diff --git a/native/MacTouchBar/src/TouchBar.m b/native/MacTouchBar/src/TouchBar.m
index b9d40a92f21a..e6813ba77a32 100644
--- a/native/MacTouchBar/src/TouchBar.m
+++ b/native/MacTouchBar/src/TouchBar.m
@@ -85,11 +85,16 @@ void setPrincipal(id tbobj, const char * uid) {
 
 __used
 void releaseNativePeer(id tbobj) {
+    void (^doRelease)() = ^{
+        if ([tbobj isKindOfClass:[NSCustomTouchBarItem class]])
+            ((NSCustomTouchBarItem *)tbobj).view = nil;
+        [tbobj release];
+    };
       if ([NSThread isMainThread]) {
-          [tbobj release];
+          doRelease();
       } else {
           dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
-              [tbobj release];
+              doRelease();
           });
       }
 }
diff --git a/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/ui/mac/touchbar/TouchbarTest.java b/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/ui/mac/touchbar/TouchbarTest.java
index 207a4e037018..e39baed10cd0 100644
--- a/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/ui/mac/touchbar/TouchbarTest.java
+++ b/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/ui/mac/touchbar/TouchbarTest.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 package com.intellij.ui.mac.touchbar;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.IconLoader;
+import com.intellij.ui.mac.foundation.ID;
 
 import javax.swing.*;
 import java.util.Collection;
@@ -18,14 +19,37 @@ public class TouchbarTest {
   private static void _createFrame() {
     NST.loadLibraryImpl();
 
-    final TouchBar testTB = _createTestScrubberTouchbar();
-    testTB.selectVisibleItemsToShow();
-    testTB.setTo(null);
-
     final JFrame f = new JFrame();
     f.setDefaultCloseOperation(WindowConstants.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
     f.setBounds(0, 0, 500, 110);
     f.setVisible(true);
+
+    new Thread(()-> {
+      int c = 1;
+      while (--c >= 0) {
+        final TouchBar testTB = _createSimpleTestTouchbar();
+        testTB.selectVisibleItemsToShow();
+        testTB.setTo(null);
+
+        try {
+          Thread.sleep(2000);
+        }
+        catch (InterruptedException e) {
+          e.printStackTrace();
+        }
+
+        NST.setTouchBar(null, ID.NIL);
+        testTB.release();
+      }
+    }).start();
+
+  }
+
+  private static TouchBar _createSimpleTestTouchbar() {
+    final int configPopoverWidth = 143;
+    final TouchBar testTB = new TouchBar("test_simple");
+    testTB.addButton().setText("butt").setAction(createPrintTextCallback("pressed button"), false);
+    return testTB;
   }
 
   private static TouchBar _createTestButtonsTouchbar() {