diff --git a/server/red-parse-qxl.cpp b/server/red-parse-qxl.cpp
index 419da12b..6dc877d5 100644
--- a/server/red-parse-qxl.cpp
+++ b/server/red-parse-qxl.cpp
@@ -1295,45 +1295,26 @@ static bool red_get_update_cmd(QXLInstance *qxl_instance, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
     return true;
 }
 
-static void red_put_update_cmd(RedUpdateCmd *red)
+RedUpdateCmd::~RedUpdateCmd()
 {
-    if (red->qxl != nullptr) {
-        red_qxl_release_resource(red->qxl, red->release_info_ext);
+    if (qxl != nullptr) {
+        red_qxl_release_resource(qxl, release_info_ext);
     }
 }
 
-RedUpdateCmd *red_update_cmd_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
-                                 int group_id, QXLPHYSICAL addr)
+red::shared_ptr<const RedUpdateCmd>
+red_update_cmd_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
+                   int group_id, QXLPHYSICAL addr)
 {
-    RedUpdateCmd *red;
+    auto red = red::make_shared<RedUpdateCmd>();
 
-    red = g_new0(RedUpdateCmd, 1);
-
-    red->refs = 1;
-
-    if (!red_get_update_cmd(qxl, slots, group_id, red, addr)) {
-        red_update_cmd_unref(red);
-        return nullptr;
+    if (!red_get_update_cmd(qxl, slots, group_id, red.get(), addr)) {
+        red.reset();
     }
 
     return red;
 }
 
-RedUpdateCmd *red_update_cmd_ref(RedUpdateCmd *red)
-{
-    red->refs++;
-    return red;
-}
-
-void red_update_cmd_unref(RedUpdateCmd *red)
-{
-    if (--red->refs) {
-        return;
-    }
-    red_put_update_cmd(red);
-    g_free(red);
-}
-
 static bool red_get_message(QXLInstance *qxl_instance, RedMemSlotInfo *slots, int group_id,
                             RedMessage *red, QXLPHYSICAL addr)
 {
diff --git a/server/red-parse-qxl.h b/server/red-parse-qxl.h
index 0226659a..52c5e376 100644
--- a/server/red-parse-qxl.h
+++ b/server/red-parse-qxl.h
@@ -62,14 +62,14 @@ typedef struct RedDrawable {
     } u;
 } RedDrawable;
 
-typedef struct RedUpdateCmd {
+struct RedUpdateCmd final: public red::simple_ptr_counted<RedUpdateCmd> {
+    ~RedUpdateCmd();
     QXLInstance *qxl;
     QXLReleaseInfoExt release_info_ext;
-    int refs;
     SpiceRect area;
     uint32_t update_id;
     uint32_t surface_id;
-} RedUpdateCmd;
+};
 
 struct RedMessage final: public red::simple_ptr_counted<RedMessage> {
     ~RedMessage();
@@ -126,10 +126,9 @@ RedDrawable *red_drawable_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
 RedDrawable *red_drawable_ref(RedDrawable *drawable);
 void red_drawable_unref(RedDrawable *red_drawable);
 
-RedUpdateCmd *red_update_cmd_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
-                                 int group_id, QXLPHYSICAL addr);
-RedUpdateCmd *red_update_cmd_ref(RedUpdateCmd *red);
-void red_update_cmd_unref(RedUpdateCmd *red);
+red::shared_ptr<const RedUpdateCmd>
+red_update_cmd_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
+                   int group_id, QXLPHYSICAL addr);
 
 red::shared_ptr<const RedMessage>
 red_message_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
diff --git a/server/red-worker.cpp b/server/red-worker.cpp
index 6e2eeb6d..3d91da13 100644
--- a/server/red-worker.cpp
+++ b/server/red-worker.cpp
@@ -204,11 +204,9 @@ static int red_process_display(RedWorker *worker, int *ring_is_empty)
             break;
         }
         case QXL_CMD_UPDATE: {
-            RedUpdateCmd *update;
-
-            update = red_update_cmd_new(worker->qxl, &worker->mem_slots,
-                                        ext_cmd.group_id, ext_cmd.cmd.data);
-            if (update == nullptr) {
+            auto update = red_update_cmd_new(worker->qxl, &worker->mem_slots,
+                                             ext_cmd.group_id, ext_cmd.cmd.data);
+            if (!update) {
                 break;
             }
             if (!display_channel_validate_surface(worker->display_channel, update->surface_id)) {
@@ -217,7 +215,6 @@ static int red_process_display(RedWorker *worker, int *ring_is_empty)
                 display_channel_draw(worker->display_channel, &update->area, update->surface_id);
                 red_qxl_notify_update(worker->qxl, update->update_id);
             }
-            red_update_cmd_unref(update);
             break;
         }
         case QXL_CMD_MESSAGE: {