diff --git a/include/asterisk/channel.h b/include/asterisk/channel.h
index a3f0c3d292..d232e5c6af 100644
--- a/include/asterisk/channel.h
+++ b/include/asterisk/channel.h
@@ -951,6 +951,10 @@ enum {
 	 * to continue.
 	 */
 	AST_FLAG_BRIDGE_DUAL_REDIRECT_WAIT = (1 << 22),
+	/*!
+	 * The data on chan->timingdata is an astobj2 object.
+	 */
+	AST_FLAG_TIMINGDATA_IS_AO2_OBJ = (1 << 23),
 };
 
 /*! \brief ast_bridge_config flags */
@@ -2260,6 +2264,7 @@ int ast_autoservice_ignore(struct ast_channel *chan, enum ast_frame_type ftype);
  * \version 1.6.1 changed samples parameter to rate, accomodates new timing methods
  */
 int ast_settimeout(struct ast_channel *c, unsigned int rate, int (*func)(const void *data), void *data);
+int ast_settimeout_full(struct ast_channel *c, unsigned int rate, int (*func)(const void *data), void *data, unsigned int is_ao2_obj);
 
 /*!
  * \brief Transfer a channel (if supported).
diff --git a/main/channel.c b/main/channel.c
index 28f0741efe..b923649e42 100644
--- a/main/channel.c
+++ b/main/channel.c
@@ -3544,6 +3544,11 @@ int ast_waitfordigit(struct ast_channel *c, int ms)
 }
 
 int ast_settimeout(struct ast_channel *c, unsigned int rate, int (*func)(const void *data), void *data)
+{
+	return ast_settimeout_full(c, rate, func, data, 0);
+}
+
+int ast_settimeout_full(struct ast_channel *c, unsigned int rate, int (*func)(const void *data), void *data, unsigned int is_ao2_obj)
 {
 	int res;
 	unsigned int real_rate = rate, max_rate;
@@ -3568,9 +3573,20 @@ int ast_settimeout(struct ast_channel *c, unsigned int rate, int (*func)(const v
 
 	res = ast_timer_set_rate(c->timer, real_rate);
 
+	if (c->timingdata && ast_test_flag(c, AST_FLAG_TIMINGDATA_IS_AO2_OBJ)) {
+		ao2_ref(c->timingdata, -1);
+	}
+
 	c->timingfunc = func;
 	c->timingdata = data;
 
+	if (data && is_ao2_obj) {
+		ao2_ref(data, 1);
+		ast_set_flag(c, AST_FLAG_TIMINGDATA_IS_AO2_OBJ);
+	} else {
+		ast_clear_flag(c, AST_FLAG_TIMINGDATA_IS_AO2_OBJ);
+	}
+
 	if (func == NULL && rate == 0 && c->fdno == AST_TIMING_FD) {
 		/* Clearing the timing func and setting the rate to 0
 		 * means that we don't want to be reading from the timingfd
@@ -3877,9 +3893,17 @@ static struct ast_frame *__ast_read(struct ast_channel *chan, int dropaudio)
 				/* save a copy of func/data before unlocking the channel */
 				int (*func)(const void *) = chan->timingfunc;
 				void *data = chan->timingdata;
+				int got_ref = 0;
+				if (data && ast_test_flag(chan, AST_FLAG_TIMINGDATA_IS_AO2_OBJ)) {
+					ao2_ref(data, 1);
+					got_ref = 1;
+				}
 				chan->fdno = -1;
 				ast_channel_unlock(chan);
 				func(data);
+				if (got_ref) {
+					ao2_ref(data, -1);
+				}
 			} else {
 				ast_timer_set_rate(chan->timer, 0);
 				chan->fdno = -1;
diff --git a/main/file.c b/main/file.c
index abcdfd65d5..b19382e579 100644
--- a/main/file.c
+++ b/main/file.c
@@ -782,7 +782,7 @@ static enum fsread_res ast_readaudio_callback(struct ast_filestream *s)
 
 			rate = (unsigned int) roundf(samp_rate / ((float) whennext));
 
-			ast_settimeout(s->owner, rate, ast_fsread_audio, s);
+			ast_settimeout_full(s->owner, rate, ast_fsread_audio, s, 1);
 		} else {
 			s->owner->streamid = ast_sched_add(s->owner->sched, 
 				whennext / (ast_format_rate(s->fmt->format) / 1000), ast_fsread_audio, s);