diff --git a/new/GNUmakefile b/new/GNUmakefile
index aa01f372..bb3fd6a4 100644
--- a/new/GNUmakefile
+++ b/new/GNUmakefile
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ baseHFILES = \
 
 baseCFILES = \
 	box.c \
+	lifetimes.c \
 	$(osCFILES)
 
 baseMFILES = $(osMFILES)
diff --git a/new/lifetimes.c b/new/lifetimes.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..efeb1f34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/new/lifetimes.c
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// 25 april 2015
+#include "ui.h"
+#include "uipriv.h"
+
+// called by uiParentDestroy() and any container control in its uiControlDestroy()
+void properlyDestroyControl(uiControl *c)
+{
+	uiControlSetOSContainer(c, NULL);
+	uiControlSetHasParent(c, 0);
+	uiControlDestroy(c);
+}
diff --git a/new/uipriv.h b/new/uipriv.h
index 4908ccaf..cc3d672a 100644
--- a/new/uipriv.h
+++ b/new/uipriv.h
@@ -9,3 +9,6 @@ extern void *uiRealloc(void *, size_t, const char *);
 extern void uiFree(void *);
 
 extern void complain(const char *, ...);
+
+// lifetimes.c
+extern void properlyDestroyControl(uiControl *);