diff --git a/uipriv.h b/uipriv.h
index 7cc17956..0d925de6 100644
--- a/uipriv.h
+++ b/uipriv.h
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ extern void *uiAlloc(size_t, const char *);
 #define uiNew(T) ((T *) uiAlloc(sizeof (T), #T ))
 extern void *uiRealloc(void *, size_t, const char *);
 extern void uiFree(void *);
+
+extern void complain(const char *, ...);
diff --git a/windows/newcontrol.c b/windows/newcontrol.c
index 565ec052..059a34db 100644
--- a/windows/newcontrol.c
+++ b/windows/newcontrol.c
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@ struct singleHWND {
 	BOOL containerHid;
 	BOOL userDisabled;
 	BOOL containerDisabled;
+	BOOL canDestroy;
 };
 
 static void singleDestroy(uiControl *c)
 {
 	singleHWND *s = (singleHWND *) (c->Internal);
 
+	s->canDestroy = TRUE;
 	if (DestroyWindow(s->hwnd) == 0)
 		logLastError("error destroying control in singleDestroy()");
 	// the data structures are destroyed in the subclass procedure
@@ -161,6 +163,8 @@ static LRESULT CALLBACK singleSubclassProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam,
 			return lResult;
 		break;
 	case WM_DESTROY:
+		if (!s->canDestroy)
+			complain("trying to destroy control with singleWidget at %p before uiControlDestroy()", s);
 		(*(s->onWM_DESTROY))(c);
 		uiFree(s);
 		break;
diff --git a/windows/util.c b/windows/util.c
index 93b32d8f..63529e59 100644
--- a/windows/util.c
+++ b/windows/util.c
@@ -71,3 +71,13 @@ int windowClassOf(HWND hwnd, ...)
 	va_end(ap);
 	return -1;
 }
+
+void complain(const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	vfprintf(stderr, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+	abort();
+}