diff --git a/src/notification.c b/src/notification.c
index c08fbe2..f4c6abf 100644
--- a/src/notification.c
+++ b/src/notification.c
@@ -215,6 +215,13 @@ static void notification_private_free(NotificationPrivate *p)
         g_free(p);
 }
 
+/* see notification.h */
+gint notification_refcount_get(struct notification *n)
+{
+        assert(n->priv->refcount > 0);
+        return g_atomic_int_get(&n->priv->refcount);
+}
+
 /* see notification.h */
 void notification_ref(struct notification *n)
 {
diff --git a/src/notification.h b/src/notification.h
index 0764152..ffc887b 100644
--- a/src/notification.h
+++ b/src/notification.h
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ struct notification {
  */
 struct notification *notification_create(void);
 
+/**
+ * Retrieve the current reference count of the notification
+ */
+gint notification_refcount_get(struct notification *n);
+
 /**
  * Increase the reference counter of the notification.
  */
diff --git a/test/notification.c b/test/notification.c
index 3a29e98..b6afe2f 100644
--- a/test/notification.c
+++ b/test/notification.c
@@ -98,6 +98,24 @@ TEST test_notification_replace_single_field(void)
         PASS();
 }
 
+TEST test_notification_referencing(void)
+{
+        struct notification *n = notification_create();
+        ASSERT(notification_refcount_get(n) == 1);
+
+        notification_ref(n);
+        ASSERT(notification_refcount_get(n) == 2);
+
+        notification_unref(n);
+        ASSERT(notification_refcount_get(n) == 1);
+
+        // Now we have to rely on valgrind to test, that
+        // it gets actually freed
+        notification_unref(n);
+
+        PASS();
+}
+
 SUITE(suite_notification)
 {
         cmdline_load(0, NULL);
@@ -125,6 +143,7 @@ SUITE(suite_notification)
         notification_unref(b);
 
         RUN_TEST(test_notification_replace_single_field);
+        RUN_TEST(test_notification_referencing);
 
         g_clear_pointer(&settings.icon_path, g_free);
 }