diff --git a/disk-utils/fsck.c b/disk-utils/fsck.c
index 3fa47815e..1d05faf54 100644
--- a/disk-utils/fsck.c
+++ b/disk-utils/fsck.c
@@ -1577,7 +1577,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	status |= wait_many(FLAG_WAIT_ALL);
 	free(fsck_path);
 	mnt_unref_cache(mntcache);
-	mnt_free_table(fstab);
-	mnt_free_table(mtab);
+	mnt_unref_table(fstab);
+	mnt_unref_table(mtab);
 	return status;
 }
diff --git a/misc-utils/findmnt.c b/misc-utils/findmnt.c
index aba7075df..3da901231 100644
--- a/misc-utils/findmnt.c
+++ b/misc-utils/findmnt.c
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ static struct libmnt_table *parse_tabfiles(char **files,
 			break;
 		}
 		if (rc) {
-			mnt_free_table(tb);
+			mnt_unref_table(tb);
 			warn(_("can't read %s"), path);
 			return NULL;
 		}
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ static int poll_table(struct libmnt_table *tb, const char *tabfile,
 
 	rc = 0;
 done:
-	mnt_free_table(tb_new);
+	mnt_unref_table(tb_new);
 	mnt_free_tabdiff(diff);
 	mnt_free_iter(itr);
 	if (f)
@@ -1496,8 +1496,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 leave:
 	tt_free_table(tt);
 
-	mnt_free_table(tb);
+	mnt_unref_table(tb);
 	mnt_unref_cache(cache);
+
 	free(tabfiles);
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBUDEV
 	udev_unref(udev);
diff --git a/misc-utils/lsblk.c b/misc-utils/lsblk.c
index b5cdf6c45..69e769229 100644
--- a/misc-utils/lsblk.c
+++ b/misc-utils/lsblk.c
@@ -1604,8 +1604,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 leave:
 	tt_free_table(lsblk->tt);
-	mnt_free_table(mtab);
-	mnt_free_table(swaps);
+
+	mnt_unref_table(mtab);
+	mnt_unref_table(swaps);
 	mnt_unref_cache(mntcache);
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBUDEV
 	udev_unref(udev);
diff --git a/misc-utils/lslocks.c b/misc-utils/lslocks.c
index de3094a01..c2ad18dd1 100644
--- a/misc-utils/lslocks.c
+++ b/misc-utils/lslocks.c
@@ -592,6 +592,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (!rc && !list_empty(&locks))
 		rc = show_locks(&locks, tt_flags);
 
-	mnt_free_table(tab);
+	mnt_unref_table(tab);
 	return rc;
 }
diff --git a/sys-utils/eject.c b/sys-utils/eject.c
index b8e16c320..03744c7e7 100644
--- a/sys-utils/eject.c
+++ b/sys-utils/eject.c
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ static long int c_arg;
 static long int x_arg;
 
 struct libmnt_table *mtab;
-struct libmnt_cache *cache;
 
 static void vinfo(const char *fmt, va_list va)
 {
@@ -725,13 +724,15 @@ static int device_get_mountpoint(char **devname, char **mnt)
 	*mnt = NULL;
 
 	if (!mtab) {
+		struct libmnt_cache *cache;
+
 		mtab = mnt_new_table();
 		if (!mtab)
 			err(EXIT_FAILURE, _("failed to initialize libmount table"));
 
-		if (!cache)
-			cache = mnt_new_cache();
+		cache = mnt_new_cache();
 		mnt_table_set_cache(mtab, cache);
+		mnt_unref_cache(cache);
 
 		if (p_option)
 			rc = mnt_table_parse_file(mtab, _PATH_PROC_MOUNTINFO);
@@ -1147,8 +1148,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	free(device);
 	free(mountpoint);
 
-	mnt_free_table(mtab);
-	mnt_unref_cache(cache);
+	mnt_unref_table(mtab);
 
 	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/sys-utils/mount.c b/sys-utils/mount.c
index 9d9784905..fa1ce15c3 100644
--- a/sys-utils/mount.c
+++ b/sys-utils/mount.c
@@ -641,6 +641,8 @@ static struct libmnt_table *append_fstab(struct libmnt_context *cxt,
 
 		mnt_table_set_parser_errcb(fstab, table_parser_errcb);
 		mnt_context_set_fstab(cxt, fstab);
+
+		mnt_unref_table(fstab);	/* reference is handled by @cxt now */
 	}
 
 	if (mnt_table_parse_fstab(fstab, path))
@@ -1078,7 +1080,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		success_message(cxt);
 done:
 	mnt_free_context(cxt);
-	mnt_free_table(fstab);
 	return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys-utils/mountpoint.c b/sys-utils/mountpoint.c
index 4f6dbbd3f..cba5f0125 100644
--- a/sys-utils/mountpoint.c
+++ b/sys-utils/mountpoint.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ static int dir_to_device(const char *spec, dev_t *dev)
 		rc = 0;
 	}
 
-	mnt_free_table(tb);
+	mnt_unref_table(tb);
 	return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys-utils/swapon-common.c b/sys-utils/swapon-common.c
index 5c95ef342..6dd7bacb1 100644
--- a/sys-utils/swapon-common.c
+++ b/sys-utils/swapon-common.c
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ struct libmnt_table *get_swaps(void)
 
 void free_tables(void)
 {
-	mnt_free_table(swaps);
-	mnt_free_table(fstab);
+	mnt_unref_table(swaps);
+	mnt_unref_table(fstab);
 }
 
 int match_swap(struct libmnt_fs *fs, void *data __attribute__((unused)))
diff --git a/sys-utils/umount.c b/sys-utils/umount.c
index c3b8187ce..b8e4b7fe6 100644
--- a/sys-utils/umount.c
+++ b/sys-utils/umount.c
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ static struct libmnt_table *new_mountinfo(struct libmnt_context *cxt)
 
 	if (mnt_table_parse_file(tb, _PATH_PROC_MOUNTINFO)) {
 		warn(_("failed to parse %s"), _PATH_PROC_MOUNTINFO);
-		mnt_free_table(tb);
+		mnt_unref_table(tb);
 		tb = NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ static int umount_recursive(struct libmnt_context *cxt, const char *spec)
 				_("%s: not found"), spec);
 	}
 
-	mnt_free_table(tb);
+	mnt_unref_table(tb);
 	return rc;
 }
 
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ static int umount_alltargets(struct libmnt_context *cxt, const char *spec, int r
 	}
 
 	mnt_free_iter(itr);
-	mnt_free_table(tb);
+	mnt_unref_table(tb);
 
 	return rc;
 }