diff --git a/server/red-parse-qxl.cpp b/server/red-parse-qxl.cpp
index 66f6b5d7..419da12b 100644
--- a/server/red-parse-qxl.cpp
+++ b/server/red-parse-qxl.cpp
@@ -1367,45 +1367,26 @@ static bool red_get_message(QXLInstance *qxl_instance, RedMemSlotInfo *slots, in
     return true;
 }
 
-static void red_put_message(RedMessage *red)
+RedMessage::~RedMessage()
 {
-    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);
     }
 }
 
-RedMessage *red_message_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
-                            int group_id, QXLPHYSICAL addr)
+red::shared_ptr<const RedMessage>
+red_message_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
+                int group_id, QXLPHYSICAL addr)
 {
-    RedMessage *red;
+    auto red = red::make_shared<RedMessage>();
 
-    red = g_new0(RedMessage, 1);
-
-    red->refs = 1;
-
-    if (!red_get_message(qxl, slots, group_id, red, addr)) {
-        red_message_unref(red);
-        return nullptr;
+    if (!red_get_message(qxl, slots, group_id, red.get(), addr)) {
+        red.reset();
     }
 
     return red;
 }
 
-RedMessage *red_message_ref(RedMessage *red)
-{
-    red->refs++;
-    return red;
-}
-
-void red_message_unref(RedMessage *red)
-{
-    if (--red->refs) {
-        return;
-    }
-    red_put_message(red);
-    g_free(red);
-}
-
 static unsigned int surface_format_to_bpp(uint32_t format)
 {
     switch (format) {
diff --git a/server/red-parse-qxl.h b/server/red-parse-qxl.h
index 1eb0d928..0226659a 100644
--- a/server/red-parse-qxl.h
+++ b/server/red-parse-qxl.h
@@ -71,13 +71,13 @@ typedef struct RedUpdateCmd {
     uint32_t surface_id;
 } RedUpdateCmd;
 
-typedef struct RedMessage {
+struct RedMessage final: public red::simple_ptr_counted<RedMessage> {
+    ~RedMessage();
     QXLInstance *qxl;
     QXLReleaseInfoExt release_info_ext;
-    int refs;
     int len;
     uint8_t *data;
-} RedMessage;
+};
 
 typedef struct RedSurfaceCreate {
     uint32_t format;
@@ -131,10 +131,9 @@ RedUpdateCmd *red_update_cmd_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
 RedUpdateCmd *red_update_cmd_ref(RedUpdateCmd *red);
 void red_update_cmd_unref(RedUpdateCmd *red);
 
-RedMessage *red_message_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
-                            int group_id, QXLPHYSICAL addr);
-RedMessage *red_message_ref(RedMessage *red);
-void red_message_unref(RedMessage *red);
+red::shared_ptr<const RedMessage>
+red_message_new(QXLInstance *qxl, RedMemSlotInfo *slots,
+                int group_id, QXLPHYSICAL addr);
 
 bool red_validate_surface(uint32_t width, uint32_t height,
                           int32_t stride, uint32_t format);
diff --git a/server/red-worker.cpp b/server/red-worker.cpp
index 62028a53..6e2eeb6d 100644
--- a/server/red-worker.cpp
+++ b/server/red-worker.cpp
@@ -221,17 +221,14 @@ static int red_process_display(RedWorker *worker, int *ring_is_empty)
             break;
         }
         case QXL_CMD_MESSAGE: {
-            RedMessage *message;
-
-            message = red_message_new(worker->qxl, &worker->mem_slots,
-                                      ext_cmd.group_id, ext_cmd.cmd.data);
-            if (message == nullptr) {
+            auto message = red_message_new(worker->qxl, &worker->mem_slots,
+                                           ext_cmd.group_id, ext_cmd.cmd.data);
+            if (!message) {
                 break;
             }
 #ifdef DEBUG
             spice_warning("MESSAGE: %.*s", message->len, message->data);
 #endif
-            red_message_unref(message);
             break;
         }
         case QXL_CMD_SURFACE: