diff --git a/content/base/src/nsObjectLoadingContent.cpp b/content/base/src/nsObjectLoadingContent.cpp
index 576d3f4a487..77ee34e91c9 100644
--- a/content/base/src/nsObjectLoadingContent.cpp
+++ b/content/base/src/nsObjectLoadingContent.cpp
@@ -2133,10 +2133,13 @@ nsObjectLoadingContent::StopPluginInstance()
   }
 #endif
 
-  DoStopPlugin(mInstanceOwner, delayedStop);
-
+  // DoStopPlugin can process events and there may be pending InDocCheckEvent
+  // events which can drop in underneath us and destroy the instance we are
+  // about to destroy. Make sure this doesn't happen via this temp ref ptr and
+  // the !mInstanceOwner check above.
+  nsRefPtr<nsPluginInstanceOwner> instOwner = mInstanceOwner;
   mInstanceOwner = nsnull;
-
+  DoStopPlugin(instOwner, delayedStop);
   return NS_OK;
 }