diff --git a/src/WSRequestHandler.cpp b/src/WSRequestHandler.cpp
index 1b936528..dabf30bc 100644
--- a/src/WSRequestHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/WSRequestHandler.cpp
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ bool WSRequestHandler::hasField(QString name, obs_data_type expectedFieldType, o
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	obs_data_item_t* dataItem = obs_data_item_byname(data, name.toUtf8());
+	OBSDataItemAutoRelease dataItem = obs_data_item_byname(data, name.toUtf8());
 	if (!dataItem) {
 		return false;
 	}
diff --git a/src/obs-websocket.cpp b/src/obs-websocket.cpp
index b780f070..7ec92245 100644
--- a/src/obs-websocket.cpp
+++ b/src/obs-websocket.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ void ___data_dummy_addref(obs_data_t*) {}
 void ___data_array_dummy_addref(obs_data_array_t*) {}
 void ___output_dummy_addref(obs_output_t*) {}
 
+void ___data_item_dummy_addref(obs_data_item_t*) {}
+void ___data_item_release(obs_data_item_t* dataItem) {
+	obs_data_item_release(&dataItem);
+}
+
 OBS_DECLARE_MODULE()
 OBS_MODULE_USE_DEFAULT_LOCALE("obs-websocket", "en-US")
 
diff --git a/src/obs-websocket.h b/src/obs-websocket.h
index 011ffcee..1a4dec48 100644
--- a/src/obs-websocket.h
+++ b/src/obs-websocket.h
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ using OBSDataArrayAutoRelease =
 using OBSOutputAutoRelease =
 	OBSRef<obs_output_t*, ___output_dummy_addref, obs_output_release>;
 
+void ___data_item_dummy_addref(obs_data_item_t*);
+void ___data_item_release(obs_data_item_t*);
+using OBSDataItemAutoRelease =
+	OBSRef<obs_data_item_t*, ___data_item_dummy_addref, ___data_item_release>;
+
 class Config;
 typedef std::shared_ptr<Config> ConfigPtr;