diff --git a/gtk/a11y/gtkcellaccessible.c b/gtk/a11y/gtkcellaccessible.c
index b5846e8c21..8251771128 100644
--- a/gtk/a11y/gtkcellaccessible.c
+++ b/gtk/a11y/gtkcellaccessible.c
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
 #include "gtkcellaccessibleprivate.h"
 #include "gtkcellaccessibleparent.h"
 
+struct _GtkCellAccessiblePrivate
+{
+  AtkObject *parent;
+};
+
 static const struct {
   AtkState atk_state;
   GtkCellRendererState renderer_state;
@@ -43,6 +48,7 @@ static void atk_action_interface_init    (AtkActionIface    *iface);
 static void atk_component_interface_init (AtkComponentIface *iface);
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (GtkCellAccessible, gtk_cell_accessible, GTK_TYPE_ACCESSIBLE,
+                         G_ADD_PRIVATE (GtkCellAccessible)
                          G_IMPLEMENT_INTERFACE (ATK_TYPE_ACTION, atk_action_interface_init)
                          G_IMPLEMENT_INTERFACE (ATK_TYPE_COMPONENT, atk_component_interface_init))
 
@@ -83,15 +89,14 @@ gtk_cell_accessible_get_index_in_parent (AtkObject *obj)
 
   cell = GTK_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (obj);
 
-  parent = atk_object_get_parent (obj);
-  if (GTK_IS_CONTAINER_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (parent))
-    return g_list_index (gtk_container_cell_accessible_get_children (GTK_CONTAINER_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (parent)), obj);
+  if (GTK_IS_CONTAINER_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (cell->priv->parent))
+    return g_list_index (gtk_container_cell_accessible_get_children (GTK_CONTAINER_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (cell->priv->parent)), obj);
 
   parent = gtk_widget_get_accessible (gtk_accessible_get_widget (GTK_ACCESSIBLE (cell)));
   if (parent == NULL)
     return -1;
 
-  return gtk_cell_accessible_parent_get_child_index (GTK_CELL_ACCESSIBLE_PARENT (parent), cell);
+  return gtk_cell_accessible_parent_get_child_index (GTK_CELL_ACCESSIBLE_PARENT (cell->priv->parent), cell);
 }
 
 static AtkStateSet *
@@ -139,6 +144,13 @@ gtk_cell_accessible_ref_state_set (AtkObject *accessible)
   return state_set;
 }
 
+static AtkObject *
+gtk_cell_accessible_get_parent (AtkObject *object)
+{
+  GtkCellAccessible *cell = GTK_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (object);
+
+  return cell->priv->parent;
+}
 
 static void
 gtk_cell_accessible_class_init (GtkCellAccessibleClass *klass)
@@ -150,11 +162,13 @@ gtk_cell_accessible_class_init (GtkCellAccessibleClass *klass)
 
   class->get_index_in_parent = gtk_cell_accessible_get_index_in_parent;
   class->ref_state_set = gtk_cell_accessible_ref_state_set;
+  class->get_parent = gtk_cell_accessible_get_parent;
 }
 
 static void
 gtk_cell_accessible_init (GtkCellAccessible *cell)
 {
+  cell->priv = gtk_cell_accessible_get_instance_private (cell);
 }
 
 void
@@ -163,7 +177,7 @@ _gtk_cell_accessible_initialize (GtkCellAccessible *cell,
                                  AtkObject         *parent)
 {
   gtk_accessible_set_widget (GTK_ACCESSIBLE (cell), widget);
-  atk_object_set_parent (ATK_OBJECT (cell), parent);
+  cell->priv->parent = parent;
 }
 
 gboolean
@@ -171,8 +185,6 @@ _gtk_cell_accessible_add_state (GtkCellAccessible *cell,
                                 AtkStateType       state_type,
                                 gboolean           emit_signal)
 {
-  AtkObject *parent;
-
   /* The signal should only be generated if the value changed,
    * not when the cell is set up. So states that are set
    * initially should pass FALSE as the emit_signal argument.
@@ -188,9 +200,8 @@ _gtk_cell_accessible_add_state (GtkCellAccessible *cell,
   /* If the parent is a flyweight container cell, propagate the state
    * change to it also
    */
-  parent = atk_object_get_parent (ATK_OBJECT (cell));
-  if (GTK_IS_CONTAINER_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (parent))
-    _gtk_cell_accessible_add_state (GTK_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (parent), state_type, emit_signal);
+  if (GTK_IS_CONTAINER_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (cell->priv->parent))
+    _gtk_cell_accessible_add_state (GTK_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (cell->priv->parent), state_type, emit_signal);
 
   return TRUE;
 }
@@ -200,10 +211,6 @@ _gtk_cell_accessible_remove_state (GtkCellAccessible *cell,
                                    AtkStateType       state_type,
                                    gboolean           emit_signal)
 {
-  AtkObject *parent;
-
-  parent = atk_object_get_parent (ATK_OBJECT (cell));
-
   /* The signal should only be generated if the value changed,
    * not when the cell is set up.  So states that are set
    * initially should pass FALSE as the emit_signal argument.
@@ -219,8 +226,8 @@ _gtk_cell_accessible_remove_state (GtkCellAccessible *cell,
   /* If the parent is a flyweight container cell, propagate the state
    * change to it also
    */
-  if (GTK_IS_CONTAINER_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (parent))
-    _gtk_cell_accessible_remove_state (GTK_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (parent), state_type, emit_signal);
+  if (GTK_IS_CONTAINER_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (cell->priv->parent))
+    _gtk_cell_accessible_remove_state (GTK_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (cell->priv->parent), state_type, emit_signal);
 
   return TRUE;
 }
diff --git a/gtk/a11y/gtkcontainercellaccessible.c b/gtk/a11y/gtkcontainercellaccessible.c
index 519b16b0e8..ea8ada0767 100644
--- a/gtk/a11y/gtkcontainercellaccessible.c
+++ b/gtk/a11y/gtkcontainercellaccessible.c
@@ -141,6 +141,8 @@ gtk_container_cell_accessible_add_child (GtkContainerCellAccessible *container,
   g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_CONTAINER_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (container));
   g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_CELL_ACCESSIBLE (child));
 
+  g_object_ref (child);
+
   container->priv->n_children++;
   container->priv->children = g_list_append (container->priv->children, child);
   atk_object_set_parent (ATK_OBJECT (child), ATK_OBJECT (container));
@@ -156,6 +158,8 @@ gtk_container_cell_accessible_remove_child (GtkContainerCellAccessible *containe
 
   container->priv->children = g_list_remove (container->priv->children, child);
   container->priv->n_children--;
+
+  g_object_unref (child);
 }
 
 GList *
diff --git a/gtk/a11y/gtktreeviewaccessible.c b/gtk/a11y/gtktreeviewaccessible.c
index 6c579b29fe..5a5b11a16f 100644
--- a/gtk/a11y/gtktreeviewaccessible.c
+++ b/gtk/a11y/gtktreeviewaccessible.c
@@ -1448,7 +1448,7 @@ cell_info_new (GtkTreeViewAccessible *accessible,
   cell_info->tree = tree;
   cell_info->node = node;
   cell_info->cell_col_ref = tv_col;
-  cell_info->cell = g_object_ref (cell);
+  cell_info->cell = cell;
   cell_info->view = accessible;
 
   g_object_set_qdata (G_OBJECT (cell),