diff --git a/compiler/objc/src/main/java/org/robovm/objc/ObjCBlock.java b/compiler/objc/src/main/java/org/robovm/objc/ObjCBlock.java
index bf02d7bd4..25ee96f06 100755
--- a/compiler/objc/src/main/java/org/robovm/objc/ObjCBlock.java
+++ b/compiler/objc/src/main/java/org/robovm/objc/ObjCBlock.java
@@ -80,6 +80,10 @@ public final class ObjCBlock extends Struct<ObjCBlock> {
     
     @StructMember(6)
     public native ObjCBlock wrapper_addr(@Pointer long wrapper_addr);
+
+    public static void setHandle(ObjCBlock block, long handle) {
+        block.setHandle(handle);
+    }
     
     public Object object() {
         return VM.castAddressToObject(object_addr());
diff --git a/compiler/objc/src/main/java/org/robovm/objc/RunnableAsObjCBlockMarshaler.java b/compiler/objc/src/main/java/org/robovm/objc/RunnableAsObjCBlockMarshaler.java
index 307b6a328..c41ddd679 100755
--- a/compiler/objc/src/main/java/org/robovm/objc/RunnableAsObjCBlockMarshaler.java
+++ b/compiler/objc/src/main/java/org/robovm/objc/RunnableAsObjCBlockMarshaler.java
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@
  */
 public class RunnableAsObjCBlockMarshaler implements Runnable {
 
+    private static final Selector COPY_SELECTOR = Selector.register("copy");
+    private static final Selector RELEASE_SELECTOR = Selector.register("release");
+
     private static ObjCBlock.Wrapper WRAPPER = 
             new ObjCBlock.Wrapper(RunnableAsObjCBlockMarshaler.class);
     
@@ -49,6 +52,8 @@ public static Runnable toObject(Class<?> cls, long handle, long flags) {
         if (block.hasObject()) {
             return (Runnable) block.object();
         }
+        handle = ObjCRuntime.ptr_objc_msgSend(handle, COPY_SELECTOR.getHandle());
+        ObjCBlock.setHandle(block, handle);
         return new RunnableAsObjCBlockMarshaler(block);
     }
     
@@ -128,4 +133,9 @@ public void run() {
     private static void invoked(ObjCBlock block) {
         ((Runnable) block.object()).run();
     }
+    
+    @Override
+    protected void finalize() throws Throwable {
+        ObjCRuntime.void_objc_msgSend(this.objCBlock.getHandle(), RELEASE_SELECTOR.getHandle());
+    }
 }