diff --git a/package/cpp/References.h b/package/cpp/References.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e395a284
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package/cpp/References.h
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+//
+// Created by Marc Rousavy on 23.02.24.
+//
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <filament/Engine.h>
+#include <functional>
+#include <memory>
+
+namespace margelo {
+
+template <typename T> struct References {
+public:
+  using CleanupRefFunction = std::function<void(T* ref)>;
+  using CleanupEngineRefFunction = std::function<void(std::shared_ptr<filament::Engine> engine, T* ref)>;
+
+  struct Deleter {
+  public:
+    explicit Deleter(const CleanupRefFunction& cleanup) : _cleanup(std::move(cleanup)) {}
+    void operator()(T* ref) {
+      _cleanup(ref);
+    }
+
+  private:
+    CleanupRefFunction _cleanup;
+  };
+
+  /**
+   * Adopt a raw reference to T and take over it's memory ownership.
+   * When the resulting `shared_ptr` is deleted, `cleanup` will be called with the reference to T, and the caller is expected to properly
+   * clean up T.
+   * @param value The raw reference to T that will be adopted.
+   * @param cleanup The function to run when the shared_ptr's ref count reaches zero. The caller is expected to delete the reference to T
+   * here.
+   * @return A shared_ptr safely managing the reference to T.
+   */
+  static std::shared_ptr<T> adoptRef(T* value, const CleanupRefFunction& cleanup) {
+    return std::shared_ptr<T>(value, Deleter(std::move(cleanup)));
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Same as `adoptRef(T*, CleanupRefFunction)`, but with an additional argument: `Engine`.
+   * This is used to clean up children of `Engine`, e.g. via `Engine::destroy(Renderer)`.
+   */
+  static std::shared_ptr<T> adoptEngineRef(const std::shared_ptr<filament::Engine>& engine, T* value, CleanupEngineRefFunction cleanup) {
+    return adoptRef(value, [engine = std::move(engine), cleanup = std::move(cleanup)](T* ref) { cleanup(engine, ref); });
+  }
+};
+
+} // namespace margelo
diff --git a/package/cpp/core/EngineWrapper.cpp b/package/cpp/core/EngineWrapper.cpp
index 860283c8..ee193c6b 100644
--- a/package/cpp/core/EngineWrapper.cpp
+++ b/package/cpp/core/EngineWrapper.cpp
@@ -4,20 +4,14 @@
 
 #include "EngineWrapper.h"
 
+#include "References.h"
 #include <filament/Engine.h>
 #include <filament/SwapChain.h>
 
 namespace margelo {
 
 EngineWrapper::EngineWrapper(filament::Engine::Backend backend) {
-  _engine = Engine::create(backend);
-}
-
-EngineWrapper::~EngineWrapper() {
-  if (_swapChain) {
-    _engine->destroy(_swapChain);
-  }
-  _engine->destroy(&_engine);
+  _engine = References<Engine>::adoptRef(Engine::create(backend), [](Engine* engine) { engine->destroy(&engine); });
 }
 
 void EngineWrapper::loadHybridMethods() {
@@ -39,17 +33,11 @@ void EngineWrapper::setSurfaceProvider(std::shared_ptr<SurfaceProvider> surfaceP
 
 void EngineWrapper::setSurface(std::shared_ptr<Surface> surface) {
   void* nativeWindow = surface->getSurface();
-  if (_swapChain == nullptr || _swapChain->getNativeWindow() != nativeWindow) {
-    destroySurface();
-    _swapChain = _engine->createSwapChain(nativeWindow);
-  }
+  // TODO: do something with surface
 }
 
 void EngineWrapper::destroySurface() {
-  if (_swapChain != nullptr) {
-    _engine->destroy(_swapChain);
-    _swapChain = nullptr;
-  }
+  // TODO: destroy surface
 }
 
 } // namespace margelo
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package/cpp/core/EngineWrapper.h b/package/cpp/core/EngineWrapper.h
index b251c866..d3ccecb5 100644
--- a/package/cpp/core/EngineWrapper.h
+++ b/package/cpp/core/EngineWrapper.h
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ using namespace filament;
 class EngineWrapper : public HybridObject {
 public:
   explicit EngineWrapper(filament::Engine::Backend backend);
-  ~EngineWrapper();
 
   void setSurfaceProvider(std::shared_ptr<SurfaceProvider> surfaceProvider);
 
@@ -29,8 +28,7 @@ class EngineWrapper : public HybridObject {
   void destroySurface();
 
 private:
-  Engine* _engine;
-  SwapChain* _swapChain;
+  std::shared_ptr<Engine> _engine;
   std::shared_ptr<SurfaceProvider> _surfaceProvider;
   std::unique_ptr<Listener> _listener;
 };