diff --git a/src/core/surface/call.c b/src/core/surface/call.c
index 3eb0fe528c0..701a519f26b 100644
--- a/src/core/surface/call.c
+++ b/src/core/surface/call.c
@@ -154,7 +154,9 @@ grpc_call *grpc_call_create(grpc_channel *channel,
   }
   grpc_channel_internal_ref(channel);
   call->metadata_context = grpc_channel_get_metadata_context(channel);
-  gpr_ref_init(&call->internal_refcount, 1);
+  /* one ref is dropped in response to destroy, the other in
+     stream_closed */
+  gpr_ref_init(&call->internal_refcount, 2);
   grpc_call_stack_init(channel_stack, server_transport_data,
                        CALL_STACK_FROM_CALL(call));
   return call;
@@ -172,19 +174,26 @@ void grpc_call_internal_ref(grpc_call *c) {
   gpr_ref(&c->internal_refcount); 
 }
 
+static void destroy_call(grpc_call *c) {
+  grpc_call_stack_destroy(CALL_STACK_FROM_CALL(c));
+  grpc_channel_internal_unref(c->channel);
+  gpr_mu_destroy(&c->mu);
+  if (c->status_details) {
+    grpc_mdstr_unref(c->status_details);
+  }
+  if (c->legacy_state) {
+    gpr_free(c->legacy_state->md_out);
+    gpr_free(c->legacy_state->md_in.metadata);
+    gpr_free(c->legacy_state->trail_md_in.metadata);
+    /*gpr_free(c->legacy_state->status_in.details);*/
+    gpr_free(c->legacy_state);
+  }
+  gpr_free(c);
+}
+
 void grpc_call_internal_unref(grpc_call *c) {
   if (gpr_unref(&c->internal_refcount)) {
-    grpc_call_stack_destroy(CALL_STACK_FROM_CALL(c));
-    grpc_channel_internal_unref(c->channel);
-    gpr_mu_destroy(&c->mu);
-    if (c->legacy_state) {
-      gpr_free(c->legacy_state->md_out);
-      gpr_free(c->legacy_state->md_in.metadata);
-      gpr_free(c->legacy_state->trail_md_in.metadata);
-      /*gpr_free(c->legacy_state->status_in.details);*/
-      gpr_free(c->legacy_state);
-    }
-    gpr_free(c);
+    destroy_call(c);
   }
 }
 
@@ -225,6 +234,7 @@ static void unlock(grpc_call *call) {
     sa = choose_send_action(call);
     if (sa != SEND_NOTHING) {
       call->sending = 1;
+      grpc_call_internal_ref(call);
     }
   }
 
@@ -245,6 +255,7 @@ static void finish_ioreq_op(grpc_call *call, grpc_ioreq_op op,
   reqinfo *master = call->requests[op].master;
   completed_request *cr;
   size_t i;
+  gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "finish op %d refs=%d", (int)op, (int)call->internal_refcount.count);
   switch (call->requests[op].state) {
     case REQ_INITIAL: /* not started yet */
       return;
@@ -292,6 +303,7 @@ static void finish_write_step(void *pc, grpc_op_error error) {
   }
   call->sending = 0;
   unlock(call);
+  grpc_call_internal_unref(call);
 }
 
 static void finish_finish_step(void *pc, grpc_op_error error) {
@@ -305,6 +317,7 @@ static void finish_finish_step(void *pc, grpc_op_error error) {
   }
   call->sending = 0;
   unlock(call);
+  grpc_call_internal_unref(call);
 }
 
 static void finish_start_step(void *pc, grpc_op_error error) {
@@ -318,6 +331,7 @@ static void finish_start_step(void *pc, grpc_op_error error) {
   }
   call->sending = 0;
   unlock(call);
+  grpc_call_internal_unref(call);
 }
 
 static send_action choose_send_action(grpc_call *call) {
@@ -404,6 +418,7 @@ static void enact_send_action(grpc_call *call, send_action sa) {
       lock(call);
       call->sending = 0;
       unlock(call);
+      grpc_call_internal_unref(call);
       break;
     case SEND_FINISH:
       if (!call->is_client) {
@@ -819,6 +834,9 @@ grpc_call_error grpc_call_start_read(grpc_call *call, void *tag) {
 }
 
 static void finish_write(grpc_call *call, grpc_op_error status, void *tag) {
+  lock(call);
+  grpc_byte_buffer_destroy(get_legacy_state(call)->msg_out);
+  unlock(call);
   grpc_cq_end_write_accepted(call->cq, tag, call, do_nothing, NULL, status);
 }
 
@@ -833,7 +851,7 @@ grpc_call_error grpc_call_start_write(grpc_call *call,
 
   lock(call);
   ls = get_legacy_state(call);
-  ls->msg_out = byte_buffer;
+  ls->msg_out = grpc_byte_buffer_copy(byte_buffer);
   req.op = GRPC_IOREQ_SEND_MESSAGES;
   req.data.send_messages.count = 1;
   req.data.send_messages.messages = &ls->msg_out;
@@ -922,6 +940,7 @@ void grpc_call_read_closed(grpc_call_element *elem) {
 void grpc_call_stream_closed(grpc_call_element *elem) {
   grpc_call *call = CALL_FROM_TOP_ELEM(elem);
   lock(call);
+  GPR_ASSERT(!call->stream_closed);
   if (!call->read_closed) {
     call->read_closed = 1;
     finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_MESSAGES, GRPC_OP_OK);
@@ -931,6 +950,7 @@ void grpc_call_stream_closed(grpc_call_element *elem) {
   call->stream_closed = 1;
   finish_ioreq_op(call, GRPC_IOREQ_RECV_STATUS, GRPC_OP_OK);
   unlock(call);
+  grpc_call_internal_unref(call);
 }
 
 /* we offset status by a small amount when storing it into transport metadata
@@ -1002,7 +1022,7 @@ void grpc_call_recv_metadata(grpc_call_element *elem, grpc_mdelem *md) {
                  : &call->buffered_trailing_metadata;
     }
     if (dest->count == dest->capacity) {
-      dest->capacity = GPR_MAX(dest->capacity + 1, dest->capacity * 3 / 2);
+      dest->capacity = GPR_MAX(dest->capacity + 8, dest->capacity * 2);
       dest->metadata =
           gpr_realloc(dest->metadata, sizeof(grpc_metadata) * dest->capacity);
     }