diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8c51935..8c59ca3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ libtwin.a_files-y = \
 	src/timeout.c \
 	src/image.c \
 	src/animation.c \
+	src/closure.c \
 	src/api.c
 
 libtwin.a_includes-y := \
diff --git a/src/closure.c b/src/closure.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4582fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/closure.c
@@ -0,0 +1,244 @@
+/*
+ * Twin - A Tiny Window System
+ * Copyright (c) 2025 National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
+ * All rights reserved.
+ */
+
+/* Closure lifetime management implementation
+ *
+ * The Mado window system uses an asynchronous event model where widgets
+ * schedule work items and timeouts with themselves as closure pointers. When a
+ * widget is destroyed, these queued items may still reference the freed memory,
+ * leading to use-after-free vulnerabilities and crashes.
+ *
+ * This implements a reference-counting closure tracking system that:
+ * 1. Maintains a registry of all active closure pointers
+ * 2. Tracks reference counts for each closure
+ * 3. Provides validation before closure use
+ * 4. Supports marking closures as "being freed" to prevent new references
+ *
+ * Flow Control
+ * ------------
+ * 1. Registration: When a widget/object is created, it registers itself as a
+ * closure
+ * 2. Reference: When scheduling work/timeout, the system adds a reference
+ * 3. Validation: Before executing callbacks, the system validates the closure
+ * 4. Cleanup: When work completes or widget is destroyed, references are
+ * removed
+ *
+ * Important: Closures must be registered before they can be used in
+ * work/timeout systems. The typical pattern is:
+ *   1. Object creation: _twin_closure_register(obj)
+ *   2. Schedule work: twin_set_work() calls _twin_closure_ref()
+ *   3. Object destruction: _twin_closure_mark_for_free() then
+ * _twin_closure_unregister()
+ *   4. Work execution: _twin_closure_is_valid() check prevents use-after-free
+ */
+
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "twin_private.h"
+
+/* Global closure tracker instance */
+twin_closure_tracker_t _twin_closure_tracker = {0};
+
+/*
+ * Initialize the closure tracking system.
+ * Called once during screen initialization to set up the tracking table.
+ */
+void _twin_closure_tracker_init(void)
+{
+    memset(&_twin_closure_tracker, 0, sizeof(_twin_closure_tracker));
+    _twin_closure_tracker.initialized = true;
+    /* TODO: Initialize mutex when threading support is added */
+}
+
+/*
+ * Find an entry for a given closure pointer.
+ * Uses linear search which is efficient for small closure counts.
+ *
+ * Returns entry pointer if found, NULL otherwise
+ */
+static twin_closure_entry_t *_twin_closure_find_entry(void *closure)
+{
+    if (!closure)
+        return NULL;
+
+    /* Quick rejection of obviously invalid pointers */
+    if (!twin_pointer_valid(closure))
+        return NULL;
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < _twin_closure_tracker.count; i++) {
+        if (_twin_closure_tracker.entries[i].closure == closure)
+            return &_twin_closure_tracker.entries[i];
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Register a closure pointer with the tracking system.
+ * If already registered, increments the reference count.
+ *
+ * This is typically called when a widget/object is created and may be used
+ * as a closure in work items or timeouts.
+ * @closure : The pointer to track (usually a widget or toplevel)
+ *
+ * Returns true if successfully registered, false on failure
+ */
+bool _twin_closure_register(void *closure)
+{
+    if (!closure)
+        return false;
+
+    /* Quick rejection of obviously invalid pointers */
+    if (!twin_pointer_valid(closure))
+        return false;
+
+    /* If tracker not initialized, skip registration */
+    if (!_twin_closure_tracker.initialized)
+        return true; /* Pretend success if tracking not yet enabled */
+
+    /* Check if already registered */
+    twin_closure_entry_t *entry = _twin_closure_find_entry(closure);
+    if (entry) {
+        /* Already registered, just increment ref count */
+        entry->ref_count++;
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /* Check capacity */
+    if (_twin_closure_tracker.count >= TWIN_MAX_CLOSURES)
+        return false;
+
+    /* Add new entry at the end */
