diff --git a/include/pybind11/attr.h b/include/pybind11/attr.h
index dce875a6b9..77180ee9ae 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/attr.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/attr.h
@@ -124,10 +124,11 @@ struct argument_record {
     const char *descr; ///< Human-readable version of the argument value
     handle value;      ///< Associated Python object
     bool convert : 1;  ///< True if the argument is allowed to convert when loading
+    bool disown : 1;   ///< TODO docs
     bool none : 1;     ///< True if None is allowed when loading
 
-    argument_record(const char *name, const char *descr, handle value, bool convert, bool none)
-        : name(name), descr(descr), value(value), convert(convert), none(none) { }
+    argument_record(const char *name, const char *descr, handle value, bool convert, bool disown, bool none)
+        : name(name), descr(descr), value(value), convert(convert), disown(disown), none(none) { }
 };
 
 /// Internal data structure which holds metadata about a bound function (signature, overloads, etc.)
@@ -353,8 +354,8 @@ template <> struct process_attribute<is_new_style_constructor> : process_attribu
 template <> struct process_attribute<arg> : process_attribute_default<arg> {
     static void init(const arg &a, function_record *r) {
         if (r->is_method && r->args.empty())
-            r->args.emplace_back("self", nullptr, handle(), true /*convert*/, false /*none not allowed*/);
-        r->args.emplace_back(a.name, nullptr, handle(), !a.flag_noconvert, a.flag_none);
+            r->args.emplace_back("self", nullptr, handle(), true /*convert*/, false /*disown*/, false /*none not allowed*/);
+        r->args.emplace_back(a.name, nullptr, handle(), !a.flag_noconvert, a.flag_disown, a.flag_none);
     }
 };
 
@@ -362,7 +363,7 @@ template <> struct process_attribute<arg> : process_attribute_default<arg> {
 template <> struct process_attribute<arg_v> : process_attribute_default<arg_v> {
     static void init(const arg_v &a, function_record *r) {
         if (r->is_method && r->args.empty())
-            r->args.emplace_back("self", nullptr /*descr*/, handle() /*parent*/, true /*convert*/, false /*none not allowed*/);
+            r->args.emplace_back("self", nullptr /*descr*/, handle() /*parent*/, true /*convert*/, false /*disown*/, false /*none not allowed*/);
 
         if (!a.value) {
 #if !defined(NDEBUG)
@@ -385,7 +386,7 @@ template <> struct process_attribute<arg_v> : process_attribute_default<arg_v> {
                           "Compile in debug mode for more information.");
 #endif
         }
-        r->args.emplace_back(a.name, a.descr, a.value.inc_ref(), !a.flag_noconvert, a.flag_none);
+        r->args.emplace_back(a.name, a.descr, a.value.inc_ref(), !a.flag_noconvert, a.flag_disown, a.flag_none);
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/include/pybind11/cast.h b/include/pybind11/cast.h
index 0aa632601e..664dacd213 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/cast.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/cast.h
@@ -1371,6 +1371,7 @@ template <typename... Ts> class type_caster<std::tuple<Ts...>>
 template <typename T>
 struct holder_helper {
     static auto get(const T &p) -> decltype(p.get()) { return p.get(); }
+    static void release(T &p) { p.release(); }
 };
 
 /// Type caster for holder types like std::shared_ptr, etc.
@@ -1714,16 +1715,19 @@ template <return_value_policy policy = return_value_policy::automatic_reference,
 /// Annotation for arguments
 struct arg {
     /// Constructs an argument with the name of the argument; if null or omitted, this is a positional argument.
-    constexpr explicit arg(const char *name = nullptr) : name(name), flag_noconvert(false), flag_none(true) { }
+    constexpr explicit arg(const char *name = nullptr) : name(name), flag_noconvert(false), flag_disown(false), flag_none(true) { }
     /// Assign a value to this argument
     template <typename T> arg_v operator=(T &&value) const;
     /// Indicate that the type should not be converted in the type caster
     arg &noconvert(bool flag = true) { flag_noconvert = flag; return *this; }
+    /// TODO: docs
+    arg &disown(bool flag = true) { flag_disown = flag; return *this; }
     /// Indicates that the argument should/shouldn't allow None (e.g. for nullable pointer args)
     arg &none(bool flag = true) { flag_none = flag; return *this; }
 
     const char *name; ///< If non-null, this is a named kwargs argument
     bool flag_noconvert : 1; ///< If set, do not allow conversion (requires a supporting type caster!)
+    bool flag_disown : 1; ///< TODO: docs
     bool flag_none : 1; ///< If set (the default), allow None to be passed to this argument
 };
 
@@ -1757,6 +1761,9 @@ struct arg_v : arg {
     /// Same as `arg::noconvert()`, but returns *this as arg_v&, not arg&
     arg_v &noconvert(bool flag = true) { arg::noconvert(flag); return *this; }
 
