Index: sc/source/core/data/table3.cxx
===================================================================
--- sc/source/core/data/table3.cxx	(revision 1342169)
+++ sc/source/core/data/table3.cxx	(working copy)
@@ -421,12 +421,12 @@
 			const ScPatternAttr* pPat2 = GetPattern(nCol2, nRow);
 			if (pPat1 != pPat2)
 			{
-				//maybe the content is the same
-				if (!(*pPat1 == *pPat2))
-				{
-					SetPattern(nCol1, nRow, *pPat2, sal_True);
-					SetPattern(nCol2, nRow, *pPat1, sal_True);
-				}
+				//Add Reference to avoid pPat1 to be deleted by merge same cell attributes for adjacent cells
+				if( IsPooledItem( pPat1 ) ) pPat1->AddRef();
+				SetPattern(nCol1, nRow, *pPat2, sal_True);
+				SetPattern(nCol2, nRow, *pPat1, sal_True);
+				if( IsPooledItem( pPat1 ) ) pPat1->ReleaseRef();
+				
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -443,12 +443,11 @@
 			const ScPatternAttr* pPat2 = GetPattern(nCol, nRow2);
 			if (pPat1 != pPat2)
 			{
-				//maybe the content is the same
-				if (!(*pPat1 == *pPat2))
-				{
-					SetPattern(nCol, nRow1, *pPat2, sal_True);
-					SetPattern(nCol, nRow2, *pPat1, sal_True);
-				}
+				//Add Reference to avoid pPat1 to be deleted by merge same cell attributes for adjacent cells
+				if( IsPooledItem( pPat1 ) ) pPat1->AddRef();
+				SetPattern(nCol, nRow1, *pPat2, sal_True);
+				SetPattern(nCol, nRow2, *pPat1, sal_True);
+				if( IsPooledItem( pPat1 ) ) pPat1->ReleaseRef();
 			}
 		}
 	}
Index: svl/inc/svl/poolitem.hxx
===================================================================
--- svl/inc/svl/poolitem.hxx	(revision 1342169)
+++ svl/inc/svl/poolitem.hxx	(working copy)
@@ -188,8 +188,8 @@
 	inline void				 SetKind( sal_uInt16 n );
 public:
 	inline sal_uLong             AddRef( sal_uLong n = 1 ) const;
+	inline sal_uLong             ReleaseRef( sal_uLong n = 1 ) const;
 private:
-	inline sal_uLong             ReleaseRef( sal_uLong n = 1 ) const;
 	SVL_DLLPRIVATE long      Delete_Impl(void*);
 
 #if 0