+    entry = &_twin_closure_tracker.entries[_twin_closure_tracker.count++];
+    entry->closure = closure;
+    entry->ref_count = 1;
+    entry->marked_for_free = false;
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Remove a closure from the tracking system.
+ * Called during object destruction to clean up tracking entries.
+ *
+ * Uses swap-with-last removal for O(1) deletion without gaps.
+ */
+void _twin_closure_unregister(void *closure)
+{
+    if (!closure)
+        return;
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < _twin_closure_tracker.count; i++) {
+        if (_twin_closure_tracker.entries[i].closure == closure) {
+            /* Swap with last entry and decrement count */
+            if (i < _twin_closure_tracker.count - 1) {
+                _twin_closure_tracker.entries[i] =
+                    _twin_closure_tracker
+                        .entries[_twin_closure_tracker.count - 1];
+            }
+            _twin_closure_tracker.count--;
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/*
+ * Increment the reference count for a closure.
+ * Called when scheduling new work items or timeouts.
+ *
+ * Fails if closure is not registered or marked for deletion.
+ * This prevents new references to objects being destroyed.
+ */
+bool _twin_closure_ref(void *closure)
+{
+    /* Skip if tracker not initialized */
+    if (!_twin_closure_tracker.initialized)
+        return true;
+
+    twin_closure_entry_t *entry = _twin_closure_find_entry(closure);
+    if (!entry || entry->marked_for_free)
+        return false;
+
+    entry->ref_count++;
+    return true;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Decrement the reference count for a closure.
+ * Called when work items complete or timeouts are cleared.
+ *
+ * Note: We don't auto-unregister at zero refs to maintain explicit
+ * ownership semantics. The owner must call unregister during destruction.
+ */
+bool _twin_closure_unref(void *closure)
+{
+    /* Skip if tracker not initialized */
+    if (!_twin_closure_tracker.initialized)
+        return true;
+
+    twin_closure_entry_t *entry = _twin_closure_find_entry(closure);
+    if (!entry)
+        return false;
+
+    if (entry->ref_count > 0)
+        entry->ref_count--;
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Validate a closure pointer before use.
+ * This is the critical safety check called before executing callbacks.
+ *
+ * Validation steps:
+ * 1. NULL check
+ * 2. Platform-specific pointer validity (checks for obviously bad addresses)
+ * 3. Presence in tracking table (untracked = invalid)
+ * 4. Not marked for deletion
+ * 5. Has active references
+ *
+ * Returns: true if safe to use, false if potentially freed
+ */
+bool _twin_closure_is_valid(void *closure)
+{
+    if (!closure)
+        return false;
+
+    /* First-line defense: basic pointer sanity */
+    if (!twin_pointer_valid(closure))
+        return false;
+
+    /* If tracker not initialized, fall back to basic pointer validation */
+    if (!_twin_closure_tracker.initialized)
+        return true; /* Assume valid if tracking not yet enabled */
+
+    /* Must be tracked to be valid */
+    twin_closure_entry_t *entry = _twin_closure_find_entry(closure);
+    if (!entry)
+        return false;
+
+    /* Marked closures are in process of being freed */
+    if (entry->marked_for_free)
+        return false;
+
+    /* Must have active references */
+    return entry->ref_count > 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Mark a closure as being freed.
+ * Called at the start of object destruction to prevent races.
+ *
+ * Once marked:
+ * - No new references can be added (ref() will fail)
+ * - Existing references remain valid until cleared
+ * - is_valid() returns false to prevent new callback execution
+ */
+void _twin_closure_mark_for_free(void *closure)
+{
+    twin_closure_entry_t *entry = _twin_closure_find_entry(closure);
+    if (entry)
+        entry->marked_for_free = true;
+}
diff --git a/src/screen.c b/src/screen.c
index c02ea3f..598f3ac 100644
--- a/src/screen.c
+++ b/src/screen.c
@@ -15,10 +15,17 @@ twin_screen_t *twin_screen_create(twin_coord_t width,
                                   twin_put_span_t put_span,
                                   void *closure)
 {
+    static bool closure_tracker_initialized = false;
     twin_screen_t *screen = calloc(1, sizeof(twin_screen_t));
     if (!screen)
         return NULL;
 
