diff --git a/src/misc/SoBase.cpp b/src/misc/SoBase.cpp
index 0fb68738918..1e2072b2e31 100644
--- a/src/misc/SoBase.cpp
+++ b/src/misc/SoBase.cpp
@@ -240,13 +240,17 @@ SoBase::~SoBase()
   // used to check that we are still alive.
   this->objdata.alive = (~ALIVE_PATTERN) & 0xf;
 
+  CC_MUTEX_LOCK(SoBase::PImpl::auditor_mutex);
   if (SoBase::PImpl::auditordict) {
-    //SoAuditorList * l;
-    if (SoBase::PImpl::auditordict->find(this)!=SoBase::PImpl::auditordict->const_end()) {
+    SbHash<const SoBase *, SoAuditorList *>::const_iterator iter =
+      SoBase::PImpl::auditordict->find(this);
+    if (iter != SoBase::PImpl::auditordict->const_end()) {
+      SoAuditorList * l = iter->obj;
       SoBase::PImpl::auditordict->erase(this);
-      //delete l;
+      delete l;
     }
   }
+  CC_MUTEX_UNLOCK(SoBase::PImpl::auditor_mutex);
   cc_rbptree_clean(&this->auditortree);
 
 #if COIN_DEBUG
@@ -863,6 +867,10 @@ sobase_audlist_add(void * pointer, void * type, void * closure)
 /*!
   Returns list of objects auditing this object.
 
+  The returned list is owned by Coin and is refreshed by subsequent calls
+  for this object. Do not use it after this object is destroyed or after
+  SoDB::finish().
+
   \sa addAuditor(), removeAuditor()
 */
 const SoAuditorList &
@@ -882,12 +890,13 @@ SoBase::getAuditors(void) const
   if (iter!=SoBase::PImpl::auditordict->const_end()) {
     l = iter->obj;
     // empty list before copying in new values
-    for (int i = 0; i < l->getLength(); i++) {
-      l->remove(i);
+    for (int i = l->getLength(); i > 0; --i) {
+      l->remove(i - 1);
     }
   }
   else {
-    (*SoBase::PImpl::auditordict)[this] = new SoAuditorList;
+    l = new SoAuditorList;
+    (*SoBase::PImpl::auditordict)[this] = l;
   }
   cc_rbptree_traverse(&this->auditortree, (cc_rbptree_traversecb*)sobase_audlist_add, l);
 
