diff --git a/include/villas/signal.h b/include/villas/signal.h
index ebe1f87da..8769803db 100644
--- a/include/villas/signal.h
+++ b/include/villas/signal.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 
 #include <jansson.h>
 
+#include <villas/atomic.h>
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
@@ -47,16 +49,24 @@ enum signal_format {
  * This data structure contains meta data about samples values in struct sample::data
  */
 struct signal {
-	char *name;	/**< The name of the signal. */
-	char *unit;	/**< The unit of the signal. */
+	char *name;		/**< The name of the signal. */
+	char *unit;		/**< The unit of the signal. */
 
 	int enabled;
 
+	atomic_int refcnt;	/**< Reference counter. */
+
 	enum signal_format format;
 };
 
 int signal_init(struct signal *s);
 
+/** Increase reference counter. */
+int signal_get(struct signal *s);
+
+/** Decrease reference counter. */
+int signal_put(struct signal *s);
+
 int signal_init_from_mapping(struct signal *s, const struct mapping_entry *me, unsigned index);
 
 int signal_destroy(struct signal *s);
diff --git a/lib/signal.c b/lib/signal.c
index 773ffd917..92a690ce0 100644
--- a/lib/signal.c
+++ b/lib/signal.c
@@ -30,8 +30,12 @@
 
 int signal_init(struct signal *s)
 {
+	s->name = NULL;
+	s->unit = NULL;
 	s->format = SIGNAL_FORMAT_UNKNOWN;
 
+	s->refcnt = ATOMIC_VAR_INIT(1);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -95,6 +99,22 @@ int signal_destroy(struct signal *s)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int signal_get(struct signal *s)
+{
+	return atomic_fetch_add(&s->refcnt, 1) + 1;
+}
+
+int signal_put(struct signal *s)
+{
+	int prev = atomic_fetch_sub(&s->refcnt, 1);
+
+	/* Did we had the last reference? */
+	if (prev == 1)
+		signal_destroy(s);
+
+	return prev - 1;
+}
+
 int signal_parse(struct signal *s, json_t *cfg)
 {
 	int ret;