diff --git a/src/kdbindings/signal.h b/src/kdbindings/signal.h
index a1fd129..fdd0565 100644
--- a/src/kdbindings/signal.h
+++ b/src/kdbindings/signal.h
@@ -272,34 +272,34 @@ class Signal
     }
 
     /**
-     * Establishes a connection between a signal and a slot, allowing the slot to access its own connection handle.
-     * This method is particularly useful for creating connections that can manage themselves, such as disconnecting
+     * Establishes a connection between a signal and a slot, allowing the slot to access and manage its own connection handle.
+     * This method is particularly useful for creating connections that can autonomously manage themselves, such as disconnecting
      * after being triggered a certain number of times or under specific conditions. It wraps the given slot function
-     * to include a shared pointer to the ConnectionHandle as the first parameter, enabling the slot to interact with
+     * to include a reference to the ConnectionHandle as the first parameter, enabling the slot to interact with
      * its own connection state directly.
      *
-     * @param slot A std::function that takes a shared_ptr<ConnectionHandle> followed by the signal's parameter types.
-     * @return A shared_ptr to the ConnectionHandle associated with this connection, allowing for advanced connection management.
+     * @param slot A std::function that takes a ConnectionHandle reference followed by the signal's parameter types.
+     * @return A ConnectionHandle to the newly established connection, allowing for advanced connection management.
      */
-    std::shared_ptr<ConnectionHandle> connectReflective(std::function<void(std::shared_ptr<ConnectionHandle>, Args...)> const &slot)
+    ConnectionHandle connectReflective(std::function<void(ConnectionHandle &, Args...)> const &slot)
     {
         ensureImpl();
 
-        // Create a placeholder handle (with no ID yet)
+        // Create a new ConnectionHandle with no ID initially. This handle will be used to manage the connection lifecycle.
         auto handle = ConnectionHandle::create(m_impl, std::nullopt);
 
-        auto wrappedSlot = [this, slot, weakHandle = std::weak_ptr<ConnectionHandle>(handle)](Args... args) {
-            if (auto handle = weakHandle.lock()) { // Ensure the handle is still valid
-                slot(handle, args...);
-            }
+        // Prepare the lambda that matches the signature expected by m_impl->connect
+        auto wrappedSlot = [this, handle, slot](Args... args) mutable {
+            // Directly invoke the user-provided slot with the handle and args
+            slot(*handle, args...);
         };
 
-        // Connect the wrapped slot
-        auto id = m_impl->connect(wrappedSlot);
+        // Connect the wrapped slot to the signal implementation.
+        // The handle ID is set after successful connection to manage this connection specifically.
+        handle->setId(m_impl->connect(wrappedSlot));
 
-        // Assign the ID to the handle now that it's known
-        handle->setId(id);
-        return handle;
+        // Return the ConnectionHandle, allowing the caller to manage the connection directly.
+        return *handle;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/signal/tst_signal.cpp b/tests/signal/tst_signal.cpp
index 0098836..bb6b505 100644
--- a/tests/signal/tst_signal.cpp
+++ b/tests/signal/tst_signal.cpp
@@ -267,19 +267,21 @@ TEST_CASE("Signal connections")
         int val = 5;
 
         // Connect a reflective slot to the signal
-        auto handle = mySignal.connectReflective([&val](std::shared_ptr<ConnectionHandle> selfHandle, int value) {
+        auto handle = mySignal.connectReflective([&val](ConnectionHandle &selfHandle, int value) {
             val += value;
 
             // Disconnect after handling the signal once
-            selfHandle->disconnect();
+            selfHandle.disconnect();
         });
 
         mySignal.emit(5); // This should trigger the slot and then disconnect it
-        REQUIRE(!handle->isActive());
 
-        mySignal.emit(5); // Signal Already disconnected
+        REQUIRE(!handle.isActive());
 
-        REQUIRE(val == 10);
+        mySignal.emit(5); // Since the slot is disconnected, this should not affect 'val'
+
+        // Check if the value remains unchanged after the second emit
+        REQUIRE(val == 10); // 'val' was incremented once to 10 by the first emit and should remain at 10
     }
 
     SUBCASE("A signal with arguments can be connected to a lambda and invoked with l-value args")