diff --git a/lib/Gestures/Triggers/SwipeTrigger.vala b/lib/Gestures/Triggers/SwipeTrigger.vala
index 6af501d9e..8d4f8150a 100644
--- a/lib/Gestures/Triggers/SwipeTrigger.vala
+++ b/lib/Gestures/Triggers/SwipeTrigger.vala
@@ -11,11 +11,14 @@
  * It enables touchpad and (once supported) touchscreen backends for the given actor.
  */
 public class Gala.SwipeTrigger : Object, GestureTrigger {
-    public Clutter.Actor actor { get; construct; }
     public Clutter.Orientation orientation { get; construct; }
+    private weak Clutter.Actor actor;
 
     public SwipeTrigger (Clutter.Actor actor, Clutter.Orientation orientation) {
-        Object (actor: actor, orientation: orientation);
+        Object (orientation: orientation);
+
+        this.actor = actor;
+        actor.add_weak_pointer (&this.actor);
     }
 
     internal bool triggers (Gesture gesture) {
@@ -25,7 +28,7 @@ public class Gala.SwipeTrigger : Object, GestureTrigger {
         );
     }
 
-    internal void enable_backends (GestureController controller) {
+    internal void enable_backends (GestureController controller) requires (actor != null) {
         controller.enable_backend (new ScrollBackend (actor, orientation, new GestureSettings ()));
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/lib/SwipeTriggerTest.vala b/tests/lib/SwipeTriggerTest.vala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b937bb3c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/SwipeTriggerTest.vala
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2026 elementary, Inc. (https://elementary.io)
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+ *
+ * Authored by: Leonhard Kargl <leo.kargl@proton.me>
+ */
+
+public class Gala.SwipeTriggerTest : MutterTestCase {
+    private Clutter.Actor? actor;
+    private SwipeTrigger? trigger;
+
+    public SwipeTriggerTest () {
+        Object (name: "SwipeTriggerTest");
+    }
+
+    construct {
+        add_test ("Test finalize trigger first", test_finalize_trigger_first);
+        add_test ("Test finalize actor first", test_finalize_actor_first);
+        add_test ("Test finalize actor and enable backend", test_finalize_actor_and_enable_backend);
+    }
+
+    public override void set_up () {
+        actor = new Clutter.Actor ();
+        trigger = new SwipeTrigger (actor, Clutter.Orientation.HORIZONTAL);
+    }
+
+    public override void tear_down () {
+        trigger = null;
+        actor = null;
+    }
+
+    private void test_finalize_trigger_first () {
+        assert_finalize_object (ref trigger);
+        assert_finalize_object (ref actor);
+    }
+
+    private void test_finalize_actor_first () {
+        // We can finalize the actor first because the swipe trigger only holds a weak reference to it
+        assert_finalize_object (ref actor);
+        assert_finalize_object (ref trigger);
+    }
+
+    private void test_finalize_actor_and_enable_backend () {
+        // We can finalize the actor first because the swipe trigger only holds a weak reference to it
+        assert_finalize_object (ref actor);
+
+        // Enabling the backend after the actor has been finalized should not cause a crash
+        // but print a warning
+        Test.expect_message (null, LEVEL_CRITICAL, "*assertion 'actor != null' failed");
+
+        var controller = new GestureController (CUSTOM);
+        trigger.enable_backends (controller);
+
+        Test.assert_expected_messages ();
+
+        assert_finalize_object (ref trigger);
+    }
+}
+
+public int main (string[] args) {
+    return new Gala.SwipeTriggerTest ().run (args);
+}
diff --git a/tests/lib/meson.build b/tests/lib/meson.build
index 6a341ff14..aae6fb5f4 100644
--- a/tests/lib/meson.build
+++ b/tests/lib/meson.build
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ tests = [
     'GestureControllerTest',
     'PropertyTargetTest',
     'SetupTest',
+    'SwipeTriggerTest',
 ]
 
 foreach test : tests