diff --git a/coreapi/friend.c b/coreapi/friend.c
index 600280693..fa4a3f18c 100644
--- a/coreapi/friend.c
+++ b/coreapi/friend.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ void* linphone_friend_get_user_data(const LinphoneFriend *lf){
 }
 
 bool_t linphone_friend_in_list(const LinphoneFriend *lf){
-	return lf->lc!=NULL;
+	return lf->in_list;
 }
 
 void linphone_core_interpret_friend_uri(LinphoneCore *lc, const char *uri, char **result){
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ void linphone_friend_edit(LinphoneFriend *fr){
 
 void linphone_friend_done(LinphoneFriend *fr){
 	ms_return_if_fail(fr!=NULL);
-	if (fr->lc==NULL) return;
+	if (fr->lc == NULL || !fr->in_list) return;
 	linphone_friend_apply(fr,fr->lc);
 }
 
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ void linphone_core_add_friend(LinphoneCore *lc, LinphoneFriend *lf) {
 		lc->subscribers = ms_list_remove(lc->subscribers, lf);
 		linphone_friend_unref(lf);
 	}
-	lf->lc = lc;
+	lf->lc = lc; /*I would prefer this to be done in linphone_friend_list_add_friend()*/
 	if (linphone_core_ready(lc)) linphone_friend_apply(lf, lc);
 	else lf->commit = TRUE;
 }
diff --git a/coreapi/friendlist.c b/coreapi/friendlist.c
index 4d02dc9a7..02dcec40a 100644
--- a/coreapi/friendlist.c
+++ b/coreapi/friendlist.c
@@ -291,7 +291,10 @@ void linphone_friend_list_set_rls_uri(LinphoneFriendList *list, const char *rls_
 }
 
 LinphoneFriendListStatus linphone_friend_list_add_friend(LinphoneFriendList *list, LinphoneFriend *friend) {
-	if ((friend->lc != NULL) || (friend->uri == NULL)) return LinphoneFriendListInvalidFriend;
+	if (friend->uri == NULL || friend->in_list) {
+		ms_error("linphone_friend_list_add_friend(): invalid friend");
+		return LinphoneFriendListInvalidFriend;
+	}
 	if (ms_list_find(list->friends, friend) != NULL) {
 		char *tmp = NULL;
 		const LinphoneAddress *addr = linphone_friend_get_address(friend);
@@ -299,6 +302,7 @@ LinphoneFriendListStatus linphone_friend_list_add_friend(LinphoneFriendList *lis
 		ms_warning("Friend %s already in list [%s], ignored.", tmp ? tmp : "unknown", list->display_name);
 		if (tmp) ms_free(tmp);
 	} else {
+		friend->in_list = TRUE;
 		list->friends = ms_list_append(list->friends, linphone_friend_ref(friend));
 	}
 	return LinphoneFriendListOK;
@@ -307,7 +311,8 @@ LinphoneFriendListStatus linphone_friend_list_add_friend(LinphoneFriendList *lis
 LinphoneFriendListStatus linphone_friend_list_remove_friend(LinphoneFriendList *list, LinphoneFriend *friend) {
 	MSList *elem = ms_list_find(list->friends, friend);
 	if (elem == NULL) return LinphoneFriendListNonExistentFriend;
-	linphone_friend_unref((LinphoneFriend *)elem->data);
+	friend->in_list = FALSE;
+	linphone_friend_unref(friend);
 	list->friends = ms_list_remove_link(list->friends, elem);
 	return LinphoneFriendListOK;
 }
diff --git a/coreapi/private.h b/coreapi/private.h
index dc4559c93..da79a101b 100644
--- a/coreapi/private.h
+++ b/coreapi/private.h
@@ -651,6 +651,7 @@ struct _LinphoneFriend{
 	struct _LinphoneCore *lc;
 	BuddyInfo *info;
 	char *refkey;
+	bool_t in_list;
 	bool_t subscribe;
 	bool_t subscribe_active;
 	bool_t inc_subscribe_pending;