diff --git a/src/gdd/gdd.cc b/src/gdd/gdd.cc
index 054dda9b4..3673fee0b 100644
--- a/src/gdd/gdd.cc
+++ b/src/gdd/gdd.cc
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 // $Id$
 // 
 // $Log$
+// Revision 1.18  1997/01/21 15:13:06  jbk
+// free up resources in clearData
+//
 // Revision 1.17  1997/01/12 20:32:45  jbk
 // many errors fixed
 //
@@ -304,6 +307,7 @@ gddStatus gdd::registerDestructor(gddDestructor* dest)
 gddStatus gdd::replaceDestructor(gddDestructor* dest)
 {
 	destruct=dest;
+	destruct->reference();
 
 	if(isContainer()||isFlat())
 		markManaged();
@@ -333,6 +337,7 @@ gddStatus gdd::genCopy(aitEnum t, const void* d)
 			{
 				setData(buf);
 				destruct=new gddDestructor;
+				destruct->reference();
 				aitConvert(primitiveType(),dataPointer(),t,d,
 					getDataSizeElements());
 			}
@@ -451,6 +456,7 @@ gddStatus gdd::copyStuff(gdd* dd,int ctype)
 				if(array=new aitUint8[a_size])
 				{
 					destruct=new gddDestructor;
+					destruct->reference();
 					memcpy(array,dd->dataPointer(),a_size);
 					setData(array);
 				}
@@ -843,6 +849,7 @@ int gdd::flattenDDs(gddContainer* dd, void* buf, size_t size)
 			{
 				ptr[i].setData(NULL);
 				ptr[i].destruct=new gddContainerCleaner(&ptr[i]);
+				ptr[i].destruct->reference();
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -1353,6 +1360,7 @@ gddStatus gdd::put(const gdd* dd)
 				if((arr=new aitUint8[sz]))
 				{
 					destruct=new gddDestructor;
+					destruct->reference();
 					setData(arr);
 				}
 				else
diff --git a/src/gdd/gdd.h b/src/gdd/gdd.h
index b893f65a6..72568fd3c 100644
--- a/src/gdd/gdd.h
+++ b/src/gdd/gdd.h
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
  * $Id$
  *
  * $Log$
+ * Revision 1.20  1997/01/12 20:32:46  jbk
+ * many errors fixed
+ *
  * Revision 1.18  1996/11/04 17:12:50  jbk
  * fix setFirst
  *
@@ -242,6 +245,17 @@ inline gddBounds* gddBounds3D::boundArray(void) { return (gddBounds*)b; }
 // function run(void*).  The default behavior will be to treat the void*
 // data as an array of aitInt8 and call remove.
 
+// **** WARNING!
+// The reference count is initialized to zero.  This means that if you
+// create one and want to keep it, you must reference it twice - the
+// initial time and a time for your personal use.  This is because the
+// gdd library automatically increments the reference count on 
+// destructors when data is referenced into a gdd with a destructor.
+// Remember the rule: if you pass a destructor to someone, then that
+// someone now owns the destructor.  A reference count of 1 indicates that
+// the thing will go away when unreferenced - which is what you will
+// have if you only reference the destructor once after it is created.
+
 class gddDestructor
 {
 public:
@@ -262,7 +276,7 @@ private:
 	gdd_NEWDEL_DATA(gddDestructor)
 };
 
-inline gddDestructor::gddDestructor(void) { ref_cnt=1; arg=NULL; }
+inline gddDestructor::gddDestructor(void) { ref_cnt=0; arg=NULL; }
 inline gddDestructor::gddDestructor(void* usr_arg) { ref_cnt=1; arg=usr_arg; }
 inline void gddDestructor::reference(void)		{ ref_cnt++; }
 inline int gddDestructor::refCount(void) const	{ return ref_cnt; }