diff --git a/examples/rados_striper.rs b/examples/rados_striper.rs
index 4998c95..a66ac71 100644
--- a/examples/rados_striper.rs
+++ b/examples/rados_striper.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #[cfg(feature = "rados_striper")]
-use {ceph::ceph as ceph_helpers, ceph::error::RadosError, nix::errno::Errno, std::env, std::str};
+use {
+    ceph::ceph as ceph_helpers, ceph::error::RadosError, nix::errno::Errno, std::env, std::str,
+    std::sync::Arc,
+};
 
 #[cfg(not(feature = "rados_striper"))]
 fn main() {}
@@ -11,7 +14,7 @@ fn main() {
     let pool_name = "ceph-rust-test";
 
     println!("Connecting to ceph");
-    let cluster = ceph_helpers::connect_to_ceph(user_id, &config_file).unwrap();
+    let cluster = Arc::new(ceph_helpers::connect_to_ceph(user_id, &config_file).unwrap());
 
     println!("Creating pool {}", pool_name);
     match cluster.rados_create_pool(pool_name) {
diff --git a/src/ceph.rs b/src/ceph.rs
index 4001947..05c2040 100644
--- a/src/ceph.rs
+++ b/src/ceph.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ use crate::rados_striper::*;
 use crate::status::*;
 use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
+use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::{ptr, str};
 
 use crate::utils::*;
@@ -333,6 +334,7 @@ impl Iterator for XAttr {
 /// Owns a ioctx handle
 pub struct IoCtx {
     ioctx: rados_ioctx_t,
+    _rados: Arc<Rados>,
 }
 
 unsafe impl Send for IoCtx {}
@@ -480,7 +482,7 @@ impl Rados {
     /// Create an io context. The io context allows you to perform operations
     /// within a particular pool.
     /// For more details see rados_ioctx_t.
-    pub fn get_rados_ioctx(&self, pool_name: &str) -> RadosResult<IoCtx> {
+    pub fn get_rados_ioctx(self: &Arc<Self>, pool_name: &str) -> RadosResult<IoCtx> {
         self.conn_guard()?;
         let pool_name_str = CString::new(pool_name)?;
         unsafe {
@@ -489,14 +491,17 @@ impl Rados {
             if ret_code < 0 {
                 return Err(ret_code.into());
             }
-            Ok(IoCtx { ioctx })
+            Ok(IoCtx {
+                ioctx,
+                _rados: self.clone(),
+            })
         }
     }
 
     /// Create an io context. The io context allows you to perform operations
     /// within a particular pool.
     /// For more details see rados_ioctx_t.
-    pub fn get_rados_ioctx2(&self, pool_id: i64) -> RadosResult<IoCtx> {
+    pub fn get_rados_ioctx2(self: &Arc<Self>, pool_id: i64) -> RadosResult<IoCtx> {
         self.conn_guard()?;
         unsafe {
             let mut ioctx: rados_ioctx_t = ptr::null_mut();
@@ -504,7 +509,10 @@ impl Rados {
             if ret_code < 0 {
                 return Err(ret_code.into());
             }
-            Ok(IoCtx { ioctx })
+            Ok(IoCtx {
+                ioctx,
+                _rados: self.clone(),
+            })
         }
     }
 }