
         }
 
-        JPy_DECREF(typeKey);
         type = (JPy_JType*) typeValue;
+        // 'type' will be returned as a new reference. 'typeKey' needs to be released.
+        JPy_INCREF(type);
+        JPy_DECREF(typeKey);
     }
 
     JPy_DIAG_PRINT(JPy_DIAG_F_TYPE, "JType_GetType: javaName=\"%s\", found=%d, resolve=%d, resolved=%d, type=%p\n", type->javaName, found, resolve, type->isResolved, type);
 
     if (!type->isResolved && resolve) {
         if (JType_ResolveType(jenv, type) < 0) {
+            JPy_DECREF(type);
             return NULL;
         }
     }
 
-    // Only increment the refcount when the type is found in the registry to guarantee that we return a new reference
-    if (typeValue != NULL) {
-        JPy_INCREF(type);
-    }
-
-    return type;
+     return type;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/test/python/jpy_gettype_test.py b/src/test/python/jpy_gettype_test.py
index a7233526..9370cd37 100644
--- a/src/test/python/jpy_gettype_test.py
+++ b/src/test/python/jpy_gettype_test.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def test_issue_74(self):
 
     def test_cyclic_reference(self):
         """
-        Test if delaying resolving super classes doesn't break existing class reference pattern.
+        Test if delaying resolving super classes breaks existing class reference pattern.
         """
         j_child1_class = jpy.get_type("org.jpy.fixtures.CyclicReferenceChild1")
         j_child2_class = jpy.get_type("org.jpy.fixtures.CyclicReferenceChild2")