diff --git a/src/nvim/terminal.c b/src/nvim/terminal.c
index 07c6d7bf4c..1053c43b7e 100644
--- a/src/nvim/terminal.c
+++ b/src/nvim/terminal.c
@@ -1416,6 +1416,7 @@ static void buf_set_term_title(buf_T *buf, const char *title, size_t len)
   }
 
   Error err = ERROR_INIT;
+  buf->b_locked++;
   dict_set_var(buf->b_vars,
                STATIC_CSTR_AS_STRING("term_title"),
                STRING_OBJ(((String){ .data = (char *)title, .size = len })),
@@ -1423,6 +1424,7 @@ static void buf_set_term_title(buf_T *buf, const char *title, size_t len)
                false,
                NULL,
                &err);
+  buf->b_locked--;
   api_clear_error(&err);
   status_redraw_buf(buf);
 }
diff --git a/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua b/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua
index f9f896a507..a8cc6bdb40 100644
--- a/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/terminal/buffer_spec.lua
@@ -1134,6 +1134,16 @@ describe(':terminal buffer', function()
     feed([[<C-\><C-N>]])
     eq({ mode = 'nt', blocking = false }, api.nvim_get_mode())
   end)
+
+  it('does not allow b:term_title watcher to delete buffer', function()
+    local chan = api.nvim_open_term(0, {})
+    api.nvim_chan_send(chan, '\027]2;SOME_TITLE\007')
+    eq('SOME_TITLE', api.nvim_buf_get_var(0, 'term_title'))
+    command([[call dictwatcheradd(b:, 'term_title', {-> execute('bwipe!')})]])
+    api.nvim_chan_send(chan, '\027]2;OTHER_TITLE\007')
+    eq('OTHER_TITLE', api.nvim_buf_get_var(0, 'term_title'))
+    matches('^E937: ', api.nvim_get_vvar('errmsg'))
+  end)
 end)
 
 describe('on_lines does not emit out-of-bounds line indexes when', function()