diff --git a/skynet-src/skynet_harbor.c b/skynet-src/skynet_harbor.c
index 48814c83..379fce80 100644
--- a/skynet-src/skynet_harbor.c
+++ b/skynet-src/skynet_harbor.c
@@ -31,5 +31,17 @@ skynet_harbor_init(int harbor) {
 
 void
 skynet_harbor_start(void *ctx) {
+	// the HARBOR must be reserved to ensure the pointer is valid.
+	// It will be released at last by calling skynet_harbor_exit
+	skynet_context_reserve(ctx);
 	REMOTE = ctx;
 }
+
+void
+skynet_harbor_exit() {
+	struct skynet_context * ctx = REMOTE;
+	REMOTE= NULL;
+	if (ctx) {
+		skynet_context_release(ctx);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/skynet-src/skynet_harbor.h b/skynet-src/skynet_harbor.h
index b699f625..62982455 100644
--- a/skynet-src/skynet_harbor.h
+++ b/skynet-src/skynet_harbor.h
@@ -26,5 +26,6 @@ void skynet_harbor_send(struct remote_message *rmsg, uint32_t source, int sessio
 int skynet_harbor_message_isremote(uint32_t handle);
 void skynet_harbor_init(int harbor);
 void skynet_harbor_start(void * ctx);
+void skynet_harbor_exit();
 
 #endif
diff --git a/skynet-src/skynet_server.c b/skynet-src/skynet_server.c
index 50978b10..0a3a6b00 100644
--- a/skynet-src/skynet_server.c
+++ b/skynet-src/skynet_server.c
@@ -178,6 +178,14 @@ skynet_context_grab(struct skynet_context *ctx) {
 	__sync_add_and_fetch(&ctx->ref,1);
 }
 
+void
+skynet_context_reserve(struct skynet_context *ctx) {
+	skynet_context_grab(ctx);
+	// don't count the context reserved, because skynet abort (the worker threads terminate) only when the total context is 0 .
+	// the reserved context will be release at last.
+	context_dec();
+}
+
 static void 
 delete_context(struct skynet_context *ctx) {
 	if (ctx->logfile) {
diff --git a/skynet-src/skynet_server.h b/skynet-src/skynet_server.h
index 27b6b768..92e125b0 100644
--- a/skynet-src/skynet_server.h
+++ b/skynet-src/skynet_server.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ struct skynet_monitor;
 
 struct skynet_context * skynet_context_new(const char * name, const char * parm);
 void skynet_context_grab(struct skynet_context *);
+void skynet_context_reserve(struct skynet_context *ctx);
 struct skynet_context * skynet_context_release(struct skynet_context *);
 uint32_t skynet_context_handle(struct skynet_context *);
 int skynet_context_push(uint32_t handle, struct skynet_message *message);
diff --git a/skynet-src/skynet_start.c b/skynet-src/skynet_start.c
index bef06b4c..93ef4485 100644
--- a/skynet-src/skynet_start.c
+++ b/skynet-src/skynet_start.c
@@ -236,4 +236,5 @@ skynet_start(struct skynet_config * config) {
 	if (config->daemon) {
 		daemon_exit(config->daemon);
 	}
+	skynet_harbor_exit();
 }