diff --git a/src/node_contextify.cc b/src/node_contextify.cc
index 9e70bb01080c91..397d1a31b10c5a 100644
--- a/src/node_contextify.cc
+++ b/src/node_contextify.cc
@@ -48,40 +48,29 @@ using v8::WeakCallbackData;
 
 class ContextifyContext {
  protected:
-  enum Kind {
-    kSandbox,
-    kContext
-  };
+  // V8 reserves the first field in context objects for the debugger. We use the
+  // second field to hold a reference to the sandbox object.
+  enum { kSandboxObjectIndex = 1 };
 
   Environment* const env_;
-  Persistent<Object> sandbox_;
   Persistent<Context> context_;
-  int references_;
 
  public:
-  explicit ContextifyContext(Environment* env, Local<Object> sandbox)
-      : env_(env),
-        sandbox_(env->isolate(), sandbox),
-        // Wait for sandbox_ and context_ to die
-        references_(0) {
-    context_.Reset(env->isolate(), CreateV8Context(env));
-
-    sandbox_.SetWeak(this, WeakCallback<Object, kSandbox>);
-    sandbox_.MarkIndependent();
-    references_++;
+  explicit ContextifyContext(Environment* env, Local<Object> sandbox_obj)
+      : env_(env) {
+    Local<Context> v8_context = CreateV8Context(env, sandbox_obj);
+    context_.Reset(env->isolate(), v8_context);
 
     // Allocation failure or maximum call stack size reached
     if (context_.IsEmpty())
       return;
-    context_.SetWeak(this, WeakCallback<Context, kContext>);
+    context_.SetWeak(this, WeakCallback<Context>);
     context_.MarkIndependent();
-    references_++;
   }
 
 
   ~ContextifyContext() {
     context_.Reset();
-    sandbox_.Reset();
   }
 
 
@@ -99,6 +88,11 @@ class ContextifyContext {
     return context()->Global();
   }
 
+
+  inline Local<Object> sandbox() const {
+    return Local<Object>::Cast(context()->GetEmbedderData(kSandboxObjectIndex));
+  }
+
   // XXX(isaacs): This function only exists because of a shortcoming of
   // the V8 SetNamedPropertyHandler function.
   //
@@ -126,7 +120,6 @@ class ContextifyContext {
     Local<Context> context = PersistentToLocal(env()->isolate(), context_);
     Local<Object> global =
         context->Global()->GetPrototype()->ToObject(env()->isolate());
-    Local<Object> sandbox = PersistentToLocal(env()->isolate(), sandbox_);
 
     Local<Function> clone_property_method;
 
@@ -134,7 +127,7 @@ class ContextifyContext {
     int length = names->Length();
     for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
       Local<String> key = names->Get(i)->ToString(env()->isolate());
-      bool has = sandbox->HasOwnProperty(key);
+      bool has = sandbox()->HasOwnProperty(context, key).FromJust();
       if (!has) {
         // Could also do this like so:
         //
@@ -167,7 +160,7 @@ class ContextifyContext {
           clone_property_method = Local<Function>::Cast(script->Run());
           CHECK(clone_property_method->IsFunction());
         }
-        Local<Value> args[] = { global, key, sandbox };
+        Local<Value> args[] = { global, key, sandbox() };
         clone_property_method->Call(global, ARRAY_SIZE(args), args);
       }
     }
@@ -191,14 +184,13 @@ class ContextifyContext {
   }
 
 
-  Local<Context> CreateV8Context(Environment* env) {
+  Local<Context> CreateV8Context(Environment* env, Local<Object> sandbox_obj) {
     EscapableHandleScope scope(env->isolate());
     Local<FunctionTemplate> function_template =
         FunctionTemplate::New(env->isolate());
     function_template->SetHiddenPrototype(true);
 
-    Local<Object> sandbox = PersistentToLocal(env->isolate(), sandbox_);
-    function_template->SetClassName(sandbox->GetConstructorName());
+    function_template->SetClassName(sandbox_obj->GetConstructorName());
 
     Local<ObjectTemplate> object_template =
         function_template->InstanceTemplate();
@@ -215,6 +207,7 @@ class ContextifyContext {
 
     CHECK(!ctx.IsEmpty());
     ctx->SetSecurityToken(env->context()->GetSecurityToken());
+    ctx->SetEmbedderData(kSandboxObjectIndex, sandbox_obj);
 
     env->AssignToContext(ctx);
 
