diff --git a/src/buffer_manager.cc b/src/buffer_manager.cc
index d482f28a9..0fae2a17b 100644
--- a/src/buffer_manager.cc
+++ b/src/buffer_manager.cc
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "buffer.hh"
 #include "exception.hh"
 #include "string.hh"
+#include "client_manager.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
@@ -35,6 +36,8 @@ void BufferManager::unregister_buffer(Buffer& buffer)
     {
         if (*it == &buffer)
         {
+            if (ClientManager::has_instance())
+                ClientManager::instance().ensure_no_client_uses_buffer(buffer);
             m_buffers.erase(it);
             return;
         }
diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index d720359e4..0baec150b 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -234,7 +234,6 @@ void delete_buffer(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
     if (manager.count() == 1)
         throw runtime_error("buffer " + buffer.name() + " is the last one");
 
-    ClientManager::instance().ensure_no_client_uses_buffer(buffer);
     delete &buffer;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/utils.hh b/src/utils.hh
index 6337bc247..0db71f40a 100644
--- a/src/utils.hh
+++ b/src/utils.hh
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ public:
         ms_instance = nullptr;
     }
 
+    static bool has_instance()
+    {
+        return ms_instance != nullptr;
+    }
+
 protected:
     Singleton()
     {