diff --git a/include/haproxy/uri_auth-t.h b/include/haproxy/uri_auth-t.h
index 009adfdfe..b2d829ab0 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/uri_auth-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/uri_auth-t.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ struct stat_scope {
 /* later we may link them to support multiple URI matching */
 struct uri_auth {
 	int uri_len;			/* the prefix length */
+	uint refcount;                  /* to free when unused */
 	char *uri_prefix;		/* the prefix we want to match */
 	char *auth_realm;		/* the realm reported to the client */
 	char *node, *desc;		/* node name & description reported in this stats */
diff --git a/include/haproxy/uri_auth.h b/include/haproxy/uri_auth.h
index ae5dbb04a..3b61e8fff 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/uri_auth.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/uri_auth.h
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ struct uri_auth *stats_add_scope(struct uri_auth **root, char *scope);
 struct uri_auth *stats_set_node(struct uri_auth **root, char *name);
 struct uri_auth *stats_set_desc(struct uri_auth **root, char *desc);
 void stats_uri_auth_free(struct uri_auth *uri_auth);
+void stats_uri_auth_take(struct uri_auth *uri_auth);
+void stats_uri_auth_drop(struct uri_auth *uri_auth);
 
 #endif /* _HAPROXY_URI_AUTH_H */
 
diff --git a/src/cfgparse-listen.c b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
index bb722b3ee..760ca7167 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse-listen.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse-listen.c
@@ -1761,8 +1761,11 @@ int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int kwm)
 			LIST_APPEND(&curproxy->sticking_rules, &rule->list);
 	}
 	else if (strcmp(args[0], "stats") == 0) {
-		if (!(curproxy->cap & PR_CAP_DEF) && curproxy->uri_auth == curr_defproxy->uri_auth)
-			curproxy->uri_auth = NULL; /* we must detach from the default config */
+		if (!(curproxy->cap & PR_CAP_DEF) && curproxy->uri_auth == curr_defproxy->uri_auth) {
+			/* we must detach from the default config */
+			stats_uri_auth_drop(curproxy->uri_auth);
+			curproxy->uri_auth = NULL;
+		}
 
 		if (!*args[1]) {
 			goto stats_error_parsing;
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index c29b6f6db..de5405a9a 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
 #include <haproxy/tcpcheck.h>
 #include <haproxy/thread.h>
 #include <haproxy/tools.h>
-#include <haproxy/uri_auth-t.h>
+#include <haproxy/uri_auth.h>
 
 
 /* Used to chain configuration sections definitions. This list
@@ -3936,6 +3936,7 @@ out_uri_auth_compat:
 				ha_warning("'stats' statement ignored for %s '%s' as it requires HTTP mode.\n",
 					   proxy_type_str(curproxy), curproxy->id);
 				err_code |= ERR_WARN;
+				stats_uri_auth_drop(curproxy->uri_auth);
 				curproxy->uri_auth = NULL;
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/haproxy.c b/src/haproxy.c
index 56bd38b46..43b282bd5 100644
--- a/src/haproxy.c
+++ b/src/haproxy.c
@@ -3200,7 +3200,6 @@ void deinit(void)
 {
 	struct proxy *p = proxies_list, *p0;
 	struct cfgfile *cfg, *cfg_tmp;
-	struct uri_auth *uap, *ua = NULL;
 	struct logger *log, *logb;
 	struct build_opts_str *bol, *bolb;
 	struct post_deinit_fct *pdf, *pdfb;
@@ -3254,22 +3253,6 @@ void deinit(void)
 
 	deinit_signals();
 	while (p) {
-		/* build a list of unique uri_auths */
-		if (!ua)
-			ua = p->uri_auth;
-		else {
-			/* check if p->uri_auth is unique */
-			for (uap = ua; uap; uap=uap->next)
-				if (uap == p->uri_auth)
-					break;
-
-			if (!uap && p->uri_auth) {
-				/* add it, if it is */
-				p->uri_auth->next = ua;
-				ua = p->uri_auth;
-			}
-		}
-
 		p0 = p;
 		p = p->next;
 		free_proxy(p0);
@@ -3282,12 +3265,6 @@ void deinit(void)
 	/* destroy all referenced defaults proxies  */
 	proxy_destroy_all_unref_defaults();
 
-	while (ua) {
-		uap = ua;
-		ua = ua->next;
-		stats_uri_auth_free(uap);
-	}
-
 	userlist_free(userlist);
 
 	cfg_unregister_sections();
diff --git a/src/proxy.c b/src/proxy.c
index 9850d45a5..6f951cd50 100644
--- a/src/proxy.c
+++ b/src/proxy.c
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 #include <haproxy/tcpcheck.h>
 #include <haproxy/time.h>
 #include <haproxy/tools.h>
+#include <haproxy/uri_auth.h>
 
 
 int listeners;	/* # of proxy listeners, set by cfgparse */
@@ -271,6 +272,8 @@ static inline void proxy_free_common(struct proxy *px)
 	}
 
 	free_email_alert(px);
+	stats_uri_auth_drop(px->uri_auth);
+	px->uri_auth = NULL;
 }
 
 void free_proxy(struct proxy *p)
@@ -1513,10 +1516,6 @@ void proxy_free_defaults(struct proxy *defproxy)
 
 	proxy_release_conf_errors(defproxy);
 	deinit_proxy_tcpcheck(defproxy);
-
-	/* FIXME: we cannot free uri_auth because it might already be used by
-	 * another proxy (legacy code for stats URI ...). Refcount anyone ?
-	 */
 }
 
 /* delete a defproxy from the tree if still in it, frees its content and its
@@ -1803,7 +1802,11 @@ static int proxy_defproxy_cpy(struct proxy *curproxy, const struct proxy *defpro
 	}
 
 	curproxy->mode = defproxy->mode;
-	curproxy->uri_auth = defproxy->uri_auth; /* for stats */
+
+	/* for stats */
+	stats_uri_auth_drop(curproxy->uri_auth);
+	stats_uri_auth_take(defproxy->uri_auth);
+	curproxy->uri_auth = defproxy->uri_auth;
 
 	/* copy default loggers to curproxy */
 	list_for_each_entry(tmplogger, &defproxy->loggers, list) {
diff --git a/src/uri_auth.c b/src/uri_auth.c
index a487ed375..eddb1a0a5 100644
--- a/src/uri_auth.c
+++ b/src/uri_auth.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ struct uri_auth *stats_check_init_uri_auth(struct uri_auth **root)
 
 		LIST_INIT(&u->http_req_rules);
 		LIST_INIT(&u->admin_rules);
+		stats_uri_auth_take(u);
 	} else
 		u = *root;
 
@@ -342,6 +343,21 @@ void stats_uri_auth_free(struct uri_auth *uri_auth)
 	free(uri_auth);
 }
 
+void stats_uri_auth_drop(struct uri_auth *uri_auth)
+{
+	if (!uri_auth)
+		return;
+	if (HA_ATOMIC_SUB_FETCH(&uri_auth->refcount, 1) == 0)
+		stats_uri_auth_free(uri_auth);
+}
+
+void stats_uri_auth_take(struct uri_auth *uri_auth)
+{
+	if (!uri_auth)
+		return;
+	HA_ATOMIC_INC(&uri_auth->refcount);
+}
+
 /*
  * Local variables:
  *  c-indent-level: 8