diff --git a/src/api/event.c b/src/api/event.c
index 12ad12d0..7c292731 100644
--- a/src/api/event.c
+++ b/src/api/event.c
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ int luax_pushvariant(lua_State* L, Variant* variant) {
     case TYPE_NIL: lua_pushnil(L); return 1;
     case TYPE_BOOLEAN: lua_pushboolean(L, variant->value.boolean); return 1;
     case TYPE_NUMBER: lua_pushnumber(L, variant->value.number); return 1;
-    case TYPE_STRING: lua_pushstring(L, variant->value.string); free(variant->value.string); return 1;
-    case TYPE_OBJECT: luax_pushobject(L, variant->value.ref); lovrRelease(variant->value.ref); return 1;
+    case TYPE_STRING: lua_pushstring(L, variant->value.string); return 1;
+    case TYPE_OBJECT: luax_pushobject(L, variant->value.ref); return 1;
   }
 }
 
@@ -109,7 +109,9 @@ static int nextEvent(lua_State* L) {
 
     case EVENT_CUSTOM:
       for (int i = 0; i < event.data.custom.count; i++) {
-        luax_pushvariant(L, &event.data.custom.data[i]);
+        Variant* variant = &event.data.custom.data[i];
+        luax_pushvariant(L, variant);
+        lovrVariantDestroy(variant);
       }
       return event.data.custom.count + 1;
 
diff --git a/src/api/types/channel.c b/src/api/types/channel.c
index 1d360dee..9d941663 100644
--- a/src/api/types/channel.c
+++ b/src/api/types/channel.c
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ int l_lovrChannelPop(lua_State* L) {
   Channel* channel = luax_checktype(L, 1, Channel);
   luax_checktimeout(L, 2, &timeout);
   if (lovrChannelPop(channel, &variant, timeout)) {
-    return luax_pushvariant(L, &variant);
+    luax_pushvariant(L, &variant);
+    lovrVariantDestroy(&variant);
+    return 1;
   }
   lua_pushnil(L);
   return 1;
diff --git a/src/event/event.c b/src/event/event.c
index a41478d9..e0ccf5ae 100644
--- a/src/event/event.c
+++ b/src/event/event.c
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@
 
 static EventState state;
 
+void lovrVariantDestroy(Variant* variant) {
+  switch (variant->type) {
+    case TYPE_STRING: free(variant->value.string); return;
+    case TYPE_OBJECT: lovrRelease(variant->value.ref); return;
+    default: return;
+  }
+}
+
 bool lovrEventInit() {
   if (state.initialized) return false;
   vec_init(&state.pumps);
diff --git a/src/event/event.h b/src/event/event.h
index cd125056..98c25876 100644
--- a/src/event/event.h
+++ b/src/event/event.h
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ typedef struct {
   vec_event_t events;
 } EventState;
 
+void lovrVariantDestroy(Variant* variant);
+
 bool lovrEventInit();
 void lovrEventDestroy();
 void lovrEventAddPump(EventPump pump);