diff --git a/lifetimes.go b/lifetimes.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 8affb905..00000000
--- a/lifetimes.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,150 +0,0 @@
-// 18 april 2015
-package main
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"os"
-	"bufio"
-	"strings"
-	"strconv"
-)
-
-func toaddr(s string) uintptr {
-	// TODO verify this call
-	n, err := strconv.ParseUint(s, 0, 0)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	return uintptr(n)
-}
-
-var failed = false
-
-func report(format string, args ...interface{}) {
-	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, format, args...)
-	failed = true
-}
-
-type Object struct {
-	Type			string
-	Detail		string
-	Refs			int
-	CanDestroy	bool
-}
-
-var objs = make(map[uintptr]*Object)
-var singles = make(map[uintptr]*Object)
-
-var newControls = map[string]string{
-	"uiNewButton()":		"button",
-	"uiNewCheckbox()":		"checkbox",
-	"uiNewEntry()":			"entry",
-	"uiNewLabel()":			"label",
-	"uiNewTab()":			"tab",
-}
-
-func newControl(parts []string) {
-	ty := newControls[parts[0]]
-	addr := toaddr(parts[1])
-	detail := strings.Join(parts[2:], " ")
-	o := &Object{
-		Type:	ty,
-		Detail:	detail,
-		Refs:		1,
-	}
-	if oo := objs[addr]; oo != nil {
-		report("duplicate object %s %q, %s %q at 0x%X\n",
-			oo.Type, oo.Detail,
-			o.Type, o.Detail,
-			addr)
-	}
-	if oo := singles[addr]; oo != nil {
-		report("single %s %q and objecct %s %q coexist at 0x%X\n",
-			oo.Type, oo.Detail,
-			o.Type, o.Detail,
-			addr)
-	}
-	objs[addr] = o
-}
-
-func newSingle(parts []string) {
-	addrObj := toaddr(parts[1])
-	addrSingle := toaddr(parts[2])
-	o := objs[addrObj]
-	if o == nil {
-		report("single without object at 0x%X\n", addrObj)
-	}
-	o.Refs++
-	if oo := singles[addrSingle]; oo != nil {
-		report("duplicate singles %s %q, %s %q at 0x%X\n",
-			oo.Type, oo.Detail,
-			o.Type, o.Detail,
-			addrSingle)
-	}
-	singles[addrSingle] = o
-}
-
-func canDestroy(parts []string) {
-	addrObj := toaddr(parts[1])
-	addrSingle := toaddr(parts[2])
-	o := objs[addrObj]
-	if o == nil {
-		report("destroy object without object at 0x%X\n", addrObj)
-	}
-	if singles[addrSingle] != o {
-		report("inconsistency: single 0x%X has different object\n", addrSingle)
-	}
-	o.CanDestroy = true
-}
-
-func destroy(parts []string) {
-	var o *Object
-	var what string
-
-	ty := parts[1]
-	addr := toaddr(parts[2])
-	if ty == "single" {
-		o = singles[addr]
-		delete(singles, addr)
-		what = "single"
-	} else {
-		o = objs[addr]
-		delete(objs, addr)
-		what = "object"
-	}
-	if o == nil {
-		report("missing %s %p in destroy()\n", what, addr)
-		return
-	}
-	if !o.CanDestroy {
-		report("can't destroy %s %p yet\n", what, addr)
-	}
-	o.Refs--
-	if o.Refs < 0 {
-		report("not enough references to %p in destroy()\n", addr)
-	}
-}
-
-func main() {
-	b := bufio.NewScanner(os.Stdin)
-	for b.Scan() {
-		s := b.Text()
-		parts := strings.Split(s, " ")
-		name := parts[0]
-		switch {
-		case newControls[name] != "":
-			newControl(parts)
-		case name == "newSingle":
-			newSingle(parts)
-		case name == "uiControlDestroy()":
-			canDestroy(parts)
-		case name == "OSdestroy":
-			destroy(parts)
-		default:
-			panic("unknown line " + name)
-		}
-	}
-	if err := b.Err(); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-}
diff --git a/test.c b/test.c
index 08d77ceb..d5e09362 100644
--- a/test.c
+++ b/test.c
@@ -196,8 +196,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++)
 		if (strcmp(argv[i], "leaks") == 0)
 			o.debugLogAllocations = 1;
-		else if (strcmp(argv[i], "lifetimes") == 0)
-			o.debugLogLifetimes = 1;
 		else {
 			fprintf(stderr, "%s: unrecognized option %s\n", argv[0], argv[i]);
 			return 1;
diff --git a/ui.idl b/ui.idl
index 21b13421..b776531f 100644
--- a/ui.idl
+++ b/ui.idl
@@ -20,9 +20,6 @@ struct InitOptions {
 	// If nonzero, allocations will be logged to stderr.
 	// See leaks.awk.
 	field debugLogAllocations int;
-
-	// If nonzero, OS control creation/destruction will be logged to stderr.
-	field debugLogLifetimes int;
 };
 
