diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device.cpp b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device.cpp
index a8d76959bc..d7f63f7038 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device.cpp
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device.cpp
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@
 
 #include "global.h"
 
-extern IPortableDevice* wpd::open_device(const wchar_t *pnp_id, IPortableDeviceValues *client_information);
-extern IPortableDeviceValues* wpd::get_client_information();
-extern PyObject* wpd::get_device_information(IPortableDevice *device, IPortableDevicePropertiesBulk **pb);
-
 using namespace wpd;
 // Device.__init__() {{{
 static void
@@ -28,8 +24,6 @@ dealloc(Device* self)
         Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS;
     }
 
-    if (self->client_information != NULL) { self->client_information->Release(); self->client_information = NULL; }
-
     Py_XDECREF(self->device_information); self->device_information = NULL;
 
     Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
@@ -48,9 +42,9 @@ init(Device *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
 
     self->bulk_properties = NULL;
 
-    self->client_information = get_client_information();
-    if (self->client_information != NULL) {
-        self->device = open_device(self->pnp_id, self->client_information);
+    CComPtr<IPortableDeviceValues> client_information = get_client_information();
+    if (client_information) {
+        self->device = open_device(self->pnp_id, client_information);
         if (self->device != NULL) {
             self->device_information = get_device_information(self->device, &(self->bulk_properties));
             if (self->device_information != NULL) {
diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device_enumeration.cpp b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device_enumeration.cpp
index 7d9729eb36..dd4435ed25 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device_enumeration.cpp
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device_enumeration.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ IPortableDeviceValues *get_client_information() { // {{{
     return client_information;
 } // }}}
 
-IPortableDevice *open_device(const wchar_t *pnp_id, IPortableDeviceValues *client_information) { // {{{
+IPortableDevice *open_device(const wchar_t *pnp_id, CComPtr<IPortableDeviceValues> &client_information) { // {{{
     IPortableDevice *device = NULL;
     HRESULT hr;
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/global.h b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/global.h
index 50552a7a0d..8baee04bff 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/global.h
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/global.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #pragma once
 #define UNICODE
 #include <Windows.h>
+#include <atlbase.h>
 #include <Python.h>
 
 #include <Objbase.h>
@@ -40,7 +41,6 @@ typedef struct {
     PyObject_HEAD
     // Type-specific fields go here.
     wchar_t *pnp_id;
-    IPortableDeviceValues *client_information;
     IPortableDevice *device;
     PyObject *device_information;
     IPortableDevicePropertiesBulk *bulk_properties;
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ PyObject *wchar_to_unicode(const wchar_t *o);
 int pump_waiting_messages();
 
 extern IPortableDeviceValues* get_client_information();
-extern IPortableDevice* open_device(const wchar_t *pnp_id, IPortableDeviceValues *client_information);
+extern IPortableDevice* open_device(const wchar_t *pnp_id, CComPtr<IPortableDeviceValues> &client_information);
 extern PyObject* get_device_information(IPortableDevice *device, IPortableDevicePropertiesBulk **bulk_properties);
 extern PyObject* get_filesystem(IPortableDevice *device, const wchar_t *storage_id, IPortableDevicePropertiesBulk *bulk_properties, PyObject *callback);
 extern PyObject* get_file(IPortableDevice *device, const wchar_t *object_id, PyObject *dest, PyObject *callback);
diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/wpd.cpp b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/wpd.cpp
index 0cbca6ce8a..9355e0bfea 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/wpd.cpp
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/wpd.cpp
@@ -20,10 +20,6 @@ static int _com_initialized = 0;
 // Application Info
 wpd::ClientInfo wpd::client_info = {0};
 
-extern IPortableDeviceValues* wpd::get_client_information();
-extern IPortableDevice* wpd::open_device(const wchar_t *pnp_id, IPortableDeviceValues *client_information);
-extern PyObject* wpd::get_device_information(IPortableDevice *device, IPortableDevicePropertiesBulk **bulk_properties);
-
 // Module startup/shutdown {{{
 static PyObject *
 wpd_init(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
@@ -135,7 +131,6 @@ wpd_enumerate_devices(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
 static PyObject *
 wpd_device_info(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
     PyObject *ans = NULL;
-    IPortableDeviceValues *client_information = NULL;
     IPortableDevice *device = NULL;
 
     ENSURE_WPD(NULL);
@@ -144,15 +139,14 @@ wpd_device_info(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O&", py_to_wchar_no_none, &pnp_id)) return NULL;
     if (wcslen(pnp_id.ptr()) < 1) { PyErr_SetString(WPDError, "The PNP id must not be empty."); return NULL; }
 
-    client_information = get_client_information();
-    if (client_information != NULL) {
+    CComPtr<IPortableDeviceValues> client_information = get_client_information();
+    if (client_information) {
         device = open_device(pnp_id.ptr(), client_information);
         if (device != NULL) {
             ans = get_device_information(device, NULL);
         }
     }
 
-    if (client_information != NULL) client_information->Release();
     if (device != NULL) {device->Close(); device->Release();}
     return ans;
 } // }}}