diff --git a/gdk/gdkinternals.h b/gdk/gdkinternals.h
index e1b458e803..c425447871 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkinternals.h
+++ b/gdk/gdkinternals.h
@@ -59,9 +59,15 @@ struct _GdkColorInfo
   guint ref_count;
 };
 
+typedef enum {
+  GDK_EVENT_FILTER_REMOVED = 1 << 0
+} GdkEventFilterFlags;
+
 struct _GdkEventFilter {
   GdkFilterFunc function;
   gpointer data;
+  GdkEventFilterFlags flags;
+  guint ref_count;
 };
 
 struct _GdkClientFilter {
diff --git a/gdk/gdkwindow.c b/gdk/gdkwindow.c
index c2485980f5..87d9d55abe 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkwindow.c
+++ b/gdk/gdkwindow.c
@@ -2577,13 +2577,18 @@ gdk_window_add_filter (GdkWindow     *window,
     {
       filter = (GdkEventFilter *)tmp_list->data;
       if ((filter->function == function) && (filter->data == data))
-	return;
+        {
+          filter->ref_count++;
+          return;
+        }
       tmp_list = tmp_list->next;
     }
 
   filter = g_new (GdkEventFilter, 1);
   filter->function = function;
   filter->data = data;
+  filter->ref_count = 1;
+  filter->flags = 0;
 
   if (private)
     private->filters = g_list_append (private->filters, filter);
@@ -2626,6 +2631,11 @@ gdk_window_remove_filter (GdkWindow     *window,
 
       if ((filter->function == function) && (filter->data == data))
 	{
+          filter->flags |= GDK_EVENT_FILTER_REMOVED;
+          filter->ref_count--;
+          if (filter->ref_count != 0)
+            return;
+
 	  if (private)
 	    private->filters = g_list_remove_link (private->filters, node);
 	  else
diff --git a/gdk/quartz/gdkevents-quartz.c b/gdk/quartz/gdkevents-quartz.c
index 2f8b0c8c1b..c6512fc4db 100644
--- a/gdk/quartz/gdkevents-quartz.c
+++ b/gdk/quartz/gdkevents-quartz.c
@@ -171,19 +171,40 @@ append_event (GdkEvent *event,
 static gint
 gdk_event_apply_filters (NSEvent *nsevent,
 			 GdkEvent *event,
-			 GList *filters)
+			 GList **filters)
 {
   GList *tmp_list;
   GdkFilterReturn result;
   
-  tmp_list = filters;
+  tmp_list = *filters;
 
   while (tmp_list)
     {
       GdkEventFilter *filter = (GdkEventFilter*) tmp_list->data;
-      
-      tmp_list = tmp_list->next;
+      GList *node;
+
+      if ((filter->flags & GDK_EVENT_FILTER_REMOVED) != 0)
+        {
+          tmp_list = tmp_list->next;
+          continue;
+        }
+
+      filter->ref_count++;
       result = filter->function (nsevent, event, filter->data);
+
+      /* get the next node after running the function since the
+         function may add or remove a next node */
+      node = tmp_list;
+      tmp_list = tmp_list->next;
+
+      filter->ref_count--;
+      if (filter->ref_count == 0)
+        {
+          *filters = g_list_remove_link (*filters, node);
+          g_list_free_1 (node);
+          g_free (filter);
+        }
+
       if (result !=  GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE)
 	return result;
     }
@@ -1165,7 +1186,7 @@ gdk_event_translate (GdkEvent *event,
       /* Apply global filters */
       GdkFilterReturn result;
 
-      result = gdk_event_apply_filters (nsevent, event, _gdk_default_filters);
+      result = gdk_event_apply_filters (nsevent, event, &_gdk_default_filters);
       if (result != GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE)
         {
           return_val = (result == GDK_FILTER_TRANSLATE) ? TRUE : FALSE;
@@ -1206,7 +1227,7 @@ gdk_event_translate (GdkEvent *event,
 	{
 	  g_object_ref (window);
 
