diff --git a/pdbApp/pdbgroup.cpp b/pdbApp/pdbgroup.cpp
index 7ef3be1..d7519a7 100644
--- a/pdbApp/pdbgroup.cpp
+++ b/pdbApp/pdbgroup.cpp
@@ -98,12 +98,21 @@ PDBGroupPV::connect(const std::tr1::shared_ptr<PDBProvider>& prov,
     return ret;
 }
 
+size_t PDBGroupChannel::ninstances;
+
 PDBGroupChannel::PDBGroupChannel(const PDBGroupPV::shared_pointer& pv,
                                  const std::tr1::shared_ptr<pva::ChannelProvider>& prov,
                                  const pva::ChannelRequester::shared_pointer& req)
     :BaseChannel(pv->name, prov, req, pv->fielddesc)
     ,pv(pv)
-{}
+{
+    epics::atomic::increment(ninstances);
+}
+
+PDBGroupChannel::~PDBGroupChannel()
+{
+    epics::atomic::decrement(ninstances);
+}
 
 void PDBGroupChannel::printInfo(std::ostream& out)
 {
diff --git a/pdbApp/pdbgroup.h b/pdbApp/pdbgroup.h
index e00c229..4570622 100644
--- a/pdbApp/pdbgroup.h
+++ b/pdbApp/pdbgroup.h
@@ -72,10 +72,12 @@ struct PDBGroupChannel : public BaseChannel,
 
     PDBGroupPV::shared_pointer pv;
 
+    static size_t ninstances;
+
     PDBGroupChannel(const PDBGroupPV::shared_pointer& pv,
                 const std::tr1::shared_ptr<epics::pvAccess::ChannelProvider>& prov,
                 const epics::pvAccess::ChannelRequester::shared_pointer& req);
-    virtual ~PDBGroupChannel() {}
+    virtual ~PDBGroupChannel();
 
     virtual epics::pvAccess::ChannelGet::shared_pointer createChannelGet(
             epics::pvAccess::ChannelGetRequester::shared_pointer const & channelGetRequester,
diff --git a/testApp/testpdb.cpp b/testApp/testpdb.cpp
index 6b6f48e..b759fd2 100644
--- a/testApp/testpdb.cpp
+++ b/testApp/testpdb.cpp
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ void p2pTestIoc_registerRecordDeviceDriver(struct dbBase *);
 
 MAIN(testpdb)
 {
-    testPlan(138);
+    testPlan(139);
     try{
         TestIOC IOC;
 
@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@ MAIN(testpdb)
         prov.reset();
 
         testDiag("check to see that all dbChannel are closed before IOC shuts down");
+        testEqual(epics::atomic::get(PDBGroupChannel::ninstances), 0u);
         testEqual(epics::atomic::get(PDBGroupPV::ninstances), 0u);
         testEqual(epics::atomic::get(PDBSinglePV::ninstances), 0u);