diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index f9e23de1..6511b9b4 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ bindir := $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/bin
 sharedir := $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/kak
 docdir := $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/doc/kak
 
-CXXFLAGS += -std=gnu++11 -g -Wall -Wno-reorder -Wno-sign-compare -pedantic
+CXXFLAGS += -std=gnu++11 -g -Wall -Wno-reorder -Wno-sign-compare -pedantic -rdynamic
 
 os := $(shell uname)
 
diff --git a/src/buffer.hh b/src/buffer.hh
index c43e1ec0..e9feff66 100644
--- a/src/buffer.hh
+++ b/src/buffer.hh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "hook_manager.hh"
 #include "option_manager.hh"
 #include "keymap_manager.hh"
+#include "safe_ptr.hh"
 #include "string.hh"
 #include "value.hh"
 
diff --git a/src/buffer_manager.hh b/src/buffer_manager.hh
index a1001ffd..cd7029ea 100644
--- a/src/buffer_manager.hh
+++ b/src/buffer_manager.hh
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "completion.hh"
 #include "utils.hh"
+#include "safe_ptr.hh"
 
 #include <unordered_map>
 
diff --git a/src/client.hh b/src/client.hh
index 00ebe46d..3f8ee4b6 100644
--- a/src/client.hh
+++ b/src/client.hh
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 #ifndef client_hh_INCLUDED
 #define client_hh_INCLUDED
 
+#include "display_buffer.hh"
+#include "env_vars.hh"
+#include "input_handler.hh"
+#include "safe_ptr.hh"
 #include "string.hh"
 #include "utils.hh"
-#include "display_buffer.hh"
-#include "input_handler.hh"
-#include "env_vars.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
diff --git a/src/input_handler.hh b/src/input_handler.hh
index 642b4243..dd027910 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.hh
+++ b/src/input_handler.hh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "keys.hh"
 #include "string.hh"
 #include "utils.hh"
+#include "safe_ptr.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
diff --git a/src/safe_ptr.cc b/src/safe_ptr.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c4d5f485
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/safe_ptr.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+#include "safe_ptr.hh"
+
+#ifdef SAFE_PTR_TRACK_CALLSTACKS
+
+#include <string.h>
+
+#if defined(__linux__)
+# include <execinfo.h>
+#elif defined(__CYGWIN__)
+# include <windows.h>
+#endif
+
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+
+SafeCountable::Backtrace::Backtrace()
+{
+    #if defined(__linux__)
+    num_frames = backtrace(stackframes, max_frames);
+    #elif defined(__CYGWIN__)
+    num_frames = CaptureStackBackTrace(0, max_frames, stackframes, nullptr);
+    #endif
+}
+
+const char* SafeCountable::Backtrace::desc() const
+{
+    #if defined(__linux__)
+    char** symbols = backtrace_symbols(stackframes, num_frames);
+    int size = 0;
+    for (int i = 0; i < num_frames; ++i)
+        size += strlen(symbols[i]) + 1;
+
+    char* res = (char*)malloc(size+1);
+    res[0] = 0;
+    for (int i = 0; i < num_frames; ++i)
+    {
+        strcat(res, symbols[i]);
+        strcat(res, "\n");
+    }
+    free(symbols);
+    return res;
+    #elif defined(__CYGWIN__)
+    char* res = (char*)malloc(num_frames * 20);
+    res[0] = 0;
+    for (int i = 0; i < num_frames; ++i)
+    {
+        char addr[20];
+        snprintf(addr, 20, "0x%p", stackframes[i]);
+        strcat(res, addr);
+    }
+    return res;
+    #else
+    return "<not implemented>";
+    #endif
+}
+
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/src/safe_ptr.hh b/src/safe_ptr.hh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6a53a02e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/safe_ptr.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+#ifndef safe_ptr_hh_INCLUDED
+#define safe_ptr_hh_INCLUDED
+
+// #define SAFE_PTR_TRACK_CALLSTACKS
+
+#include "assert.hh"
+
+#ifdef SAFE_PTR_TRACK_CALLSTACKS
+
+#include <vector>
+#include <algorithm>
+#endif
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+// *** safe_ptr: objects that assert nobody references them when they die ***
+
+template<typename T>
+class safe_ptr
+{
+public:
+    safe_ptr() : m_ptr(nullptr) {}
+    explicit safe_ptr(T* ptr) : m_ptr(ptr)
+    {
+        #ifdef KAK_DEBUG
+        if (m_ptr)
+            m_ptr->inc_safe_count(this);
+        #endif
+    }
+    safe_ptr(const safe_ptr& other) : safe_ptr(other.m_ptr) {}
+    safe_ptr(safe_ptr&& other) : m_ptr(other.m_ptr)
+    {
+        other.m_ptr = nullptr;
+        #ifdef KAK_DEBUG
+        if (m_ptr)
+            m_ptr->safe_ptr_moved(&other, this);
+        #endif
+    }
+    ~safe_ptr()
+    {
+        #ifdef KAK_DEBUG
+        if (m_ptr)
+            m_ptr->dec_safe_count(this);
+        #endif
+    }
+
+    safe_ptr& operator=(const safe_ptr& other)
+    {
+        #ifdef KAK_DEBUG
+        if (m_ptr != other.m_ptr)
+        {
+            if (m_ptr)
+                m_ptr->dec_safe_count(this);
+            if (other.m_ptr)
+                other.m_ptr->inc_safe_count(this);
+        }
+        #endif
+        m_ptr = other.m_ptr;
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    safe_ptr& operator=(safe_ptr&& other)
+    {
+        #ifdef KAK_DEBUG
+        if (m_ptr)
+            m_ptr->dec_safe_count(this);
+        if (other.m_ptr)
+            other.m_ptr->safe_ptr_moved(&other, this);
+        #endif
+        m_ptr = other.m_ptr;
+        other.m_ptr = nullptr;
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    void reset(T* ptr = nullptr)
+    {
+        *this = safe_ptr(ptr);
+    }
+
+    bool operator== (const safe_ptr& other) const { return m_ptr == other.m_ptr; }
+    bool operator!= (const safe_ptr& other) const { return m_ptr != other.m_ptr; }
+    bool operator== (T* ptr) const { return m_ptr == ptr; }
+    bool operator!= (T* ptr) const { return m_ptr != ptr; }
+
+    T& operator*  () const { return *m_ptr; }
+    T* operator-> () const { return m_ptr; }
+
+    T* get() const { return m_ptr; }
+
+    explicit operator bool() const { return m_ptr; }
+
+private:
+    T* m_ptr;
+};
+
+class SafeCountable
+{
+public:
+#ifdef KAK_DEBUG
+    SafeCountable() : m_count(0) {}
+    ~SafeCountable()
+    {
+        kak_assert(m_count == 0);
+        #ifdef SAFE_PTR_TRACK_CALLSTACKS
+        kak_assert(m_callstacks.empty());
+        #endif
+    }
+
+    void inc_safe_count(void* ptr) const
+    {
+        ++m_count;
+        #ifdef SAFE_PTR_TRACK_CALLSTACKS
+        m_callstacks.emplace_back(ptr);
+        #endif
+    }
+    void dec_safe_count(void* ptr) const
+    {
+        --m_count;
+        kak_assert(m_count >= 0);
+        #ifdef SAFE_PTR_TRACK_CALLSTACKS
+        auto it = std::find_if(m_callstacks.begin(), m_callstacks.end(),
+                               [=](const Callstack& cs) { return cs.ptr == ptr; });
+        kak_assert(it != m_callstacks.end());
+        m_callstacks.erase(it);
+        #endif
+    }
+
+    void safe_ptr_moved(void* from, void* to) const
+    {
+        #ifdef SAFE_PTR_TRACK_CALLSTACKS
+        auto it = std::find_if(m_callstacks.begin(), m_callstacks.end(),
+                               [=](const Callstack& cs) { return cs.ptr == from; });
+        kak_assert(it != m_callstacks.end());
+        it->ptr = to;
+        #endif
+    }
+
+private:
+    #ifdef SAFE_PTR_TRACK_CALLSTACKS
+    struct Backtrace
+    {
+        static constexpr int max_frames = 16;
+        void* stackframes[max_frames];
+        int num_frames = 0;
+
+        Backtrace();
+        const char* desc() const;
+    };
+
+    struct Callstack
+    {
+        Callstack(void* p) : ptr(p) {}
+        void* ptr;
+        Backtrace bt;
+    };
+
+    mutable std::vector<Callstack> m_callstacks;
+    #endif
+    mutable int m_count;
+#endif
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif // safe_ptr_hh_INCLUDED
+
diff --git a/src/user_interface.hh b/src/user_interface.hh
index fdd03994..631309ad 100644
--- a/src/user_interface.hh
+++ b/src/user_interface.hh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #include "color.hh"
 #include "keys.hh"
 #include "memoryview.hh"
-#include "utils.hh"
+#include "safe_ptr.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
diff --git a/src/utils.hh b/src/utils.hh
index 7d999fc6..e4d1bd08 100644
--- a/src/utils.hh
+++ b/src/utils.hh
@@ -53,92 +53,6 @@ private:
 template<typename T>
 T* Singleton<T>::ms_instance = nullptr;
 