diff --git a/testsuite/SoBaseGetAuditorsTest.cpp b/testsuite/SoBaseGetAuditorsTest.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..13b59f0c9c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testsuite/SoBaseGetAuditorsTest.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+#include <Inventor/SoDB.h>
+#include <Inventor/lists/SoAuditorList.h>
+#include <Inventor/nodes/SoGroup.h>
+
+#include <cstdio>
+#include <cstring>
+
+namespace {
+struct Auditor {
+  void * pointer;
+  SoNotRec::Type type;
+};
+
+int failures = 0;
+
+void check(const bool condition, const char * message)
+{
+  if (!condition) {
+    std::fprintf(stderr, "FAIL: %s\n", message);
+    ++failures;
+  }
+}
+
+bool matches(const SoAuditorList & actual, const Auditor * expected,
+             const int length)
+{
+  if (actual.getLength() != length) return false;
+  for (int i = 0; i < length; ++i) {
+    int actualcount = 0, expectedcount = 0;
+    for (int j = 0; j < length; ++j) {
+      if (actual.getObject(j) == expected[i].pointer &&
+          actual.getType(j) == expected[i].type) ++actualcount;
+      if (expected[j].pointer == expected[i].pointer &&
+          expected[j].type == expected[i].type) ++expectedcount;
+    }
+    if (actualcount != expectedcount) return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+void checkEmpty()
+{
+  SoGroup * node = new SoGroup;
+  node->ref();
+  const SoAuditorList & cached = node->getAuditors();
+  check(cached.getLength() == 0, "initial empty cache is not empty");
+  check(&node->getAuditors() == &cached && cached.getLength() == 0,
+        "repeated empty query changed the cache");
+
+  int token = 0;
+  const Auditor expected[] = { { &token, SoNotRec::PARENT } };
+  node->addAuditor(&token, SoNotRec::PARENT);
+  check(matches(node->getAuditors(), expected, 1),
+        "empty cache did not acquire the added auditor");
+  node->removeAuditor(&token, SoNotRec::PARENT);
+  check(node->getAuditors().getLength() == 0,
+        "cache did not become empty after removing the last auditor");
+  node->unref();
+}
+
+void checkRefresh()
+{
+  SoGroup * node = new SoGroup;
+  node->ref();
+  int tokens[4] = {};
+  const Auditor initial[] = {
+    { &tokens[0], SoNotRec::PARENT },
+    { &tokens[1], SoNotRec::FIELD },
+    { &tokens[2], SoNotRec::PARENT }
+  };
+  for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i) node->addAuditor(initial[i].pointer, initial[i].type);
+  const SoAuditorList & cached = node->getAuditors();
+  check(matches(cached, initial, 3), "first populated query lost auditor pairs");
+  for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
+    const SoAuditorList & refreshed = node->getAuditors();
+    check(&refreshed == &cached && matches(refreshed, initial, 3),
+          "unchanged tree accumulated stale cache entries");
+  }
+
+  node->removeAuditor(initial[1].pointer, initial[1].type);
+  const Auditor remaining[] = { initial[0], initial[2] };
+  check(matches(node->getAuditors(), remaining, 2),
+        "removed auditor remained in the refreshed cache");
+  node->addAuditor(&tokens[3], SoNotRec::FIELD);
+  node->addAuditor(initial[0].pointer, initial[0].type);
+  const Auditor expanded[] = {
+    initial[0], initial[2], { &tokens[3], SoNotRec::FIELD }, initial[0]
+  };
+  check(matches(node->getAuditors(), expanded, 4),
+        "cache lost auditor types or duplicate registrations");
+  node->removeAuditor(initial[0].pointer, initial[0].type);
+  node->removeAuditor(initial[0].pointer, initial[0].type);
+  node->removeAuditor(initial[2].pointer, initial[2].type);
+  node->removeAuditor(&tokens[3], SoNotRec::FIELD);
+  check(node->getAuditors().getLength() == 0,
+        "clearing the tree left cached auditor pairs");
+  check(node->getAuditors().getLength() == 0,
+        "repeated query of cleared tree changed the cache");
+  node->unref();
+}
+
+void checkLifetime()
+{
+  SoGroup * other = new SoGroup;
+  other->ref();
+  const SoAuditorList & othercache = other->getAuditors();
+  for (int i = 0; i < 8; ++i) {
+    SoGroup * node = new SoGroup;
+    node->ref();
+    int token = 0;
+    const Auditor expected[] = { { &token, SoNotRec::PARENT } };
+    node->addAuditor(&token, SoNotRec::PARENT);
+    check(matches(node->getAuditors(), expected, 1),
+          "new object inherited another object's cache");
+    node->removeAuditor(&token, SoNotRec::PARENT);
+    node->unref();
+    check(&other->getAuditors() == &othercache && othercache.getLength() == 0,
+          "destroying an object changed another object's cache");
+  }
+  other->unref();
+}
+
+int runTest(const char * mode)
+{
+  if (std::strcmp(mode, "empty") == 0) checkEmpty();
+  else if (std::strcmp(mode, "refresh") == 0) checkRefresh();
+  else if (std::strcmp(mode, "lifetime") == 0) checkLifetime();
+  else return 2;
+  return failures == 0 ? 0 : 1;
+}
+} // namespace
+
+int main(int argc, char ** argv)
+{
+  SoDB::init();
+  const int result = runTest(argc > 1 ? argv[1] : "refresh");
+  SoDB::finish();
+  return result;
+}
diff --git a/testsuite/regressions/SoBaseGetAuditors.cmake b/testsuite/regressions/SoBaseGetAuditors.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1c20c752af8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testsuite/regressions/SoBaseGetAuditors.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+add_executable(SoBaseGetAuditorsTest SoBaseGetAuditorsTest.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(SoBaseGetAuditorsTest Coin ${COIN_TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES})
+target_include_directories(SoBaseGetAuditorsTest PRIVATE
+  ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/include
+  ${COIN_TARGET_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES})
+add_test(NAME SoBaseGetAuditors COMMAND SoBaseGetAuditorsTest refresh)
+add_test(NAME SoBaseGetAuditorsEmpty COMMAND SoBaseGetAuditorsTest empty)
+add_test(NAME SoBaseGetAuditorsLifetime COMMAND SoBaseGetAuditorsTest lifetime)