diff --git a/dlls/wininet/ftp.c b/dlls/wininet/ftp.c
index d26aff20b68..b9d305e71ec 100644
--- a/dlls/wininet/ftp.c
+++ b/dlls/wininet/ftp.c
@@ -1296,7 +1296,7 @@ HINTERNET FTP_FtpOpenFileW(LPWININETFTPSESSIONW lpwfs,
         lpwh->hdr.vtbl = &FTPFILEVtbl;
         lpwh->hdr.dwFlags = dwFlags;
         lpwh->hdr.dwContext = dwContext;
-        lpwh->hdr.dwRefCount = 1;
+        lpwh->hdr.refs = 1;
         lpwh->hdr.lpfnStatusCB = lpwfs->hdr.lpfnStatusCB;
         lpwh->nDataSocket = nDataSocket;
 	lpwh->session_deleted = FALSE;
@@ -2242,7 +2242,7 @@ HINTERNET FTP_Connect(LPWININETAPPINFOW hIC, LPCWSTR lpszServerName,
     lpwfs->hdr.dwFlags = dwFlags;
     lpwfs->hdr.dwContext = dwContext;
     lpwfs->hdr.dwInternalFlags = dwInternalFlags;
-    lpwfs->hdr.dwRefCount = 1;
+    lpwfs->hdr.refs = 1;
     lpwfs->hdr.lpfnStatusCB = hIC->hdr.lpfnStatusCB;
     lpwfs->download_in_progress = NULL;
     lpwfs->sndSocket = -1;
@@ -3293,7 +3293,7 @@ static HINTERNET FTP_ReceiveFileList(LPWININETFTPSESSIONW lpwfs, INT nSocket, LP
             lpwfn->hdr.htype = WH_HFTPFINDNEXT;
             lpwfn->hdr.vtbl = &FTPFINDNEXTVtbl;
             lpwfn->hdr.dwContext = dwContext;
-            lpwfn->hdr.dwRefCount = 1;
+            lpwfn->hdr.refs = 1;
             lpwfn->hdr.lpfnStatusCB = lpwfs->hdr.lpfnStatusCB;
             lpwfn->index = 1; /* Next index is 1 since we return index 0 */
             lpwfn->size = dwSize;
diff --git a/dlls/wininet/http.c b/dlls/wininet/http.c
index e88ef951b0e..085cab2d0b8 100644
--- a/dlls/wininet/http.c
+++ b/dlls/wininet/http.c
@@ -1606,7 +1606,7 @@ HINTERNET WINAPI HTTP_HttpOpenRequestW(LPWININETHTTPSESSIONW lpwhs,
     lpwhr->hdr.vtbl = &HTTPREQVtbl;
     lpwhr->hdr.dwFlags = dwFlags;
     lpwhr->hdr.dwContext = dwContext;
-    lpwhr->hdr.dwRefCount = 1;
+    lpwhr->hdr.refs = 1;
     lpwhr->hdr.lpfnStatusCB = lpwhs->hdr.lpfnStatusCB;
     lpwhr->hdr.dwInternalFlags = lpwhs->hdr.dwInternalFlags & INET_CALLBACKW;
 
@@ -3159,7 +3159,7 @@ HINTERNET HTTP_Connect(LPWININETAPPINFOW hIC, LPCWSTR lpszServerName,
     lpwhs->hdr.dwFlags = dwFlags;
     lpwhs->hdr.dwContext = dwContext;
     lpwhs->hdr.dwInternalFlags = dwInternalFlags | (hIC->hdr.dwInternalFlags & INET_CALLBACKW);
-    lpwhs->hdr.dwRefCount = 1;
+    lpwhs->hdr.refs = 1;
     lpwhs->hdr.lpfnStatusCB = hIC->hdr.lpfnStatusCB;
 
     WININET_AddRef( &hIC->hdr );
diff --git a/dlls/wininet/internet.c b/dlls/wininet/internet.c
index 184e7eddb93..5d8d46cff33 100644
--- a/dlls/wininet/internet.c
+++ b/dlls/wininet/internet.c
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ end:
 
 LPWININETHANDLEHEADER WININET_AddRef( LPWININETHANDLEHEADER info )
 {
-    info->dwRefCount++;
-    TRACE("%p -> refcount = %d\n", info, info->dwRefCount );
+    ULONG refs = InterlockedIncrement(&info->refs);
+    TRACE("%p -> refcount = %d\n", info, refs );
     return info;
 }
 
@@ -170,9 +170,9 @@ LPWININETHANDLEHEADER WININET_GetObject( HINTERNET hinternet )
 
 BOOL WININET_Release( LPWININETHANDLEHEADER info )
 {
-    info->dwRefCount--;
-    TRACE( "object %p refcount = %d\n", info, info->dwRefCount );
-    if( !info->dwRefCount )
+    ULONG refs = InterlockedDecrement(&info->refs);
+    TRACE( "object %p refcount = %d\n", info, refs );
+    if( !refs )
     {
         if ( info->vtbl->CloseConnection )
         {
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ HINTERNET WINAPI InternetOpenW(LPCWSTR lpszAgent, DWORD dwAccessType,
     lpwai->hdr.htype = WH_HINIT;
     lpwai->hdr.vtbl = &APPINFOVtbl;
     lpwai->hdr.dwFlags = dwFlags;
-    lpwai->hdr.dwRefCount = 1;
+    lpwai->hdr.refs = 1;
     lpwai->dwAccessType = dwAccessType;
     lpwai->lpszProxyUsername = NULL;
     lpwai->lpszProxyPassword = NULL;
diff --git a/dlls/wininet/internet.h b/dlls/wininet/internet.h
index 7f13feff4ec..106b054dbfa 100644
--- a/dlls/wininet/internet.h
+++ b/dlls/wininet/internet.h
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ struct _WININETHANDLEHEADER
     DWORD_PTR dwContext;
     DWORD  dwError;
     DWORD  dwInternalFlags;
-    DWORD  dwRefCount;
+    LONG   refs;
     INTERNET_STATUS_CALLBACK lpfnStatusCB;
     struct list entry;
     struct list children;