Generally, this disclosure provides systems, devices, methods and computer readable media for memory object reference count management with improved scalability based on transactional reference count elision. The device may include a hardware transactional memory processor configured to maintain a read-set associated with a transaction and to abort the transaction in response to a modification of contents of the read-set by an entity external to the transaction; and a code module configured to: enter the transaction; locate the memory object; read the reference count associated with the memory object, such that the reference count is added to the read-set associated with the transaction; access the memory object; and commit the transaction.