diff --git a/src/compton.c b/src/compton.c
index 684e40e6..b861f036 100644
--- a/src/compton.c
+++ b/src/compton.c
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ static win *paint_preprocess(session_t *ps, bool *fade_running) {
 	rc_region_t *last_reg_ignore = rc_region_new();
 
 	bool unredir_possible = false;
-	// Trace whether it's the highest window to paint
+	// Track whether it's the highest window to paint
 	bool is_highest = true;
 	bool reg_ignore_valid = true;
 	for (win *w = ps->list; w; w = next) {
@@ -500,8 +500,9 @@ static win *paint_preprocess(session_t *ps, bool *fade_running) {
 		next = w->next;
 
 		// Destroy reg_ignore if some window above us invalidated it
-		if (!reg_ignore_valid)
+		if (!reg_ignore_valid) {
 			rc_region_unref(&w->reg_ignore);
+		}
 
 		// log_trace("%d %d %s", w->a.map_state, w->ever_damaged, w->name);
 
diff --git a/src/win.c b/src/win.c
index a0360c50..585e9c6c 100644
--- a/src/win.c
+++ b/src/win.c
@@ -1438,8 +1438,7 @@ static void finish_destroy_win(session_t *ps, win **_w) {
 	//      be true, and there is no need to invalid w->next->reg_ignore
 	//      when w is destroyed.
 	if (w->next) {
-		// should be `= w->reg_ignore_valid && w->next->reg_ignore_valid`,
-		// but keep it this way until we think about reg_ignore.
+		rc_region_unref(&w->next->reg_ignore);
 		w->next->reg_ignore_valid = false;
 	}