diff --git a/panda/src/putil/clockObject.cxx b/panda/src/putil/clockObject.cxx
index e5e4e79ba9..4215f4e6c8 100644
--- a/panda/src/putil/clockObject.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/putil/clockObject.cxx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ void (*ClockObject::_start_clock_wait)() = ClockObject::dummy_clock_wait;
 void (*ClockObject::_start_clock_busy_wait)() = ClockObject::dummy_clock_wait;
 void (*ClockObject::_stop_clock_wait)() = ClockObject::dummy_clock_wait;
 
-PT(ClockObject) ClockObject::_global_clock;
+ClockObject *ClockObject::_global_clock;
 TypeHandle ClockObject::_type_handle;
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -595,6 +595,7 @@ make_global_clock() {
 
   _global_clock = new ClockObject;
   _global_clock->set_mode(clock_mode);
+  _global_clock->ref();
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/panda/src/putil/clockObject.h b/panda/src/putil/clockObject.h
index ed1bc32c86..4f0e1a7582 100644
--- a/panda/src/putil/clockObject.h
+++ b/panda/src/putil/clockObject.h
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ private:
   typedef CycleDataWriter<CData> CDWriter;
   typedef CycleDataStageReader<CData> CDStageReader;
 
-  static PT(ClockObject) _global_clock;
+  static ClockObject *_global_clock;
 
 public:
   static TypeHandle get_class_type() {