diff --git a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/MemoryCleaner.java b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/MemoryCleaner.java
index 032b075bab7..4614ce24024 100644
--- a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/MemoryCleaner.java
+++ b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/MemoryCleaner.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  *
- *  Copyright (c) 2019-2023, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
+ *  Copyright (c) 2019-2024, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
  *
  *  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  *  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -261,6 +261,11 @@ static void register(ColumnVector vec, Cleaner cleaner) {
     all.put(cleaner.id, new CleanerWeakReference(vec, cleaner, collected, true));
   }
 
+  static void register(Scalar s, Cleaner cleaner) {
+    // It is now registered...
+    all.put(cleaner.id, new CleanerWeakReference(s, cleaner, collected, true));
+  }
+
   static void register(HostColumnVectorCore vec, Cleaner cleaner) {
     // It is now registered...
     all.put(cleaner.id, new CleanerWeakReference(vec, cleaner, collected, false));
diff --git a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Scalar.java b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Scalar.java
index 70538ab082f..286b5c208c9 100644
--- a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Scalar.java
+++ b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Scalar.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  *
- *  Copyright (c) 2019-2022, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
+ *  Copyright (c) 2019-2024, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
  *
  *  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  *  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -524,6 +524,7 @@ private static ColumnVector buildNullColumnVector(HostColumnVector.DataType host
   Scalar(DType type, long scalarHandle) {
     this.type = type;
     this.offHeap = new OffHeapState(scalarHandle);
+    MemoryCleaner.register(this, offHeap);
     incRefCount();
   }
 
@@ -536,6 +537,7 @@ public synchronized Scalar incRefCount() {
       offHeap.logRefCountDebug("INC AFTER CLOSE " + this);
       throw new IllegalStateException("Scalar is already closed");
     }
+    offHeap.addRef();
     ++refCount;
     return this;
   }