diff --git a/panda/src/event/asyncTaskManager.cxx b/panda/src/event/asyncTaskManager.cxx
index 0bbfaa93e2..155efc8755 100644
--- a/panda/src/event/asyncTaskManager.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/event/asyncTaskManager.cxx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include "config_event.h"
 #include <algorithm>
 
-PT(AsyncTaskManager) AsyncTaskManager::_global_ptr;
+AsyncTaskManager *AsyncTaskManager::_global_ptr = NULL;
 
 TypeHandle AsyncTaskManager::_type_handle;
 
@@ -731,4 +731,5 @@ make_global_ptr() {
   nassertv(_global_ptr == (AsyncTaskManager *)NULL);
 
   _global_ptr = new AsyncTaskManager("TaskManager");
+  _global_ptr->ref();
 }
diff --git a/panda/src/event/asyncTaskManager.h b/panda/src/event/asyncTaskManager.h
index b2890d8c66..78d7a1df04 100644
--- a/panda/src/event/asyncTaskManager.h
+++ b/panda/src/event/asyncTaskManager.h
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ protected:
   
   ConditionVarFull _frame_cvar;  // Signalled when the clock ticks.
 
-  static PT(AsyncTaskManager) _global_ptr;
+  static AsyncTaskManager* _global_ptr;
 
 public:
   static TypeHandle get_class_type() {