diff --git a/tests/foo.cc b/tests/foo.cc
index f93eb08..73b7120 100644
--- a/tests/foo.cc
+++ b/tests/foo.cc
@@ -26,18 +26,6 @@ int get_int_from_float(double from_float, int multiplier)
     return (int) from_float*multiplier;
 }
 
-char *return_c_string_to_be_freed()
-{
-    char *test = (char *)malloc(12 * sizeof(char));
-    strcpy(test, "testingonly");
-    return test;
-}
-
-ToBeFreed *return_class_to_be_freed()
-{
-   return new ToBeFreed();
-}
-
 std::string SomeObject::staticData = std::string("Hello Static World!");
 
 SomeObject::~SomeObject ()
@@ -568,3 +556,46 @@ test_args_kwargs(const char *args, const char *kwargs)
     return (int) (kwargs - args);
 }
 
+ToBeFreed::ToBeFreed(int size) {
+    m_size = size;
+    m = return_c_string_to_be_freed(size);
+}
+
+ToBeFreed::~ToBeFreed() {
+    free(m);
+    m = nullptr;
+}
+
+ ToBeFreed::ToBeFreed(const ToBeFreed& from) {
+     m_size = from.m_size;
+     m = return_c_string_to_be_freed(m_size);
+ }
+
+char *ToBeFreed::value()  {
+        return m;
+}
+
+char *return_c_string_to_be_freed(int size)
+{
+    char *test = (char *)malloc(size * sizeof(char));
+    strcpy(test, "testingonly");
+    return test;
+}
+
+ToBeFreed *
+return_class_to_be_freed(int size)
+{
+   return new ToBeFreed(size);
+}
+
+char *
+return_c_string_to_not_be_freed(int size)
+{
+   return return_c_string_to_be_freed(size);
+}
+
+ToBeFreed *
+return_class_to_not_be_freed(int size)
+{
+   return new ToBeFreed(size);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/foo.h b/tests/foo.h
index 698ff54..c65e197 100644
--- a/tests/foo.h
+++ b/tests/foo.h
@@ -1370,20 +1370,27 @@ private:
 };
 
 // -#- name=return_c_string_to_be_freed; @return(free_after_copy=true) -#-
-char *return_c_string_to_be_freed();
+char *return_c_string_to_be_freed(int size);
+
+// -#- name=return_c_string_to_not_be_freed; @return(free_after_copy=false) -#-
+char *return_c_string_to_not_be_freed(int size);
 
 class ToBeFreed
 {
 public:
-    ToBeFreed() { m = return_c_string_to_be_freed(); }
-    ~ToBeFreed() { free(m); }
-
+    ToBeFreed(int size);
+    ~ToBeFreed();
+    ToBeFreed(const ToBeFreed&);
+    char *value();
 private:
     char *m;
+    int m_size;
 };
 
 // -#- name=return_class_to_be_freed; @return(free_after_copy=true) -#-
-ToBeFreed *return_class_to_be_freed();
+ToBeFreed *return_class_to_be_freed(int size);
 
+// -#- name=return_class_to_not_be_freed; @return(free_after_copy=false) -#-
+ToBeFreed *return_class_to_not_be_freed(int size);
 
 #endif 	    /* !FOO_H_ */
diff --git a/tests/foomodulegen.py b/tests/foomodulegen.py
index 4398430..1861d94 100755
--- a/tests/foomodulegen.py
+++ b/tests/foomodulegen.py
@@ -116,14 +116,22 @@ int %s::custom_method_added_by_a_hook(int x)
 
     ## test free_after_copy.
     mod.add_function('return_c_string_to_be_freed',
-                     ReturnValue.new('char *', free_after_copy=True ),
-                     [])
+                     ReturnValue.new('char *', free_after_copy=True),
+                     [Parameter.new('int', 'size')])
+    mod.add_function('return_c_string_to_not_be_freed',
+                     ReturnValue.new('char *', free_after_copy=False),
+                     [Parameter.new('int', 'size')])
 
     ToBeFreed = mod.add_class('ToBeFreed')
+    ToBeFreed.add_constructor([Parameter.new('int', 'size')])
     ToBeFreed.add_copy_constructor()
+    ToBeFreed.add_method('value', ReturnValue.new('char *'), [])
     mod.add_function('return_class_to_be_freed',
                      ReturnValue.new('ToBeFreed *', free_after_copy=True),
-                     [])
+                     [Parameter.new('int', 'size')])
+    mod.add_function('return_class_to_not_be_freed',
+                     ReturnValue.new('ToBeFreed *', free_after_copy=False),
+                     [Parameter.new('int', 'size')])
 
     SomeObject = mod.add_class('SomeObject', allow_subclassing=True)
 
diff --git a/tests/footest.py b/tests/footest.py
index b59d271..8619d8c 100644
--- a/tests/footest.py
+++ b/tests/footest.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import weakref
 import gc
 import os.path
 import copy
+import resource
+
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)),
                                 '..', 'build', 'tests'))
 
@@ -1536,7 +1538,7 @@ class TestFoo(unittest.TestCase):
         value = x.ReturnMyAStruct()
         self.assertEqual(value.a, 123)
 
-    def test_free_after_copy_string(self):
+    def test_free_after_copy_string_examine_code(self):
         seen_free_comment = False
         seen_free = False
         seen_delete_comment = False
@@ -1556,5 +1558,42 @@ class TestFoo(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertTrue(seen_free)
         self.assertTrue(seen_delete)
 
+    def test_free_after_copy(self):
+        v = foo.return_c_string_to_be_freed(20)
+        self.assertEqual(v, "testingonly")
+        c = foo.return_class_to_be_freed(20)
+        self.assertEqual(c.value(), "testingonly")
+
+
+    def _runner(self, n, size, fn):
+        while gc.collect():
+            pass
+        before = resource.getrusage(resource.RUSAGE_SELF).ru_maxrss
+        for i in range(n):
+           fn(size)
+
+        while gc.collect():
+            pass
+        after = resource.getrusage(resource.RUSAGE_SELF).ru_maxrss
+        # maxrss is in kB.
+        return (after - before) * 1024
+
+    def test_free_after_copy_leak(self):
+        n = 200
+        size = 1024*32
+        # run once to bump up overall maxrss if's going to be bumped up.
+        self._runner(n, size, foo.return_c_string_to_be_freed)
+        diff = self._runner(n, size, foo.return_c_string_to_be_freed)
+        #diff += self._runner(n, size, foo.return_class_to_be_freed)
+        # maxrss should only grow marginally here.
+        self.assertTrue(diff < (size*2))
+
+        leaky = self._runner(n, size, foo.return_c_string_to_not_be_freed)
+        leaky += self._runner(n, size, foo.return_class_to_not_be_freed)
+        # maxrss should have grown significantly
+        self.assertTrue(diff < leaky)
+        self.assertTrue(leaky > size * 10)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()