diff --git a/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pxd b/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pxd
index 1c304ee39..a70ad1a69 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pxd
+++ b/interfaces/cython/cantera/_cantera.pxd
@@ -891,13 +891,15 @@ cdef class GasTransportData:
     cdef _assign(self, shared_ptr[CxxTransportData] other)
 
 cdef class _SolutionBase:
+    cdef shared_ptr[CxxThermoPhase] _thermo
     cdef CxxThermoPhase* thermo
+    cdef shared_ptr[CxxKinetics] _kinetics
     cdef CxxKinetics* kinetics
+    cdef shared_ptr[CxxTransport] _transport
     cdef CxxTransport* transport
     cdef int thermo_basis
     cdef np.ndarray _selected_species
     cdef object parent
-    cdef cbool is_slice
 
 cdef class ThermoPhase(_SolutionBase):
     cdef double _mass_factor(self)
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/cantera/base.pyx b/interfaces/cython/cantera/base.pyx
index f6397b0f9..5c5b24f66 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/cantera/base.pyx
+++ b/interfaces/cython/cantera/base.pyx
@@ -10,21 +10,17 @@ cdef class _SolutionBase:
         if origin is not None:
             other = <_SolutionBase?>origin
 
-            # keep a reference to the parent to prevent the underlying
-            # C++ objects from being deleted
-            self.parent = origin
-            self.is_slice = True
-
             self.thermo = other.thermo
             self.kinetics = other.kinetics
             self.transport = other.transport
+            self._thermo = other._thermo
+            self._kinetics = other._kinetics
+            self._transport = other._transport
 
             self.thermo_basis = other.thermo_basis
             self._selected_species = other._selected_species.copy()
             return
 
-        self.is_slice = False
-
         if infile or source:
             self._init_cti_xml(infile, phaseid, phases, source)
         elif thermo and species:
@@ -63,6 +59,7 @@ cdef class _SolutionBase:
         # Thermo
         if isinstance(self, ThermoPhase):
             self.thermo = newPhase(deref(phaseNode))
+            self._thermo.reset(self.thermo)
         else:
             self.thermo = NULL
 
@@ -76,6 +73,7 @@ cdef class _SolutionBase:
                 # adjacent bulk phases for a surface phase
                 v.push_back(phase.thermo)
             self.kinetics = newKineticsMgr(deref(phaseNode), v)
+            self._kinetics.reset(self.kinetics)
         else:
             self.kinetics = NULL
 
@@ -85,6 +83,7 @@ cdef class _SolutionBase:
         the model type and a list of Species objects.
         """
         self.thermo = newThermoPhase(stringify(thermo))
+        self._thermo.reset(self.thermo)
         self.thermo.addUndefinedElements()
         cdef Species S
         for S in species:
@@ -98,6 +97,7 @@ cdef class _SolutionBase:
         cdef Reaction reaction
         if isinstance(self, Kinetics):
             self.kinetics = CxxNewKinetics(stringify(kinetics))
+            self._kinetics.reset(self.kinetics)
             self.kinetics.addPhase(deref(self.thermo))
             for phase in phases:
                 self.kinetics.addPhase(deref(phase.thermo))
@@ -131,10 +131,3 @@ cdef class _SolutionBase:
 
     def __copy__(self):
         raise NotImplementedError('Solution object is not copyable')
-
-    def __dealloc__(self):
-        # only delete the C++ objects if this is the parent object
-        if not self.is_slice:
-            del self.thermo
-            del self.kinetics
-            del self.transport
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/cantera/transport.pyx b/interfaces/cython/cantera/transport.pyx
index c490405b5..9f68544c9 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/cantera/transport.pyx
+++ b/interfaces/cython/cantera/transport.pyx
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ cdef class Transport(_SolutionBase):
                 if not model:
                     model = 'None'
                 self.transport = newTransportMgr(stringify(model), self.thermo)
+            self._transport.reset(self.transport)
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
     property transport_model:
@@ -156,9 +157,8 @@ cdef class Transport(_SolutionBase):
             return pystr(self.transport.transportType())
 
         def __set__(self, model):
-            cdef CxxTransport* old = self.transport
             self.transport = newTransportMgr(stringify(model), self.thermo)
-            del old # only if the new transport manager was successfully created
+            self._transport.reset(self.transport)
 
     property viscosity:
         """Viscosity [Pa-s]."""
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ cdef class DustyGasTransport(Transport):
     # The signature of this function causes warnings for Sphinx documentation
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.transport = newTransportMgr(stringify("DustyGas"), self.thermo)
+        self._transport.reset(self.transport)
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
     property porosity: