diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/inspector_widget.zig b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/inspector_widget.zig
index aae8fd4ac..b27aaf3ed 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/inspector_widget.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/inspector_widget.zig
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ const gresource = @import("../build/gresource.zig");
 const Inspector = @import("../../../inspector/Inspector.zig");
 
 const Common = @import("../class.zig").Common;
-const WeakRef = @import("../weak_ref.zig").WeakRef;
 const Surface = @import("surface.zig").Surface;
 const ImguiWidget = @import("imgui_widget.zig").ImguiWidget;
 
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/inspector_window.zig b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/inspector_window.zig
index c75c6fecb..f848d327b 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/inspector_window.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/inspector_window.zig
@@ -111,12 +111,9 @@ pub const InspectorWindow = extern struct {
     // Public methods
 
     pub fn new(surface: *Surface) *Self {
-        const self = gobject.ext.newInstance(Self, .{
+        return gobject.ext.newInstance(Self, .{
             .surface = surface,
         });
-
-        // Bump the ref so that we aren't immediately closed.
-        return self.ref();
     }
 
     /// Present the window.
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/surface.zig b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/surface.zig
index 5a3107000..4b2d972bb 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/surface.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/surface.zig
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ pub const Surface = extern struct {
         bell_ringing: bool = false,
 
         /// A weak reference to an inspector window.
-        inspector: WeakRef(InspectorWindow) = .empty,
+        inspector: ?*InspectorWindow = null,
 
         // Template binds
         child_exited_overlay: *ChildExited,
@@ -578,55 +578,34 @@ pub const Surface = extern struct {
         return self.as(gtk.Widget).activateAction("win.toggle-command-palette", null) != 0;
     }
 
-    pub fn toggleInspector(self: *Self) bool {
+    pub fn controlInspector(
+        self: *Self,
+        value: apprt.Action.Value(.inspector),
+    ) bool {
+        // Let's see if we have an inspector already.
         const priv = self.private();
-        if (priv.inspector.get()) |inspector| {
-            defer inspector.unref();
-            priv.inspector.set(null);
-            return true;
-        }
-        const inspector = InspectorWindow.new(self);
-        defer inspector.unref();
-        priv.inspector.set(inspector);
-        inspector.present();
-        return true;
-    }
+        if (priv.inspector) |inspector| switch (value) {
+            .show => {},
+            // Our weak ref will set our private value to null
+            .toggle, .hide => inspector.as(gtk.Window).destroy(),
+        } else switch (value) {
+            .toggle, .show => {
+                const inspector = InspectorWindow.new(self);
+                inspector.present();
+                inspector.as(gobject.Object).weakRef(inspectorWeakNotify, self);
+                priv.inspector = inspector;
+            },
 
-    pub fn showInspector(self: *Self) bool {
-        const priv = self.private();
-        const inspector = priv.inspector.get() orelse inspector: {
-            const inspector = InspectorWindow.new(self);
-            priv.inspector.set(inspector);
-            break :inspector inspector;
-        };
-        defer inspector.unref();
-        inspector.present();
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    pub fn hideInspector(self: *Self) bool {
-        const priv = self.private();
-        if (priv.inspector.get()) |inspector| {
-            defer inspector.unref();
-            priv.inspector.set(null);
+            .hide => {},
         }
-        return true;
-    }
 
-    pub fn controlInspector(self: *Self, value: apprt.Action.Value(.inspector)) bool {
-        switch (value) {
-            .toggle => return self.toggleInspector(),
-            .show => return self.showInspector(),
-            .hide => return self.hideInspector(),
-        }
+        return true;
     }
 
     /// Redraw our inspector, if there is one associated with this surface.
     pub fn redrawInspector(self: *Self) void {
         const priv = self.private();
-        const inspector = priv.inspector.get() orelse return;
-        defer inspector.unref();
-        inspector.queueRender();
+        if (priv.inspector) |v| v.queueRender();
     }
 
     pub fn showOnScreenKeyboard(self: *Self, event: ?*gdk.Event) bool {
@@ -1356,10 +1335,6 @@ pub const Surface = extern struct {
             priv.progress_bar_timer = null;
         }
 
-        if (priv.inspector.get()) |inspector| {
-            defer inspector.unref();
-        }
-
         gtk.Widget.disposeTemplate(
             self.as(gtk.Widget),
             getGObjectType(),
@@ -1787,6 +1762,15 @@ pub const Surface = extern struct {
         self.grabFocus();
     }
 
+    fn inspectorWeakNotify(
+        ud: ?*anyopaque,
+        _: *gobject.Object,
+    ) callconv(.c) void {
+        const self: *Self = @ptrCast(@alignCast(ud orelse return));
+        const priv = self.private();
+        priv.inspector = null;
+    }
+
     fn dtDrop(
         _: *gtk.DropTarget,
         value: *gobject.Value,
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/window.zig b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/window.zig
index da4e9574f..64aff1f9a 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/window.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk-ng/class/window.zig
@@ -1825,7 +1825,7 @@ pub const Window = extern struct {
     /// Toggle the Ghostty inspector for the active surface.
     fn toggleInspector(self: *Self) void {
         const surface = self.getActiveSurface() orelse return;
-        _ = surface.toggleInspector();
+        _ = surface.controlInspector(.toggle);
     }
 
     /// React to a GTK action requesting that the Ghostty inspector be toggled.