diff --git a/src/nvim/terminal.c b/src/nvim/terminal.c
index d07e74a966..4b168e3596 100644
--- a/src/nvim/terminal.c
+++ b/src/nvim/terminal.c
@@ -943,12 +943,18 @@ bool terminal_enter(void)
   // Don't fire TextChangedT from changes in Normal mode.
   curbuf->b_last_changedtick_i = buf_get_changedtick(curbuf);
 
+  // Don't let autocommands free the terminal now!
+  s->term->refcount++;
   apply_autocmds(EVENT_TERMENTER, NULL, NULL, false, curbuf);
   may_trigger_modechanged();
-
-  s->state.execute = terminal_execute;
-  s->state.check = terminal_check;
-  state_enter(&s->state);
+  s->term->refcount--;
+  if (s->term->buf_handle == 0) {
+    s->close = true;  // skip entering and close
+  } else {
+    s->state.execute = terminal_execute;
+    s->state.check = terminal_check;
+    state_enter(&s->state);
+  }
 
   if (!s->got_bsl_o) {
     restart_edit = 0;
diff --git a/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua b/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua
index f868cfe539..9907e1e66b 100644
--- a/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua
@@ -1146,6 +1146,16 @@ describe(':terminal buffer', function()
     eq(false, api.nvim_buf_is_valid(term_buf))
   end)
 
+  it('no heap-use-after-free from autocmds when entering terminal mode', function()
+    local chans = api.nvim_list_chans()
+    local buf = api.nvim_get_current_buf()
+    api.nvim_open_term(0, {})
+    command('autocmd TermEnter,ModeChanged * ++once bwipeout!')
+    feed('i')
+    eq(false, api.nvim_buf_is_valid(buf))
+    eq(chans, api.nvim_list_chans())
+  end)
+
   local enew_screen = [[
     ^                                                  |
     {1:~                                                 }|*5