diff --git a/devtools/client/debugger/packages/devtools-reps/src/object-inspector/actions.js b/devtools/client/debugger/packages/devtools-reps/src/object-inspector/actions.js
index 97b47263a7e4..f3a7258bad0a 100644
--- a/devtools/client/debugger/packages/devtools-reps/src/object-inspector/actions.js
+++ b/devtools/client/debugger/packages/devtools-reps/src/object-inspector/actions.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import type { GripProperties, Node, Props, ReduxAction } from "./types";

 const { loadItemProperties } = require("./utils/load-properties");
-const { getLoadedProperties, getActors } = require("./reducer");
+const { getLoadedProperties, getActors, getWatchpoints } = require("./reducer");

 type Dispatch = ReduxAction => void;

@@ -73,38 +73,31 @@ function nodePropertiesLoaded(
   };
 }

-function addWatchpoint(
-  item,
-  watchpoint: string,
-) {
-
+function addWatchpoint(item, watchpoint: string) {
   const buildLabel = item => {
     if (item.parent) {
       return `${buildLabel(item.parent)}.${item.name}`;
     }
     return item.name;
   };
-
-  return async function ({ dispatch, client }: ThunkArgs) {
-    let object = item.parent.contents.value;
+
+  return async function({ dispatch, client }: ThunkArgs) {
+    const object = item.parent.contents.value;
     const path = item.parent.path;
     const property = item.name;
     const label = buildLabel(item);

     dispatch({
       type: "SET_WATCHPOINT",
-      data: { path, watchpoint, property },
+      data: { path, watchpoint, property, actor: object.actor },
     });

     await client.addWatchpoint(object, property, label, watchpoint);
   };
 }

-function removeWatchpoint(
-  item,
-) {
-
-  return async function ({ dispatch, client }: ThunkArgs) {
+function removeWatchpoint(item) {
+  return async function({ dispatch, client }: ThunkArgs) {
     const object = item.parent.contents.value;
     const property = item.name;
     const path = item.parent.path;
@@ -144,8 +137,11 @@ function rootsChanged(props: Props) {

 function releaseActors(state, client) {
   const actors = getActors(state);
+  const watchpoints = getWatchpoints(state);
   for (const actor of actors) {
-    client.releaseActor(actor);
+    if (!watchpoints.has(actor)) {
+      client.releaseActor(actor);
+    }
   }
 }

diff --git a/devtools/client/debugger/packages/devtools-reps/src/object-inspector/reducer.js b/devtools/client/debugger/packages/devtools-reps/src/object-inspector/reducer.js
index e8a8638f3f9c..966651e2fdea 100644
--- a/devtools/client/debugger/packages/devtools-reps/src/object-inspector/reducer.js
+++ b/devtools/client/debugger/packages/devtools-reps/src/object-inspector/reducer.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ function initialState() {
     loadedProperties: new Map(),
     evaluations: new Map(),
     actors: new Set(),
+    watchpoints: new Map(),
   };
 }

@@ -41,17 +42,15 @@ function reducer(
       ownProperties: {
         ...obj.ownProperties,
         [data.property]: {
-            ...obj.ownProperties[data.property],
-            watchpoint: data.watchpoint,
-          }
-        },
-      };
+          ...obj.ownProperties[data.property],
+          watchpoint: data.watchpoint,
+        },
+      },
+    };

     return cloneState({
-      loadedProperties: new Map(state.loadedProperties).set(
-        data.path,
-        newObj,
-      ),
+      loadedProperties: new Map(state.loadedProperties).set(data.path, newObj),
+      watchpoints: new Map(state.watchpoints).set(data.actor, data.watchpoint),
     });
   }

@@ -63,17 +62,15 @@ function reducer(
       ownProperties: {
         ...obj.ownProperties,
         [data.property]: {
-            ...obj.ownProperties[data.property],
-            watchpoint: null,
-          }
-        },
-      };
+          ...obj.ownProperties[data.property],
+          watchpoint: null,
+        },
+      },
+    };

     return cloneState({
-      loadedProperties: new Map(state.loadedProperties).set(
-        data.path,
-        newObj,
-      ),
+      loadedProperties: new Map(state.loadedProperties).set(data.path, newObj),
+      watchpoints: new Map(state.watchpoints).delete(data.actor),
     });
   }

@@ -110,7 +107,7 @@ function reducer(
   // NOTE: we clear the state on resume because otherwise the scopes pane
   // would be out of date. Bug 1514760
   if (type === "RESUME" || type == "NAVIGATE") {
-    return initialState();
+    return { ...initialState(), watchpoints: state.watchpoints };
   }

   return state;
@@ -132,6 +129,10 @@ function getActors(state) {
   return getObjectInspectorState(state).actors;
 }

+function getWatchpoints(state) {
+  return getObjectInspectorState(state).watchpoints;
+}
+
 function getLoadedProperties(state) {
   return getObjectInspectorState(state).loadedProperties;
 }
@@ -146,6 +147,7 @@ function getEvaluations(state) {

 const selectors = {
   getActors,
+  getWatchpoints,
   getEvaluations,
   getExpandedPathKeys,
   getExpandedPaths,
diff --git a/devtools/server/actors/object.js b/devtools/server/actors/object.js
index 7aa67b162ac0..a755efa8fe9d 100644
--- a/devtools/server/actors/object.js
+++ b/devtools/server/actors/object.js
@@ -108,6 +108,11 @@ const proto = {
   },

   addWatchpoint(property, label, watchpointType) {
+
+    // promote all objects to the thread level
+    console.log(`>> addWatchpoint ${label} ${this.actorID}`)
+    this.thread.threadObjectGrip(this);
+
     if (this._originalDescriptors.has(property)) {
       return;
     }
@@ -136,6 +141,7 @@ const proto = {
         }),
         get: this.obj.makeDebuggeeValue(() => {
           pauseAndRespond();
+          return desc.value;
         }),
       });
     }
@@ -145,9 +151,12 @@ const proto = {
         configurable: desc.configurable,
         enumerable: desc.enumerable,
         set: this.obj.makeDebuggeeValue(v => {
-          desc.value = v;
           pauseAndRespond();
+          desc.value = v;
         }),
+        get: this.obj.makeDebuggeeValue(() => {
+          return desc.value;
+        })
       });
     }
   },
@@ -166,6 +175,14 @@ const proto = {
    * Returns a grip for this actor for returning in a protocol message.
    */
   form: function() {
+
+    if (!this.actorID) {
+      console.log(`>> object form WTF`, (new Error('')).stack)
+    }
+
+    console.log(`>> object form ${this.actorID}`)
+
+
     const g = {
       type: "object",
       actor: this.actorID,
@@ -1016,7 +1033,9 @@ const proto = {
    * Release the actor, when it isn't needed anymore.
    * Protocol.js uses this release method to call the destroy method.
    */
-  release: function() {},
+  release: function() {
+    console.log(`>> releasing object actor ${this.actorID}`, (new Error('').stack));
+  },
 };

 exports.ObjectActor = protocol.ActorClassWithSpec(objectSpec, proto);