+    /// Same as `arg::disown()`, but returns *this as arg_v&, not arg&
+    arg_v &disown(bool flag = true) { arg::disown(flag); return *this; }
+
     /// Same as `arg::nonone()`, but returns *this as arg_v&, not arg&
     arg_v &none(bool flag = true) { arg::none(flag); return *this; }
 
diff --git a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
index 0383988eaf..786a9d71b2 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
@@ -613,6 +613,39 @@ class cpp_function : public function {
                     call.args_convert.swap(second_pass_convert);
                 }
 
+
+                //printf("calling %s %s, args %d %lu\n", func.name, func.signature, func.nargs, func.args.size());
+                for (size_t i = 0; i < func.args.size(); ++i) {
+                    if (!func.args[i].disown) {
+                        //printf("NOT disowning arg %lu\n", i);
+                        continue;
+                    } else {
+                        //printf("DISOWNING arg %lu\n", i);
+                    }
+
+                    auto &arg = call.args[i];
+                    if (!arg)
+                        pybind11_fail("nothing to disown?!");
+
+                    if (arg.is_none())
+                        continue; /* Nothing to disown */
+
+                    auto inst = reinterpret_cast<detail::instance *>(arg.ptr());
+                    auto value_and_holder = values_and_holders(inst).begin();
+
+
+                    using holder_type = std::unique_ptr<void*>; // how do I get the proper one?
+
+                    auto &holder = value_and_holder->holder< holder_type  >();
+
+
+                    holder_helper<holder_type>::release(holder);
+
+                    value_and_holder->set_holder_constructed(false);
+                    inst->owned = false;
+                    holder.~holder_type();
+                }
+
                 // 6. Call the function.
                 try {
                     loader_life_support guard{};
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 8f2f300ef7..c8df3df3b1 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ set(PYBIND11_TEST_FILES
   test_enum.cpp
   test_eval.cpp
   test_exceptions.cpp
+  test_disown.cpp
   test_factory_constructors.cpp
   test_iostream.cpp
   test_kwargs_and_defaults.cpp
diff --git a/tests/test_disown.cpp b/tests/test_disown.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cd5f102205
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_disown.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+/*
+    tests/test_disown.cpp -- disown
+
+    Copyright (c) 2016 Wenzel Jakob <wenzel.jakob@epfl.ch>
+    Copyright (c) 2017 Attila Török <torokati44@gmail.com>
+
+    All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
+    BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+*/
+
+#include "pybind11_tests.h"
+
+class Box {
+    int size;
+    static int num_boxes;
+
+public:
+    Box(int size): size(size) { py::print("Box created."); ++num_boxes; }
+    ~Box() { py::print("Box destroyed."); --num_boxes; }
+
+    int get_size() { return size; }
+    static int get_num_boxes() { return num_boxes; }
+};
+
+int Box::num_boxes = 0;
+
+class Filter {
+    int threshold;
+
+public:
+    Filter(int threshold): threshold(threshold) { py::print("Filter created."); }
+    ~Filter() { py::print("Filter destroyed."); }
+
+    void process(Box *box) { // ownership of box is taken
+        py::print("Box is processed by Filter.");
+        if (box->get_size() > threshold)
+            delete box;
+        // otherwise the box is leaked
+    };
+};
+
+test_initializer disown([](py::module &m) {
+    py::class_<Box>(m, "Box")
+        .def(py::init<int>())
+        .def_static("get_num_boxes", &Box::get_num_boxes);
+
+    py::class_<Filter>(m, "Filter")
+        .def(py::init<int>())
+        .def("process", &Filter::process, py::arg("box").disown());
+});
diff --git a/tests/test_disown.py b/tests/test_disown.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4ba5f52a31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_disown.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import pytest
+
+
+def test_disown_argument(capture):
+    from pybind11_tests import Box, Filter
+
+    with capture:
+        filt = Filter(4)
+    assert capture == "Filter created."
+    with capture:
+        box_1 = Box(1)
+        box_8 = Box(8)
+    assert capture == """
+        Box created.
+        Box created.
+    """
+
+    assert Box.get_num_boxes() == 2
+
+    with capture:
+        filt.process(box_1)  # box_1 is not big enough, but process() leaks it
+    assert capture == "Box is processed by Filter."
+
+    assert Box.get_num_boxes() == 2
+
+    with capture:
+        filt.process(box_8)  # box_8 is destroyed by process() of filt
+    assert capture == """
+        Box is processed by Filter.
+        Box destroyed.
+    """
+
+    assert Box.get_num_boxes() == 1  # box_1 still exists somehow, but we can't access it
+
+    with capture:
+        del filt
+        del box_1
+        del box_8
+        pytest.gc_collect()
+    assert capture == "Filter destroyed."
+
+    assert Box.get_num_boxes() == 1  # 1 box is leaked, and we can't do anything