diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index b76a5b0c4..dc5afc700 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Package: nanonext
 Type: Package
 Title: NNG (Nanomsg Next Gen) Lightweight Messaging Library
-Version: 1.1.1.9009
+Version: 1.1.1.9010
 Description: R binding for NNG (Nanomsg Next Gen), a successor to ZeroMQ. NNG is
     a socket library implementing 'Scalability Protocols', a reliable,
     high-performance standard for common communications patterns including
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index d1fe12e6a..7a2ff9b4e 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# nanonext 1.1.1.9009 (development)
+# nanonext 1.1.1.9010 (development)
 
 #### New Features
 
diff --git a/src/thread.c b/src/thread.c
index ccefd45c0..670ee4c7a 100644
--- a/src/thread.c
+++ b/src/thread.c
@@ -238,7 +238,6 @@ SEXP rnng_wait_thread_create(SEXP x) {
     if (NANO_TAG(coreaio) != nano_AioSymbol)
       return x;
 
-    PROTECT(coreaio);
     nano_aio *aiop = (nano_aio *) NANO_PTR(coreaio);
 
     nano_thread_aio *taio = R_Calloc(1, nano_thread_aio);
@@ -265,8 +264,6 @@ SEXP rnng_wait_thread_create(SEXP x) {
     SEXP xptr;
     PROTECT(xptr = R_MakeExternalPtr(taio, R_NilValue, R_NilValue));
     R_RegisterCFinalizerEx(xptr, thread_aio_finalizer, TRUE);
-    R_MakeWeakRef(coreaio, xptr, R_NilValue, TRUE);
-    UNPROTECT(2);
 
     nng_time time = nng_clock();
 
@@ -303,6 +300,7 @@ SEXP rnng_wait_thread_create(SEXP x) {
       break;
     }
 
+    UNPROTECT(1);
     return x;
 
     exitlevel3: