diff --git a/src/stream.c b/src/stream.c
index dadb80f..6c1f7ab 100644
--- a/src/stream.c
+++ b/src/stream.c
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@
 	struct stream *s;
 	struct connection *conn = objt_conn(origin);
 	struct appctx *appctx   = objt_appctx(origin);
-	int i;
 
 	if (unlikely((s = pool_alloc2(pool2_stream)) == NULL))
 		return s;
@@ -108,13 +107,13 @@
 	s->current_rule_list = NULL;
 	s->current_rule = NULL;
 
-	/* Copy SC counters for the stream. Each SC counter will be used by
-	 * the stream, so we need to increment the refcount.
+	/* Copy SC counters for the stream. We don't touch refcounts because
+	 * any reference we have is inherited from the session. Since the stream
+	 * doesn't exist without the session, the session's existence guarantees
+	 * we don't lose the entry. During the store operation, the stream won't
+	 * touch these ones.
 	 */
 	memcpy(s->stkctr, sess->stkctr, sizeof(s->stkctr));
-	for (i = 0; i < MAX_SESS_STKCTR; i++)
-		if (stkctr_entry(&s->stkctr[i]))
-			stkctr_entry(&s->stkctr[i])->ref_cnt++;
 
 	s->sess = sess;
 	s->si[0].flags = SI_FL_NONE;