 // TODO const char
diff --git a/unix/button.c b/unix/button.c
index d4c0b92e..4e25da94 100644
--- a/unix/button.c
+++ b/unix/button.c
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ static void onDestroy(GtkWidget *widget, gpointer data)
 {
 	struct button *b = (struct button *) data;
 
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "OSdestroy button %p\n", b);
 	uiFree(b);
 }
 
@@ -57,8 +55,6 @@ uiButton *uiNewButton(const char *text)
 	struct button *b;
 
 	b = uiNew(struct button);
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "uiNewButton() %p %s\n", b, text);
 
 	uiUnixNewControl(uiControl(b), GTK_TYPE_BUTTON,
 		FALSE, FALSE,
diff --git a/unix/checkbox.c b/unix/checkbox.c
index f7580e6f..31918dc7 100644
--- a/unix/checkbox.c
+++ b/unix/checkbox.c
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ static void onDestroy(GtkWidget *widget, gpointer data)
 {
 	struct checkbox *c = (struct checkbox *) data;
 
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "OSdestroy checkbox %p\n", c);
 	uiFree(c);
 }
 
@@ -81,8 +79,6 @@ uiCheckbox *uiNewCheckbox(const char *text)
 	struct checkbox *c;
 
 	c = uiNew(struct checkbox);
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "uiNewCheckbox() %p %s\n", c, text);
 
 	uiUnixNewControl(uiControl(c), GTK_TYPE_CHECK_BUTTON,
 		FALSE, FALSE,
diff --git a/unix/entry.c b/unix/entry.c
index 665083a6..55f75a5c 100644
--- a/unix/entry.c
+++ b/unix/entry.c
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ static void onDestroy(GtkWidget *widget, gpointer data)
 {
 	struct entry *e = (struct entry *) data;
 
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "OSdestroy entry %p\n", e);
 	uiFree(e);
 }
 
@@ -35,8 +33,6 @@ uiEntry *uiNewEntry(void)
 	struct entry *e;
 
 	e = uiNew(struct entry);
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "uiNewEntry() %p\n", e);
 
 	uiUnixNewControl(uiControl(e), GTK_TYPE_ENTRY,
 		FALSE, FALSE,
diff --git a/unix/label.c b/unix/label.c
index 45ef07bb..e1dc03f4 100644
--- a/unix/label.c
+++ b/unix/label.c
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ static void onDestroy(GtkWidget *widget, gpointer data)
 {
 	struct label *l = (struct label *) data;
 
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "OSdestroy label %p\n", l);
 	uiFree(l);
 }
 
@@ -36,8 +34,6 @@ uiLabel *uiNewLabel(const char *text)
 	struct label *l;
 
 	l = uiNew(struct label);
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "uiNewLabel() %p %s\n", l, text);
 
 	uiUnixNewControl(uiControl(l), GTK_TYPE_LABEL,
 		FALSE, FALSE,
diff --git a/unix/newcontrol.c b/unix/newcontrol.c
index a2e55743..d23e1903 100644
--- a/unix/newcontrol.c
+++ b/unix/newcontrol.c
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ static void singleDestroy(uiControl *c)
 {
 	singleWidget *s = (singleWidget *) (c->Internal);
 
