diff --git a/lang/python/core/src/ecal_wrap.cxx b/lang/python/core/src/ecal_wrap.cxx
index 7ab9165646..91d0214418 100644
--- a/lang/python/core/src/ecal_wrap.cxx
+++ b/lang/python/core/src/ecal_wrap.cxx
@@ -1522,7 +1522,8 @@ PyObject* mon_monitoring(PyObject* /*self*/, PyObject* /*args*/)
     }
   }
 
-  return(Py_BuildValue("iO", 0, retDict));
+  auto* retVal = Py_BuildValue("iO", 0, retDict); Py_DECREF(retDict);
+  return(retVal);
 }
 
 /****************************************/
@@ -1566,7 +1567,8 @@ PyObject* mon_logging(PyObject* /*self*/, PyObject* /*args*/)
     }
   }
 
-  return(Py_BuildValue("iO", 0, retList));
+  auto* retVal = Py_BuildValue("iO", 0, retList); Py_DECREF(retList);
+  return(retVal);
 }
 
 /****************************************/
diff --git a/lang/python/ecalhdf5/src/ecalhdf5_wrap.cxx b/lang/python/ecalhdf5/src/ecalhdf5_wrap.cxx
index 6d126db3ef..17da3f73d7 100644
--- a/lang/python/ecalhdf5/src/ecalhdf5_wrap.cxx
+++ b/lang/python/ecalhdf5/src/ecalhdf5_wrap.cxx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* ========================= eCAL LICENSE =================================
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2016 - 2019 Continental Corporation
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 - 2024 Continental Corporation
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ static PyObject* Meas_GetChannelNames(Meas *self, PyObject* /*args*/)
   for (const auto& channel : channel_names)
   {
     PyObject* ch = Py_BuildValue("s", channel.c_str());
-    PyList_Append(channels, ch);
+    PyList_Append(channels, ch); Py_DECREF(ch);
   }
 
   return channels;