diff --git a/src/org_pEp_jniadapter_AbstractEngine.cc b/src/org_pEp_jniadapter_AbstractEngine.cc
index 737e538..c7fd500 100644
--- a/src/org_pEp_jniadapter_AbstractEngine.cc
+++ b/src/org_pEp_jniadapter_AbstractEngine.cc
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ extern "C" {
             "showHandshakeCallFromC", 
             "(Lorg/pEp/jniadapter/_Identity;Lorg/pEp/jniadapter/_Identity;)I");
 
+        env->DeleteLocalRef(clazz);
+
         me_ = from_identity(env, me);
         partner_ = from_identity(env, partner);
 
@@ -226,6 +228,8 @@ extern "C" {
             "messageToSendCallFromC", 
             "(Lorg/pEp/jniadapter/Message;)I");
 
+        env->DeleteLocalRef(clazz);
+
         jclass clazz_msg_ = findClass(env, "org/pEp/jniadapter/Message");
         assert(clazz_msg_);
         jmethodID constructor_msg_ = env->GetMethodID(clazz_msg_, "<init>", "(J)V");