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "uiControlDestroy() %p %p\n", c, s);
 	gtk_widget_destroy(s->immediate);
 }
 
@@ -163,8 +161,6 @@ static void onDestroy(GtkWidget *widget, gpointer data)
 {
 	singleWidget *s = (singleWidget *) data;
 
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "OSdestroy single %p\n", s);
 	uiFree(s);
 }
 
@@ -174,8 +170,6 @@ void uiUnixNewControl(uiControl *c, GType type, gboolean inScrolledWindow, gbool
 	va_list ap;
 
 	s = uiNew(singleWidget);
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "newSingle %p %p\n", c, s);
 
 	va_start(ap, firstProperty);
 	s->widget = GTK_WIDGET(g_object_new_valist(type, firstProperty, ap));
diff --git a/unix/parent.c b/unix/parent.c
index 5d696f1c..5ae6812f 100644
--- a/unix/parent.c
+++ b/unix/parent.c
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@ static void uipParent_init(uipParent *p)
 {
 	if (options.debugLogAllocations)
 		fprintf(stderr, "%p alloc uipParent\n", p);
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-;//TODO		fprintf(stderr, "uipParent_init() %p\n", p);
 	p->children = g_ptr_array_new();
 	gtk_widget_set_has_window(GTK_WIDGET(p), FALSE);
 }
@@ -43,8 +41,6 @@ static void uipParent_dispose(GObject *obj)
 {
 	uipParent *p = uipParent(obj);
 
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-;//TODO		fprintf(stderr, "uipParent_dispose() %p\n", p);
 	if (p->children != NULL) {
 		g_ptr_array_unref(p->children);
 		p->children = NULL;
@@ -58,8 +54,6 @@ static void uipParent_dispose(GObject *obj)
 
 static void uipParent_finalize(GObject *obj)
 {
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-;//TODO		fprintf(stderr, "uipParent_finalize() %p\n", obj);
 	G_OBJECT_CLASS(uipParent_parent_class)->finalize(obj);
 	if (options.debugLogAllocations)
 		fprintf(stderr, "%p free\n", obj);
@@ -143,8 +137,6 @@ static void parentDestroy(uiParent *pp)
 {
 	uipParent *p = uipParent(pp->Internal);
 
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-;//TODO		fprintf(stderr, "uiParentDestroy() %p %p\n", pp, p);
 	gtk_widget_destroy(GTK_WIDGET(p));
 }
 
@@ -189,8 +181,6 @@ uiParent *uiNewParent(uintptr_t osParent)
 
 	p = uiNew(uiParent);
 	p->Internal = g_object_new(uipParentType, NULL);
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-;//TODO		fprintf(stderr, "uiNewParent() %p %p\n", p, p->Internal);
 	p->Destroy = parentDestroy;
 	p->Handle = parentHandle;
 	p->SetMainControl = parentSetMainControl;
diff --git a/unix/tab.c b/unix/tab.c
index a2666275..ba7bfa37 100644
--- a/unix/tab.c
+++ b/unix/tab.c
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ static void onDestroy(GtkWidget *widget, gpointer data)
 {
 	struct tab *t = (struct tab *) data;
 
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "OSdestroy tab %p\n", t);
 	uiFree(t->pages);
 	uiFree(t);
 }
@@ -66,9 +64,6 @@ uiTab *uiNewTab(void)
 	struct tab *t;
 
 	t = uiNew(struct tab);
-	// TODO log page lifetimes too
-	if (options.debugLogLifetimes)
-		fprintf(stderr, "uiNewTab() %p\n", t);
 
 	uiUnixNewControl(uiControl(t), GTK_TYPE_NOTEBOOK,
 		FALSE, FALSE,