+    /* Initialize closure tracking system on first screen creation */
+    if (!closure_tracker_initialized) {
+        _twin_closure_tracker_init();
+        closure_tracker_initialized = true;
+    }
+
     screen->top = 0;
     screen->bottom = 0;
     screen->width = width;
diff --git a/src/timeout.c b/src/timeout.c
index 4b59bb4..297c02a 100644
--- a/src/timeout.c
+++ b/src/timeout.c
@@ -50,10 +50,9 @@ void _twin_run_timeout(void)
     twin_timeout_t *first = (twin_timeout_t *) _twin_queue_set_order(&head);
     for (timeout = first; timeout && twin_time_compare(now, >=, timeout->time);
          timeout = (twin_timeout_t *) timeout->queue.order) {
-        /* Validate closure pointer before executing timeout callback */
-        if (!twin_pointer_valid(timeout->closure)) {
-            /* Invalid closure pointer, remove this timeout */
-            _twin_queue_delete(&head, &timeout->queue);
+        /* Validate closure pointer using closure lifetime tracking */
+        if (!_twin_closure_is_valid(timeout->closure)) {
+            /* Invalid or freed closure, skip this timeout */
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -75,10 +74,15 @@ twin_timeout_t *twin_set_timeout(twin_timeout_proc_t timeout_proc,
     if (!timeout)
         return NULL;
 
-    /* Basic validation of closure pointer at scheduling time */
-    if (closure && !twin_pointer_valid(closure)) {
-        free(timeout);
-        return NULL;
+    /* Register closure with lifetime tracking if provided */
+    if (closure) {
+        if (!_twin_closure_register(closure)) {
+            /* Failed to register closure */
+            free(timeout);
+            return NULL;
+        }
+        /* Add reference for this timeout */
+        _twin_closure_ref(closure);
     }
 
     if (!start)
@@ -92,7 +96,16 @@ twin_timeout_t *twin_set_timeout(twin_timeout_proc_t timeout_proc,
 
 void twin_clear_timeout(twin_timeout_t *timeout)
 {
+    if (!timeout)
+        return;
+
     _twin_queue_delete(&head, &timeout->queue);
+
+    /* Unref the closure */
+    if (timeout->closure)
+        _twin_closure_unref(timeout->closure);
+
+    free(timeout);
 }
 
 twin_time_t _twin_timeout_delay(void)
diff --git a/src/toplevel.c b/src/toplevel.c
index 53d6e68..ef9b641 100644
--- a/src/toplevel.c
+++ b/src/toplevel.c
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ static void _twin_toplevel_destroy(twin_window_t *window)
     twin_toplevel_t *toplevel = window->client_data;
     twin_event_t event;
 
+    /* Mark this toplevel as being freed to prevent new work items */
+    _twin_closure_mark_for_free(toplevel);
+
+    /* Unregister from closure tracking */
+    _twin_closure_unregister(toplevel);
+
     event.kind = TwinEventDestroy;
     (*toplevel->box.widget.dispatch)(&toplevel->box.widget, &event);
 }
@@ -68,6 +74,9 @@ void _twin_toplevel_init(twin_toplevel_t *toplevel,
     window->event = _twin_toplevel_event;
     window->client_data = toplevel;
     _twin_box_init(&toplevel->box, 0, window, TwinBoxVert, dispatch);
+
+    /* Register this toplevel with closure tracking */
+    _twin_closure_register(toplevel);
 }
 
