diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 4f3488f3..5fc5784f 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 - remove dmalloc support, was never used and valgrind is better
 - im_csv2vips() allows quoted strings, including escaped quotes
 - added vips_shutdown()
+- added --vips-leak flag
 
 10/8/11 started 7.26.3
 - don't use G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT(), many platforms do not have a glib this
diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index cea230d0..a7dca91f 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@
 - add vips_init_argv() which processes argc/argv for you? handy for tiny
   progs, perhaps
 
-- add vips_shutdown()? unload plugins, drop cache etc. could test for leaks
-  too
-
 
 
 
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/init.c b/libvips/iofuncs/init.c
index dbdc8a08..37fb8cd9 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/init.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/init.c
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ GMutex *vips__global_lock = NULL;
  */
 static char *vips__argv0 = NULL;
 
+/* Leak check on exit.
+ */
+static int vips__leak = 0;
+
 /**
  * vips_get_argv0:
  *
@@ -279,20 +283,18 @@ vips_check_init( void )
 /**
  * vips_shutdown:
  *
- * Call this to drop caches and close plugins. Handy if you're doing leak
- * checks.
+ * Call this to drop caches and close plugins. Run with "--vips-leak" to do 
+ * a leak check too.
  */
 void
 vips_shutdown( void )
 {
-	im_close_plugins();
 	vips_cache_drop_all();
 
-#ifdef DEBUG_LEAK
-	printf( "** leak test on exit:\n" );
-	im__print_all();
-	printf( "** leak test done\n" );
-#endif /*DEBUG_LEAK*/
+	if( vips__leak ) 
+		vips_object_print_all();
+
+	im_close_plugins();
 }
 
 const char *
@@ -330,6 +332,9 @@ static GOptionEntry option_entries[] = {
 	{ "vips-progress", 'p', 0, 
 		G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &vips__progress, 
 		N_( "show progress feedback" ), NULL },
+	{ "vips-leak", 'l', 0, 
+		G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &vips__leak, 
+		N_( "leak-check on exit" ), NULL },
 	{ "vips-disc-threshold", 'd', 0, 
 		G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &vips__disc_threshold, 
 		N_( "images larger than N are decompressed to disc" ), "N" },