diff --git a/kotlin-native/runtime/src/legacymm/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.cpp b/kotlin-native/runtime/src/legacymm/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.cpp
index 1d6efa0fa37..d0c31d71f3b 100644
--- a/kotlin-native/runtime/src/legacymm/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.cpp
+++ b/kotlin-native/runtime/src/legacymm/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.cpp
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ void KRefSharedHolder::dispose() {
   DeinitForeignRef(obj_, context_);
 }
 
+void BackRefFromAssociatedObject::initForPermanentObject(ObjHeader* obj) {
+  initAndAddRef(obj);
+}
+
 void BackRefFromAssociatedObject::initAndAddRef(ObjHeader* obj) {
   RuntimeAssert(obj != nullptr, "must not be null");
   obj_ = obj;
@@ -198,3 +202,7 @@ ObjHeader* BackRefFromAssociatedObject::ref() const {
 template ObjHeader* BackRefFromAssociatedObject::ref<ErrorPolicy::kDefaultValue>() const;
 template ObjHeader* BackRefFromAssociatedObject::ref<ErrorPolicy::kThrow>() const;
 template ObjHeader* BackRefFromAssociatedObject::ref<ErrorPolicy::kTerminate>() const;
+
+ObjHeader* BackRefFromAssociatedObject::refPermanent() const {
+  return ref<ErrorPolicy::kIgnore>();
+}
diff --git a/kotlin-native/runtime/src/main/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.hpp b/kotlin-native/runtime/src/main/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.hpp
index ea3ccc2beea..e90b59423bf 100644
--- a/kotlin-native/runtime/src/main/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.hpp
+++ b/kotlin-native/runtime/src/main/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.hpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ static_assert(std::is_trivially_destructible_v<KRefSharedHolder>, "KRefSharedHol
 
 class BackRefFromAssociatedObject {
  public:
+  void initForPermanentObject(ObjHeader* obj);
   void initAndAddRef(ObjHeader* obj);
 
   // Error if refCount is zero and it's called from the wrong worker with non-frozen obj_.
@@ -65,6 +66,8 @@ class BackRefFromAssociatedObject {
   template <ErrorPolicy errorPolicy>
   ObjHeader* ref() const;
 
+  ObjHeader* refPermanent() const;
+
  private:
   ObjHeader* obj_; // May be null before [initAndAddRef] or after [detach].
   ForeignRefContext context_;
diff --git a/kotlin-native/runtime/src/mm/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.cpp b/kotlin-native/runtime/src/mm/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.cpp
index 01d5e81c950..af533703f21 100644
--- a/kotlin-native/runtime/src/mm/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.cpp
+++ b/kotlin-native/runtime/src/mm/cpp/MemorySharedRefs.cpp
@@ -41,8 +41,15 @@ void KRefSharedHolder::dispose() {
     DeinitForeignRef(obj_, context_);
 }
 
+void BackRefFromAssociatedObject::initForPermanentObject(ObjHeader* obj) {
+    RuntimeAssert(obj != nullptr, "must not be null");
+    RuntimeAssert(obj->permanent(), "Can only be called with permanent object");
+    obj_ = obj;
+}
+
 void BackRefFromAssociatedObject::initAndAddRef(ObjHeader* obj) {
     RuntimeAssert(obj != nullptr, "must not be null");
+    RuntimeAssert(!obj->permanent(), "Can only be called with non-permanent object");
     obj_ = obj;
 
     // Generally a specialized addRef below:
@@ -126,3 +133,7 @@ ObjHeader* BackRefFromAssociatedObject::ref() const {
 template ObjHeader* BackRefFromAssociatedObject::ref<ErrorPolicy::kDefaultValue>() const;
 template ObjHeader* BackRefFromAssociatedObject::ref<ErrorPolicy::kThrow>() const;
 template ObjHeader* BackRefFromAssociatedObject::ref<ErrorPolicy::kTerminate>() const;
+
+ObjHeader* BackRefFromAssociatedObject::refPermanent() const {
+  return obj_;
+}
diff --git a/kotlin-native/runtime/src/objc/cpp/ObjCExportClasses.mm b/kotlin-native/runtime/src/objc/cpp/ObjCExportClasses.mm
index 3c80493ce2d..173d7a2e236 100644
--- a/kotlin-native/runtime/src/objc/cpp/ObjCExportClasses.mm
+++ b/kotlin-native/runtime/src/objc/cpp/ObjCExportClasses.mm
@@ -42,7 +42,11 @@ static void injectToRuntime();
 }
 
 -(KRef)toKotlin:(KRef*)OBJ_RESULT {
-  RETURN_OBJ(refHolder.ref<ErrorPolicy::kTerminate>());
+  if (permanent) {
+    RETURN_OBJ(refHolder.refPermanent());
+  } else {
+    RETURN_OBJ(refHolder.ref<ErrorPolicy::kTerminate>());
+  }
 }
 
 +(void)load {
@@ -88,10 +92,11 @@ static void injectToRuntime();
 
   KotlinBase* candidate = [super allocWithZone:nil];
   // TODO: should we call NSObject.init ?
-  candidate->refHolder.initAndAddRef(obj);
-  candidate->permanent = obj->permanent();
+  bool permanent = obj->permanent();
+  candidate->permanent = permanent;
 
-  if (!obj->permanent()) { // TODO: permanent objects should probably be supported as custom types.
+  if (!permanent) { // TODO: permanent objects should probably be supported as custom types.
+    candidate->refHolder.initAndAddRef(obj);
     if (!isShareable(obj)) {
       SetAssociatedObject(obj, candidate);
     } else {
@@ -105,6 +110,8 @@ static void injectToRuntime();
         return objc_retain(old);
       }
     }
+  } else {
+    candidate->refHolder.initForPermanentObject(obj);
   }
 
   return candidate;
@@ -136,6 +143,8 @@ static void injectToRuntime();
 }
 
 -(void)releaseAsAssociatedObject:(ReleaseMode)mode {
+  RuntimeAssert(!permanent, "Cannot be called on permanent objects");
+
   // This function is called by the GC. It made a decision to reclaim Kotlin object, and runs
   // deallocation hooks at the moment, including deallocation of the "associated object" ([self])
   // using the [super release] call below.