diff --git a/src/libcamera/base/object.cpp b/src/libcamera/base/object.cpp
index 1fce5a2af9af..14399d750e03 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/base/object.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/base/object.cpp
@@ -116,8 +116,9 @@ Object::~Object()
  * event loop that the object belongs to. This ensures the object is destroyed
  * from the right context, as required by the libcamera threading model.
  *
- * If this function is called before the thread's event loop is started, the
- * object will be deleted when the event loop starts.
+ * If this function is called before the thread's event loop is started or after
+ * it has stopped, the object will be deleted when the event loop (re)starts. If
+ * this never occurs, the object will be leaked.
  *
  * Deferred deletion can be used to control the destruction context with shared
  * pointers. An object managed with shared pointers is deleted when the last
diff --git a/src/libcamera/base/thread.cpp b/src/libcamera/base/thread.cpp
index 75693c92a0b1..4ac72036aa69 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/base/thread.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/base/thread.cpp
@@ -371,6 +371,12 @@ void Thread::run()
 
 void Thread::finishThread()
 {
+	/*
+	 * Objects may have been scheduled for deletion right before the thread
+	 * exited. Ensure they get deleted now, before the thread stops.
+	 */
+	dispatchMessages(Message::Type::DeferredDelete);
+
 	data_->mutex_.lock();
 	data_->running_ = false;
 	data_->mutex_.unlock();