-	  result = gdk_event_apply_filters (nsevent, event, filter_private->filters);
+	  result = gdk_event_apply_filters (nsevent, event, &filter_private->filters);
 
 	  g_object_unref (window);
 
diff --git a/gdk/win32/gdkevents-win32.c b/gdk/win32/gdkevents-win32.c
index fb8a7d04c7..bea28a8b7e 100644
--- a/gdk/win32/gdkevents-win32.c
+++ b/gdk/win32/gdkevents-win32.c
@@ -1025,7 +1025,7 @@ fill_key_event_string (GdkEvent *event)
 static GdkFilterReturn
 apply_event_filters (GdkWindow  *window,
 		     MSG        *msg,
-		     GList      *filters)
+		     GList     **filters)
 {
   GdkFilterReturn result = GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE;
   GdkEvent *event;
@@ -1043,13 +1043,34 @@ apply_event_filters (GdkWindow  *window,
    */
   node = _gdk_event_queue_append (_gdk_display, event);
   
-  tmp_list = filters;
+  tmp_list = *filters;
   while (tmp_list)
     {
       GdkEventFilter *filter = (GdkEventFilter *) tmp_list->data;
-      
-      tmp_list = tmp_list->next;
+      GList *node;
+
+      if ((filter->flags & GDK_EVENT_FILTER_REMOVED) != 0)
+        {
+          tmp_list = tmp_list->next;
+          continue;
+        }
+
+      filter->ref_count++;
       result = filter->function (msg, event, filter->data);
+
+      /* get the next node after running the function since the
+         function may add or remove a next node */
+      node = tmp_list;
+      tmp_list = tmp_list->next;
+
+      filter->ref_count--;
+      if (filter->ref_count == 0)
+        {
+          *filters = g_list_remove_link (*filters, node);
+          g_list_free_1 (node);
+          g_free (filter);
+        }
+
       if (result !=  GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE)
 	break;
     }
@@ -1756,7 +1777,7 @@ gdk_event_translate (MSG  *msg,
     {
       /* Apply global filters */
 
-      GdkFilterReturn result = apply_event_filters (NULL, msg, _gdk_default_filters);
+      GdkFilterReturn result = apply_event_filters (NULL, msg, &_gdk_default_filters);
       
       /* If result is GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE, we continue as if nothing
        * happened. If it is GDK_FILTER_REMOVE or GDK_FILTER_TRANSLATE,
@@ -1822,7 +1843,7 @@ gdk_event_translate (MSG  *msg,
     {
       /* Apply per-window filters */
 
-      GdkFilterReturn result = apply_event_filters (window, msg, ((GdkWindowObject *) window)->filters);
+      GdkFilterReturn result = apply_event_filters (window, msg, &((GdkWindowObject *) window)->filters);
 
       if (result == GDK_FILTER_REMOVE || result == GDK_FILTER_TRANSLATE)
 	{
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkeventsource.c b/gdk/x11/gdkeventsource.c
index f3b850e417..7a23b59b2c 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkeventsource.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkeventsource.c
@@ -57,20 +57,40 @@ static GList *event_sources = NULL;
 static gint
 gdk_event_apply_filters (XEvent   *xevent,
 			 GdkEvent *event,
-			 GList    *filters)
+			 GList   **filters)
 {
   GList *tmp_list;
   GdkFilterReturn result;
 
-  tmp_list = filters;
+  tmp_list = *filters;
 
   while (tmp_list)
     {
       GdkEventFilter *filter = (GdkEventFilter*) tmp_list->data;
+      GList *node;
 
-      tmp_list = tmp_list->next;
+      if ((filter->flags & GDK_EVENT_FILTER_REMOVED) != 0)
+        {
+          tmp_list = tmp_list->next;
+          continue;
+        }
+
+      filter->ref_count++;
       result = filter->function (xevent, event, filter->data);
 
+      /* get the next node after running the function since the
+         function may add or remove a next node */
+      node = tmp_list;
+      tmp_list = tmp_list->next;
+
+      filter->ref_count--;
+      if (filter->ref_count == 0)
+        {
+          *filters = g_list_remove_link (*filters, node);
+          g_list_free_1 (node);
+          g_free (filter);
+        }
+
       if (result != GDK_FILTER_CONTINUE)
 	return result;
     }
@@ -143,7 +163,7 @@ gdk_event_source_translate_event (GdkEventSource *event_source,
       /* Apply global filters */
 
       result = gdk_event_apply_filters (xevent, event,
-                                        _gdk_default_filters);
+                                        &_gdk_default_filters);
 
       if (result == GDK_FILTER_REMOVE)
         {
@@ -167,7 +187,7 @@ gdk_event_source_translate_event (GdkEventSource *event_source,
       if (filter_private->filters)
 	{
 	  result = gdk_event_apply_filters (xevent, event,
-					    filter_private->filters);
+					    &filter_private->filters);
 
           if (result == GDK_FILTER_REMOVE)
             {