@@ -309,16 +302,11 @@ class ContextifyContext {
   }
 
 
-  template <class T, Kind kind>
+  template <class T>
   static void WeakCallback(const WeakCallbackData<T, ContextifyContext>& data) {
     ContextifyContext* context = data.GetParameter();
-    if (kind == kSandbox)
-      context->sandbox_.ClearWeak();
-    else
-      context->context_.ClearWeak();
-
-    if (--context->references_ == 0)
-      delete context;
+    context->context_.ClearWeak();
+    delete context;
   }
 
 
@@ -340,8 +328,6 @@ class ContextifyContext {
   static void GlobalPropertyGetterCallback(
       Local<Name> property,
       const PropertyCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
-    Isolate* isolate = args.GetIsolate();
-
     ContextifyContext* ctx =
         Unwrap<ContextifyContext>(args.Data().As<Object>());
 
@@ -349,9 +335,8 @@ class ContextifyContext {
     if (ctx->context_.IsEmpty())
       return;
 
-    Local<Object> sandbox = PersistentToLocal(isolate, ctx->sandbox_);
     MaybeLocal<Value> maybe_rv =
-        sandbox->GetRealNamedProperty(ctx->context(), property);
+        ctx->sandbox()->GetRealNamedProperty(ctx->context(), property);
     if (maybe_rv.IsEmpty()) {
       maybe_rv =
           ctx->global_proxy()->GetRealNamedProperty(ctx->context(), property);
@@ -359,7 +344,7 @@ class ContextifyContext {
 
     Local<Value> rv;
     if (maybe_rv.ToLocal(&rv)) {
-      if (rv == ctx->sandbox_)
+      if (rv == ctx->sandbox())
         rv = ctx->global_proxy();
 
       args.GetReturnValue().Set(rv);
@@ -371,8 +356,6 @@ class ContextifyContext {
       Local<Name> property,
       Local<Value> value,
       const PropertyCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
-    Isolate* isolate = args.GetIsolate();
-
     ContextifyContext* ctx =
         Unwrap<ContextifyContext>(args.Data().As<Object>());
 
@@ -380,15 +363,13 @@ class ContextifyContext {
     if (ctx->context_.IsEmpty())
       return;
 
-    PersistentToLocal(isolate, ctx->sandbox_)->Set(property, value);
+    ctx->sandbox()->Set(property, value);
   }
 
 
   static void GlobalPropertyQueryCallback(
       Local<Name> property,
       const PropertyCallbackInfo<Integer>& args) {
-    Isolate* isolate = args.GetIsolate();
-
     ContextifyContext* ctx =
         Unwrap<ContextifyContext>(args.Data().As<Object>());
 
@@ -396,9 +377,9 @@ class ContextifyContext {
     if (ctx->context_.IsEmpty())
       return;
 
-    Local<Object> sandbox = PersistentToLocal(isolate, ctx->sandbox_);
     Maybe<PropertyAttribute> maybe_prop_attr =
-        sandbox->GetRealNamedPropertyAttributes(ctx->context(), property);
+        ctx->sandbox()->GetRealNamedPropertyAttributes(ctx->context(),
+                                                       property);
 
     if (maybe_prop_attr.IsNothing()) {
       maybe_prop_attr =
@@ -416,8 +397,6 @@ class ContextifyContext {
   static void GlobalPropertyDeleterCallback(
       Local<Name> property,
       const PropertyCallbackInfo<Boolean>& args) {
-    Isolate* isolate = args.GetIsolate();
-
     ContextifyContext* ctx =
         Unwrap<ContextifyContext>(args.Data().As<Object>());
 
@@ -425,9 +404,7 @@ class ContextifyContext {
     if (ctx->context_.IsEmpty())
       return;
 
-    Local<Object> sandbox = PersistentToLocal(isolate, ctx->sandbox_);
-
-    Maybe<bool> success = sandbox->Delete(ctx->context(), property);
+    Maybe<bool> success = ctx->sandbox()->Delete(ctx->context(), property);
 
     if (success.IsJust())
       args.GetReturnValue().Set(success.FromJust());
@@ -443,8 +420,7 @@ class ContextifyContext {
     if (ctx->context_.IsEmpty())
       return;
 
-    Local<Object> sandbox = PersistentToLocal(args.GetIsolate(), ctx->sandbox_);
-    args.GetReturnValue().Set(sandbox->GetPropertyNames());
+    args.GetReturnValue().Set(ctx->sandbox()->GetPropertyNames());
   }
 };