diff --git a/hw/buffer_queue.c b/hw/buffer_queue.c
index 7e21b50..f3aacb2 100644
--- a/hw/buffer_queue.c
+++ b/hw/buffer_queue.c
@@ -30,10 +30,12 @@ bool buffer_consumed(buffer_t *buf, const char *who)
   }
 
   pthread_mutex_lock(&buffer_lock);
-  if (buf->mmap_reflinks > 0) {
-    buf->mmap_reflinks--;
+  if (buf->mmap_reflinks == 0) {
+    E_LOG_PERROR(buf, "Non symmetric reference counts");
   }
 
+  buf->mmap_reflinks--;
+
   if (!buf->enqueued && buf->mmap_reflinks == 0) {
     // update used bytes
     if (buf->buf_list->do_mplanes) {
@@ -171,6 +173,10 @@ buffer_t *buffer_list_dequeue(buffer_list_t *buf_list)
   }
   buf->v4l2_buffer.flags = v4l2_buf.flags;
 
+  if (buf->mmap_reflinks > 0) {
+    E_LOG_PERROR(buf, "Buffer appears to be enqueued? (links=%d)", buf->mmap_reflinks);
+  }
+
   buf->enqueued = false;
   buf->mmap_reflinks = 1;
   uint64_t enqueued_time_us = get_monotonic_time_us(NULL, NULL) - buf->enqueued_time_us;