Index: ext/libxml/ruby_xml_document.c
===================================================================
--- ext/libxml/ruby_xml_document.c	(revision 524)
+++ ext/libxml/ruby_xml_document.c	(working copy)
@@ -403,9 +403,19 @@
   return(Qnil);
 }
 
+void 
+ruby_xml_document_free(ruby_xml_document_t *rxd) {
+  /* clear direct ruby binding to the object */
+  rxd->doc->_private = NULL;
+  if(rxd->ref_count > 1) {
+    rxd->ref_count--;
+  } else {
+    ruby_xml_document_release(rxd);
+  }  
+}
 
 void
-ruby_xml_document_free(ruby_xml_document_t *rxd) {
+ruby_xml_document_release(ruby_xml_document_t *rxd) {
   void *data;
 
   if (rxd->doc == NULL) return;
@@ -524,6 +534,7 @@
   xdoc->_private=(void*)obj;
   rx->data = NULL;
   rx->data_type = RUBY_LIBXML_SRC_TYPE_NULL;
+  rx->ref_count = 1;
 
 #ifdef NODE_DEBUG
   fprintf(stderr,"wrap rxn=0x%x xn=0x%x o=0x%x\n",(long)rxn,(long)xnode,(long)obj);
Index: ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpath_object.h
===================================================================
--- ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpath_object.h	(revision 524)
+++ ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpath_object.h	(working copy)
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 } ruby_xml_xpath_object;
 
 void ruby_init_xml_xpath_object(void);
-VALUE ruby_xml_xpath_object_wrap(xmlXPathObjectPtr xpop);
+VALUE ruby_xml_xpath_object_wrap(xmlXPathObjectPtr xpop, VALUE ctxt);
 
 VALUE ruby_xml_xpath_object_first(VALUE self);
 VALUE ruby_xml_xpath_object_to_a(VALUE self);
Index: ext/libxml/ruby_xml_document.h
===================================================================
--- ext/libxml/ruby_xml_document.h	(revision 524)
+++ ext/libxml/ruby_xml_document.h	(working copy)
@@ -11,11 +11,13 @@
   xmlDocPtr doc;   /* Tree/DOM interface */
   int data_type;   /* The data type referenced by *data */
   void *data;      /* Pointer to an external structure of options */
+  int ref_count; 
 } ruby_xml_document_t;
 
 VALUE ruby_xml_document_filename_get(VALUE self);
 VALUE ruby_xml_document_new_native(VALUE class, VALUE xmlver);
 void  ruby_xml_document_free(ruby_xml_document_t *rxd);
+void  ruby_xml_document_release(ruby_xml_document_t *rxd);
 VALUE ruby_xml_document_root_get(VALUE self);
 void  ruby_init_xml_document(void);
 
Index: ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpath_context.c
===================================================================
--- ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpath_context.c	(revision 524)
+++ ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpath_context.c	(working copy)
@@ -28,11 +28,18 @@
   xmlXPathFreeContext(ctxt);
 }
 
+void
+ruby_xml_xpath_context_mark(xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt) {
+  if(ctxt->doc != NULL && ctxt->doc->_private != NULL) {
+    rb_gc_mark((VALUE)ctxt->doc->_private);
+  }
+}
 
+
 VALUE
 ruby_xml_xpath_context_alloc(VALUE klass) {
   return Data_Wrap_Struct(cXMLXPathContext,
-			  NULL,
+			  ruby_xml_xpath_context_mark,
 			  ruby_xml_xpath_context_free,
 			  NULL);
 }
@@ -75,7 +82,7 @@
   DATA_PTR(self) = xmlXPathNewContext(rxd->doc);
   
   /* Save the doc as an attribute, this will expose it to Ruby's GC. */
-  rb_iv_set(self, "@doc", document);    
+  // rb_iv_set(self, "@doc", document);    
 
   return self;
 }
@@ -256,8 +263,8 @@
     rb_raise(eXMLXPathInvalidPath,
 	     "Invalid XPath expression (expr could not be evaluated)");
 
-  result = ruby_xml_xpath_object_wrap(xobject);
-  rb_iv_set(result, "@context", self);
+  result = ruby_xml_xpath_object_wrap(xobject, self);
+  //rb_iv_set(result, "@context", self);
   return result;  
 }
 
