diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1f6e1e95..b7774e22 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 - faster openslide load, thanks Benjamin
 - add VInterpolate class to cplusplus binding, thanks Lovell
 - add lower-level operation cache access
+- turn on leak testing in test suite
 
 24/12/14 started 7.42.1
 - add gobject-2.0 to Requires: in vips and vips-cpp .pc files
diff --git a/test/test_arithmetic.py b/test/test_arithmetic.py
index 472215b1..2265c688 100755
--- a/test/test_arithmetic.py
+++ b/test/test_arithmetic.py
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ import math
 
 from gi.repository import Vips 
 
+Vips.leak_set(True)
+
+
 unsigned_formats = [Vips.BandFormat.UCHAR, 
                     Vips.BandFormat.USHORT, 
                     Vips.BandFormat.UINT] 
diff --git a/test/test_colour.py b/test/test_colour.py
index 580457eb..24ebc302 100755
--- a/test/test_colour.py
+++ b/test/test_colour.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import math
 
 from gi.repository import Vips 
 
+Vips.leak_set(True)
+
 unsigned_formats = [Vips.BandFormat.UCHAR, 
                     Vips.BandFormat.USHORT, 
                     Vips.BandFormat.UINT] 
diff --git a/test/test_conversion.py b/test/test_conversion.py
index 5710a637..2a7159ec 100755
--- a/test/test_conversion.py
+++ b/test/test_conversion.py
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import math
 from gi.repository import Vips 
 from functools import reduce
 
+Vips.leak_set(True)
+
 unsigned_formats = [Vips.BandFormat.UCHAR, 
                     Vips.BandFormat.USHORT, 
                     Vips.BandFormat.UINT] 
diff --git a/test/test_convolution.py b/test/test_convolution.py
index 5925fe79..ba3f6e56 100755
--- a/test/test_convolution.py
+++ b/test/test_convolution.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import math
 
 from gi.repository import Vips 
 
+Vips.leak_set(True)
+
 unsigned_formats = [Vips.BandFormat.UCHAR, 
                     Vips.BandFormat.USHORT, 
                     Vips.BandFormat.UINT] 
diff --git a/test/test_create.py b/test/test_create.py
index e6a852d3..1b08f7b4 100755
--- a/test/test_create.py
+++ b/test/test_create.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import math
 
 from gi.repository import Vips 
 
+Vips.leak_set(True)
+
 # an expanding zip ... if either of the args is a scalar or a one-element list,
 # duplicate it down the other side 
 def zip_expand(x, y):
diff --git a/test/test_draw.py b/test/test_draw.py
index 8c8746a1..bf607497 100755
--- a/test/test_draw.py
+++ b/test/test_draw.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import math
 
 from gi.repository import Vips 
 
+Vips.leak_set(True)
+
 # an expanding zip ... if either of the args is a scalar or a one-element list,
 # duplicate it down the other side 
 def zip_expand(x, y):
diff --git a/test/test_histogram.py b/test/test_histogram.py
index 2b389b7b..ba63c681 100755
--- a/test/test_histogram.py
+++ b/test/test_histogram.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import math
 
 from gi.repository import Vips 
 
+Vips.leak_set(True)
+
 # an expanding zip ... if either of the args is a scalar or a one-element list,
 # duplicate it down the other side 
 def zip_expand(x, y):
diff --git a/test/test_morphology.py b/test/test_morphology.py
index a7862004..dca65f8d 100755
--- a/test/test_morphology.py
+++ b/test/test_morphology.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import math
 
 from gi.repository import Vips 
 
+Vips.leak_set(True)
+
 # an expanding zip ... if either of the args is a scalar or a one-element list,
 # duplicate it down the other side 
 def zip_expand(x, y):
diff --git a/test/test_resample.py b/test/test_resample.py
index 09b000a0..4006c611 100755
--- a/test/test_resample.py
+++ b/test/test_resample.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import math
 
 from gi.repository import Vips 
 
+Vips.leak_set(True)
+
 # an expanding zip ... if either of the args is a scalar or a one-element list,
 # duplicate it down the other side 
 def zip_expand(x, y):