diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c6fdd6d1..2dac4dc7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.htm
 
 ### Changed
 - Blacklist loginwindow and ScreenSaverEngine processes [#537](https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai/issues/537)
+- Resolve some issues with the lifetime of NSRunningApplication [#543](https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai/issues/543)
 
 ## [3.0.2] - 2020-05-22
 ### Changed
diff --git a/src/process_manager.c b/src/process_manager.c
index 66deabfa..8df1ea06 100644
--- a/src/process_manager.c
+++ b/src/process_manager.c
@@ -33,12 +33,14 @@ struct process *process_create(ProcessSerialNumber psn)
     process->terminated = false;
     process->xpc = process_info.processType == 'XPC!';
     GetProcessPID(&process->psn, &process->pid);
+    process->ns_application = workspace_application_create_running_ns_application(process);
 
     return process;
 }
 
 void process_destroy(struct process *process)
 {
+    workspace_application_destroy_running_ns_application(process);
     free(process->name);
     free(process);
 }
diff --git a/src/process_manager.h b/src/process_manager.h
index b0ea3fc6..04495ae5 100644
--- a/src/process_manager.h
+++ b/src/process_manager.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ struct process
     char *name;
     bool xpc;
     bool volatile terminated;
+    void *ns_application;
 };
 
 struct process_manager
diff --git a/src/workspace.h b/src/workspace.h
index e7aba1fe..ae339c90 100644
--- a/src/workspace.h
+++ b/src/workspace.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ void workspace_event_handler_begin(void **context);
 void workspace_event_handler_end(void *context);
 
 struct process;
+void *workspace_application_create_running_ns_application(struct process *process);
+void workspace_application_destroy_running_ns_application(struct process *process);
 bool workspace_application_is_observable(struct process *process);
 bool workspace_application_is_finished_launching(struct process *process);
 void workspace_application_observe_finished_launching(void *context, struct process *process);
diff --git a/src/workspace.m b/src/workspace.m
index d9c39322..c0e5487f 100644
--- a/src/workspace.m
+++ b/src/workspace.m
@@ -20,9 +20,20 @@ void workspace_event_handler_end(void *context)
     [ws_context dealloc];
 }
 
+void *workspace_application_create_running_ns_application(struct process *process)
+{
+    return [NSRunningApplication runningApplicationWithProcessIdentifier:process->pid];
+}
+
+void workspace_application_destroy_running_ns_application(struct process *process)
+{
+    NSRunningApplication *application = process->ns_application;
+    if (application) [application release];
+}
+
 void workspace_application_observe_finished_launching(void *context, struct process *process)
 {
-    NSRunningApplication *application = [NSRunningApplication runningApplicationWithProcessIdentifier:((struct process *)process)->pid];
+    NSRunningApplication *application = process->ns_application;
     if (application) {
         [application addObserver:context forKeyPath:@"finishedLaunching" options:NSKeyValueObservingOptionInitial|NSKeyValueObservingOptionNew context:process];
     } else {
@@ -32,7 +43,7 @@ void workspace_application_observe_finished_launching(void *context, struct proc
 
 void workspace_application_observe_activation_policy(void *context, struct process *process)
 {
-    NSRunningApplication *application = [NSRunningApplication runningApplicationWithProcessIdentifier:process->pid];
+    NSRunningApplication *application = process->ns_application;
     if (application) {
         [application addObserver:context forKeyPath:@"activationPolicy" options:NSKeyValueObservingOptionInitial|NSKeyValueObservingOptionNew context:process];
     } else {
@@ -42,30 +53,22 @@ void workspace_application_observe_activation_policy(void *context, struct proce
 
 bool workspace_application_is_observable(struct process *process)
 {
-    NSRunningApplication *application = [NSRunningApplication runningApplicationWithProcessIdentifier:process->pid];
-
+    NSRunningApplication *application = process->ns_application;
     if (application) {
-        bool result = [application activationPolicy] != NSApplicationActivationPolicyProhibited;
-        [application release];
-        return result;
+        return [application activationPolicy] != NSApplicationActivationPolicyProhibited;
+    } else {
+        return false;
     }
-
-    debug("%s: could not determine observability status for %s (%d)\n", __FUNCTION__, process->name, process->pid);
-    return false;
 }
 
 bool workspace_application_is_finished_launching(struct process *process)
 {
-    NSRunningApplication *application = [NSRunningApplication runningApplicationWithProcessIdentifier:process->pid];
-
+    NSRunningApplication *application = process->ns_application;
     if (application) {
-        bool result = [application isFinishedLaunching] == YES;
-        [application release];
-        return result;
+        return [application isFinishedLaunching] == YES;
+    } else {
+        return false;
     }
-
-    debug("%s: could not determine launch status for %s (%d)\n", __FUNCTION__, process->name, process->pid);
-    return false;
 }
 
 @implementation workspace_context
@@ -146,8 +149,6 @@ - (void)observeValueForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath ofObject:(id)object change:(N
             @try {
                 [object removeObserver:self forKeyPath:@"activationPolicy"];
             } @catch (NSException * __unused exception) {}
-
-            [object release];
         }
     }
 
@@ -171,8 +172,6 @@ - (void)observeValueForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath ofObject:(id)object change:(N
             @try {
                 [object removeObserver:self forKeyPath:@"finishedLaunching"];
             } @catch (NSException * __unused exception) {}
-
-            [object release];
         }
     }
 }