Index: ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpointer.c
===================================================================
--- ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpointer.c	(revision 524)
+++ ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpointer.c	(working copy)
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 #include "ruby_libxml.h"
 #include "ruby_xml_xpointer.h"
 
+#undef LIBXML_XPTR_ENABLED
+
+
 VALUE cXMLXPointer;
 VALUE eXMLXPointerInvalidExpression;
 
@@ -33,7 +36,7 @@
   if (!xpop)
     rb_raise(eXMLXPointerInvalidExpression, "Invalid xpointer expression");
 
-  result = ruby_xml_xpath_object_wrap(xpop);
+  result = ruby_xml_xpath_object_wrap(xpop, context);
   rb_iv_set(result, "@context", context);
   
   return(result);
Index: ext/libxml/version.h
===================================================================
--- ext/libxml/version.h	(revision 524)
+++ ext/libxml/version.h	(working copy)
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@
 #define RUBY_LIBXML_VERNUM   0
 #define RUBY_LIBXML_VER_MAJ   0
 #define RUBY_LIBXML_VER_MIN   8
-#define RUBY_LIBXML_VER_MIC   3
+#define RUBY_LIBXML_VER_MIC   3 
 #define RUBY_LIBXML_VER_PATCH 0
Index: ext/libxml/ruby_xml_attr.c
===================================================================
--- ext/libxml/ruby_xml_attr.c	(revision 524)
+++ ext/libxml/ruby_xml_attr.c	(working copy)
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
     xattr->_private=NULL;
     if (xattr->parent == NULL && xattr->doc == NULL ) {
 #ifdef NODE_DEBUG
-      fprintf(stderr,"ruby_xfree rxn=0x%x xn=0x%x o=0x%x\n",(long)rxn,(long)rxn->node,(long)rxn->node->_private);
+      // fprintf(stderr,"ruby_xfree rxn=0x%x xn=0x%x o=0x%x\n",(long)rxn,(long)rxn->node,(long)rxn->node->_private);
 #endif
       xmlFreeProp(xattr);
     }
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
 
   xattr->_private=(void*)result;
 #ifdef NODE_DEBUG
-  fprintf(stderr,"wrap rxn=0x%x xn=0x%x o=0x%x\n",(long)rxn,(long)xnode,(long)obj);
+  // fprintf(stderr,"wrap rxn=0x%x xn=0x%x o=0x%x\n",(long)rxn,(long)xnode,(long)obj);
 #endif
   return result;
 }
Index: ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpath_object.c
===================================================================
--- ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpath_object.c	(revision 524)
+++ ext/libxml/ruby_xml_xpath_object.c	(working copy)
@@ -49,19 +49,37 @@
 void
 ruby_xml_xpath_object_free(xmlXPathObjectPtr xpop)
 {
+  ruby_xml_document_t* doc_struct = (ruby_xml_document_t*)xpop->user2;
+  doc_struct->ref_count--;
+ 
   xmlXPathFreeObject(xpop);
+
+  if(doc_struct->ref_count < 1) {
+    ruby_xml_document_release(doc_struct);
+  }
 }
 
 VALUE
-ruby_xml_xpath_object_wrap(xmlXPathObjectPtr xpop)
+ruby_xml_xpath_object_wrap(xmlXPathObjectPtr xpop, VALUE ctxt)
 {
   VALUE rval;
+  xmlXPathContextPtr xctxt;
+  xmlDocPtr doc;
+  VALUE doc_val;
+  ruby_xml_document_t* doc_struct;
 
   if ( xpop==NULL )
     return Qnil;
 
   switch(xpop->type) {
   case XPATH_NODESET:
+    Data_Get_Struct(ctxt, xmlXPathContext, xctxt);
+    doc = xctxt->doc;
+    doc_val = (VALUE)xctxt->doc->_private;
+    Data_Get_Struct(doc_val, ruby_xml_document_t, doc_struct);
+    doc_struct->ref_count++;
+    xpop->user2 = (void*)doc_struct;
+
     rval = Data_Wrap_Struct(cXMLXPathObject,
                             ruby_xml_xpath_object_mark,
                             ruby_xml_xpath_object_free,