diff --git a/include/serialize.h b/include/serialize.h
index 496110fda..f83c9bfd3 100644
--- a/include/serialize.h
+++ b/include/serialize.h
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ class CoreExport Serializable : public virtual Base
 	 * constructed before other objects are if it isn't.
 	 */
 	static std::list<Serializable *> *SerializableItems;
+	friend class Serialize::Type;
 	/* The type of item this object is */
 	Serialize::Type *s_type;
- private:
  	/* Iterator into serializable_items */
 	std::list<Serializable *>::iterator s_iter;
 	/* The hash of the last serialized form of this object commited to the database */
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class CoreExport Serializable : public virtual Base
  * of class that inherits from Serialiable. Used for unserializing objects
  * of this type, as it requires a function pointer to a static member function.
  */
-class CoreExport Serialize::Type
+class CoreExport Serialize::Type : public Base
 {
 	typedef Serializable* (*unserialize_func)(Serializable *obj, Serialize::Data &);
 
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ class Serialize::Checker
 {
 	Anope::string name;
 	T obj;
-	mutable Serialize::Type *type;
+	mutable ::Reference<Serialize::Type> type;
 
 	inline void Check() const
 	{
diff --git a/src/serialize.cpp b/src/serialize.cpp
index 521704df4..570463dc3 100644
--- a/src/serialize.cpp
+++ b/src/serialize.cpp
@@ -124,6 +124,15 @@ Type::Type(const Anope::string &n, unserialize_func f, Module *o)  : name(n), un
 
 Type::~Type()
 {
+	/* null the type of existing serializable objects of this type */
+	for (std::list<Serializable *>::iterator it = Serializable::SerializableItems->begin(); it != Serializable::SerializableItems->end(); ++it)
+	{
+		Serializable *s = *it;
+
+		if (s->s_type == this)
+			s->s_type = NULL;
+	}
+
 	std::vector<Anope::string>::iterator it = std::find(TypeOrder.begin(), TypeOrder.end(), this->name);
 	if (it != TypeOrder.end())
 		TypeOrder.erase(it);