diff --git a/panda/src/ode/odeBody.I b/panda/src/ode/odeBody.I
index 86896d4f2d..24b13e6e8e 100755
--- a/panda/src/ode/odeBody.I
+++ b/panda/src/ode/odeBody.I
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ set_data(void *data) {
 #ifdef HAVE_PYTHON
 INLINE void OdeBody::
 set_data(PyObject *data) {
+  Py_XDECREF((PyObject*) dBodyGetData(_id));
   Py_XINCREF(data);
   dBodySetData(_id, data);
 }
diff --git a/panda/src/ode/odeBody.cxx b/panda/src/ode/odeBody.cxx
index 19d0e6f651..27a4d74c8e 100755
--- a/panda/src/ode/odeBody.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/ode/odeBody.cxx
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ OdeBody::
 
 void OdeBody::
 destroy() {
+#ifdef HAVE_PYTHON
+  Py_XDECREF((PyObject*) dBodyGetData(_id));
+#endif
   nassertv(_id);
   dBodyDestroy(_id);
 }