diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/cpu_session_component.cc b/repos/base/src/core/cpu_session_component.cc
index 4e161496a..166743919 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/cpu_session_component.cc
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/cpu_session_component.cc
@@ -283,21 +283,22 @@ Cpu_session_component::~Cpu_session_component()
 
 void Cpu_session_component::_deinit_ref_account()
 {
-	/* without a ref-account, nothing has do be done */
-	if (!_ref) { return; }
+	/* rewire child ref accounts to this sessions's ref account */
+	{
+		Lock::Guard lock_guard(_ref_members_lock);
+		for (Cpu_session_component * s; (s = _ref_members.first()); ) {
+			_unsync_remove_ref_member(*s);
+			if (_ref)
+				_ref->_insert_ref_member(s);
+		}
+	}
 
-	/* give back our remaining quota to our ref account */
-	_transfer_quota(*_ref, _quota);
+	if (_ref) {
+		/* give back our remaining quota to our ref account */
+		_transfer_quota(*_ref, _quota);
 
-	/* remove ref-account relation between us and our ref-account */
-	Cpu_session_component * const orig_ref = _ref;
-	_ref->_remove_ref_member(*this);
-
-	/* redirect ref-account relation of ref members to our prior ref account */
-	Lock::Guard lock_guard(_ref_members_lock);
-	for (Cpu_session_component * s; (s = _ref_members.first()); ) {
-		_unsync_remove_ref_member(*s);
-		orig_ref->_insert_ref_member(s);
+		/* remove ref-account relation between us and our ref-account */
+		_ref->_remove_ref_member(*this);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/repos/base/src/test/thread/main.cc b/repos/base/src/test/thread/main.cc
index 96ebd1ee6..2eef9e3a3 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/test/thread/main.cc
+++ b/repos/base/src/test/thread/main.cc
@@ -682,6 +682,23 @@ static void test_successive_create_destroy_threads(Env &env)
 }
 
 
+/******************************************************
+ ** Test destruction of inter-dependent CPU sessions **
+ ******************************************************/
+
+static void test_destroy_dependent_cpu_sessions(Env &env)
+{
+	log("destroy dependent CPU sessions in wrong order");
+
+	Cpu_connection grandchild { env };
+	Cpu_connection child      { env };
+
+	grandchild.ref_account(child.rpc_cap());
+
+	/* when leaving the scope, 'child' is destructed before 'grandchild' */
+}
+
+
 void Component::construct(Env &env)
 {
 	log("--- thread test started ---");
@@ -689,6 +706,9 @@ void Component::construct(Env &env)
 	Attached_rom_dataspace config(env, "config");
 
 	try {
+
+		test_destroy_dependent_cpu_sessions(env);
+
 		test_stack_alloc(env);
 		test_stack_alignment(env);
 		test_main_thread();