diff --git a/src/duckdb_py/python_udf.cpp b/src/duckdb_py/python_udf.cpp
index 41daf4e2..fd6775e0 100644
--- a/src/duckdb_py/python_udf.cpp
+++ b/src/duckdb_py/python_udf.cpp
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ static scalar_function_t CreateNativeFunction(PyObject *function, PythonExceptio
 			}
 
 			// Call the function
-			auto ret = PyObject_CallObject(function, bundled_parameters.ptr());
+			auto ret = py::reinterpret_steal<py::object>(PyObject_CallObject(function, bundled_parameters.ptr()));
 			if (ret == nullptr && PyErr_Occurred()) {
 				if (exception_handling == PythonExceptionHandling::FORWARD_ERROR) {
 					auto exception = py::error_already_set();
diff --git a/tests/fast/udf/test_udf_refcount_leak.py b/tests/fast/udf/test_udf_refcount_leak.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c1201cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fast/udf/test_udf_refcount_leak.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import gc
+import platform
+import sys
+
+import pytest
+
+import duckdb
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(("rows", "iters"), [(1000, 20)])
+def test_python_scalar_udf_return_value_refcount_does_not_leak(rows, iters):
+    if platform.python_implementation() != "CPython":
+        pytest.skip("refcount-based test requires CPython")
+
+    payload = b"processed_data_" + b"x" * 8192  # large-ish bytes to mimic the reported issue
+
+    def udf_bytes(_):
+        return payload  # Always return the exact same object so we can track its refcount.
+
+    # Baseline refcount (note: getrefcount adds a temporary ref)
+    baseline = sys.getrefcount(payload)
+
+    con = duckdb.connect()
+    con.create_function("udf_bytes", udf_bytes, ["BIGINT"], "VARCHAR")
+
+    for _ in range(iters):
+        con.execute(f"SELECT udf_bytes(range) FROM range({rows})")
+        res = con.fetchall()
+        # Drop the result ASAP so we don't keep any refs alive in Python
+        del res
+        gc.collect()
+
+    # Re-check refcount. In the buggy version this grows by rows*iters (huge).
+    after = sys.getrefcount(payload)
+
+    # Allow a tiny tolerance for transient references/caches.
+    # In the presence of the leak, this will be thousands+ higher.
+    assert after <= baseline + 10, (baseline, after)
+
+    con.close()