diff --git a/dotnet/Devolutions.MsRdpEx/RdpInstance.cs b/dotnet/Devolutions.MsRdpEx/RdpInstance.cs
index 06a43be..e3b00c3 100644
--- a/dotnet/Devolutions.MsRdpEx/RdpInstance.cs
+++ b/dotnet/Devolutions.MsRdpEx/RdpInstance.cs
@@ -53,7 +53,22 @@ public bool GetShadowBitmap(ref IntPtr phDC, ref IntPtr phBitmap, ref IntPtr pBi
 
         public object WTSPlugin
         {
-            set { iface.SetWTSPluginObject(Marshal.GetIUnknownForObject(value)); }
+            set
+            {
+                IntPtr plugin = Marshal.GetIUnknownForObject(value);
+                // The native setter takes ownership only when the call succeeds.
+                bool transferred = false;
+                try
+                {
+                    iface.SetWTSPluginObject(plugin);
+                    transferred = true;
+                }
+                finally
+                {
+                    if (!transferred)
+                        Marshal.Release(plugin);
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/dotnet/MsRdpEx_Test/RdpInstancePluginTests.cs b/dotnet/MsRdpEx_Test/RdpInstancePluginTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..17af8c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dotnet/MsRdpEx_Test/RdpInstancePluginTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+using System.Reflection;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+
+namespace MsRdpEx.Tests
+{
+    public class RdpInstancePluginTests
+    {
+        [Fact]
+        public void WTSPlugin_WhenRegistrationFails_ReleasesOwnedReference()
+        {
+            var plugin = new object();
+            IntPtr reference = Marshal.GetIUnknownForObject(plugin);
+            int initialCount = GetReferenceCount(reference);
+            try
+            {
+                var failure = new COMException("Plugin registration failed.");
+                int calls = 0;
+                var instance = DispatchProxy.Create<IMsRdpExInstance, PluginInstanceProxy>();
+                ((PluginInstanceProxy)instance).Register = pointer =>
+                {
+                    Assert.Equal(reference, pointer);
+                    calls++;
+                    throw failure;
+                };
+
+                Assert.Same(failure, Assert.Throws<COMException>(() => new RdpInstance(instance).WTSPlugin = plugin));
+                Assert.Equal(1, calls);
+                Assert.Equal(initialCount, GetReferenceCount(reference));
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                if (GetReferenceCount(reference) > initialCount)
+                    Marshal.Release(reference);
+                Marshal.Release(reference);
+            }
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void WTSPlugin_WhenRegistrationSucceeds_TransfersOwnedReference()
+        {
+            var plugin = new object();
+            IntPtr reference = Marshal.GetIUnknownForObject(plugin);
+            int initialCount = GetReferenceCount(reference);
+            IntPtr transferred = IntPtr.Zero;
+            try
+            {
+                var instance = DispatchProxy.Create<IMsRdpExInstance, PluginInstanceProxy>();
+                ((PluginInstanceProxy)instance).Register = pointer => transferred = pointer;
+
+                new RdpInstance(instance).WTSPlugin = plugin;
+
+                Assert.Equal(reference, transferred);
+                Assert.Equal(initialCount + 1, GetReferenceCount(reference));
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                if (transferred != IntPtr.Zero && GetReferenceCount(reference) > initialCount)
+                    Marshal.Release(transferred);
+                Marshal.Release(reference);
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static int GetReferenceCount(IntPtr pointer)
+        {
+            int count = Marshal.AddRef(pointer);
+            Marshal.Release(pointer);
+            return count;
+        }
+
+        public class PluginInstanceProxy : DispatchProxy
+        {
+            public Action<IntPtr>? Register { get; set; }
+
+            protected override object? Invoke(MethodInfo? targetMethod, object?[]? args)
+            {
+                if (targetMethod?.Name != nameof(IMsRdpExInstance.SetWTSPluginObject))
+                    throw new NotSupportedException(targetMethod?.Name);
+
+                Register!((IntPtr)args![0]!);
+                return null;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}