 twin_toplevel_t *twin_toplevel_create(twin_screen_t *screen,
diff --git a/src/twin_private.h b/src/twin_private.h
index dade9c0..0060a8b 100644
--- a/src/twin_private.h
+++ b/src/twin_private.h
@@ -844,4 +844,54 @@ static inline bool twin_pointer_valid(const void *ptr)
     return ptr && (uintptr_t) ptr >= TWIN_POINTER_MIN_VALID;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Closure lifetime management
+ *
+ * This system tracks closure pointers used in work queues and timeouts
+ * to prevent use-after-free bugs when widgets are destroyed while
+ * callbacks are still queued.
+ */
+
+/* Maximum number of tracked closures */
+#define TWIN_MAX_CLOSURES 1024
+
+/* Closure tracking entry */
+typedef struct _twin_closure_entry {
+    void *closure;        /* Closure pointer */
+    uint32_t ref_count;   /* Reference count */
+    bool marked_for_free; /* Closure is being freed */
+} twin_closure_entry_t;
+
+/* Closure tracking table */
+typedef struct _twin_closure_tracker {
+    twin_closure_entry_t entries[TWIN_MAX_CLOSURES];
+    int count;
+    bool initialized; /* Track initialization status */
+    /* Mutex would go here for thread safety if needed */
+} twin_closure_tracker_t;
+
+/* Global closure tracker instance */
+extern twin_closure_tracker_t _twin_closure_tracker;
+
+/* Initialize closure tracking system */
+void _twin_closure_tracker_init(void);
+
+/* Register a closure with the tracking system */
+bool _twin_closure_register(void *closure);
+
+/* Unregister a closure from the tracking system */
+void _twin_closure_unregister(void *closure);
+
+/* Increment reference count for a closure */
+bool _twin_closure_ref(void *closure);
+
+/* Decrement reference count for a closure */
+bool _twin_closure_unref(void *closure);
+
+/* Check if a closure is valid and not marked for deletion */
+bool _twin_closure_is_valid(void *closure);
+
+/* Mark a closure as being freed (prevents new references) */
+void _twin_closure_mark_for_free(void *closure);
+
 #endif /* _TWIN_PRIVATE_H_ */
diff --git a/src/work.c b/src/work.c
index 46b3e8a..ec7edfd 100644
--- a/src/work.c
+++ b/src/work.c
@@ -33,10 +33,9 @@ void _twin_run_work(void)
 
     first = (twin_work_t *) _twin_queue_set_order(&head);
     for (work = first; work; work = (twin_work_t *) work->queue.order) {
-        /* Validate closure pointer before executing callback */
-        if (!twin_pointer_valid(work->closure)) {
-            /* Invalid closure pointer, remove this work item */
-            _twin_queue_delete(&head, &work->queue);
+        /* Validate closure pointer using closure lifetime tracking */
+        if (!_twin_closure_is_valid(work->closure)) {
+            /* Invalid or freed closure, skip this work item */
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -54,10 +53,15 @@ twin_work_t *twin_set_work(twin_work_proc_t work_proc,
     if (!work)
         return NULL;
 
-    /* Basic validation of closure pointer at scheduling time */
-    if (closure && !twin_pointer_valid(closure)) {
-        free(work);
-        return NULL;
+    /* Register closure with lifetime tracking if provided */
+    if (closure) {
+        if (!_twin_closure_register(closure)) {
+            /* Failed to register closure */
+            free(work);
+            return NULL;
+        }
+        /* Add reference for this work item */
+        _twin_closure_ref(closure);
     }
 
     work->proc = work_proc;
@@ -69,5 +73,14 @@ twin_work_t *twin_set_work(twin_work_proc_t work_proc,
 
 void twin_clear_work(twin_work_t *work)
 {
+    if (!work)
+        return;
+
     _twin_queue_delete(&head, &work->queue);
+
+    /* Unref the closure */
+    if (work->closure)
+        _twin_closure_unref(work->closure);
+
+    free(work);
 }