diff --git a/include/osg/Referenced b/include/osg/Referenced
index 785bdb723..eb7b2fb8e 100644
--- a/include/osg/Referenced
+++ b/include/osg/Referenced
@@ -14,8 +14,20 @@ class SG_EXPORT Referenced
 {
 
     public:
-        Referenced() { _refCount=0; }
-        Referenced(const Referenced&) { _refCount=0; }
+        Referenced() 
+        {
+           
+           _refCount=0;
+#ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
+            _createdCount ++;
+#endif
+        }
+        Referenced(const Referenced&) {
+            _refCount=0;
+#ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
+            _createdCount ++;
+#endif
+        }
 
         inline Referenced& operator = (Referenced&) { return *this; }
 
@@ -40,9 +52,21 @@ class SG_EXPORT Referenced
         /** return the number pointers currently referencing this object. */
         inline int referenceCount() const { return _refCount; }
 
+#ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
+        /** return the total number of created referenced objects */
+        inline static int createdCount() { return _createdCount; }
+
+        /** return the total number of deleted referenced objects */
+        inline static int deletedCount() { return _deletedCount; }
+#endif
+
     protected:
         virtual ~Referenced();
         mutable int _refCount;
+#ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
+        static int  _createdCount;  // incremented in the constructor
+        static int  _deletedCount;  // incremented in the destructor
+#endif
 
 };
 
diff --git a/src/osg/Object.cpp b/src/osg/Object.cpp
index 594b744c9..4ef343d23 100644
--- a/src/osg/Object.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Object.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 
 using namespace osg;
 
+#ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
+int Referenced::_createdCount = 0;
+int Referenced::_deletedCount = 0;
+#endif
+
 Referenced::~Referenced()
 {
     if (_refCount>0)
@@ -11,6 +16,9 @@ Referenced::~Referenced()
         notify(WARN)<<"Warning: deleting still referenced object "<<this<<" of type '"<<typeid(this).name()<<"'"<<std::endl;
         notify(WARN)<<"         the final reference count was "<<_refCount<<", memory corruption possible."<<std::endl;
     }
+#ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
+    _deletedCount ++;
+#endif
 }