-// *** safe_ptr: objects that assert nobody references them when they die ***
-
-template<typename T>
-class safe_ptr
-{
-public:
-    safe_ptr() : m_ptr(nullptr) {}
-    explicit safe_ptr(T* ptr) : m_ptr(ptr)
-    {
-        #ifdef KAK_DEBUG
-        if (m_ptr)
-            m_ptr->inc_safe_count();
-        #endif
-    }
-    safe_ptr(const safe_ptr& other) : safe_ptr(other.m_ptr) {}
-    safe_ptr(safe_ptr&& other) : m_ptr(other.m_ptr) { other.m_ptr = nullptr; }
-    ~safe_ptr()
-    {
-        #ifdef KAK_DEBUG
-        if (m_ptr)
-            m_ptr->dec_safe_count();
-        #endif
-    }
-
-    safe_ptr& operator=(const safe_ptr& other)
-    {
-        #ifdef KAK_DEBUG
-        if (m_ptr != other.m_ptr)
-        {
-            if (m_ptr)
-                m_ptr->dec_safe_count();
-            if (other.m_ptr)
-                other.m_ptr->inc_safe_count();
-        }
-        #endif
-        m_ptr = other.m_ptr;
-        return *this;
-    }
-
-    safe_ptr& operator=(safe_ptr&& other)
-    {
-        #ifdef KAK_DEBUG
-        if (m_ptr)
-            m_ptr->dec_safe_count();
-        #endif
-        m_ptr = other.m_ptr;
-        other.m_ptr = nullptr;
-        return *this;
-    }
-
-    void reset(T* ptr = nullptr)
-    {
-        *this = safe_ptr(ptr);
-    }
-
-    bool operator== (const safe_ptr& other) const { return m_ptr == other.m_ptr; }
-    bool operator!= (const safe_ptr& other) const { return m_ptr != other.m_ptr; }
-    bool operator== (T* ptr) const { return m_ptr == ptr; }
-    bool operator!= (T* ptr) const { return m_ptr != ptr; }
-
-    T& operator*  () const { return *m_ptr; }
-    T* operator-> () const { return m_ptr; }
-
-    T* get() const { return m_ptr; }
-
-    explicit operator bool() const { return m_ptr; }
-
-private:
-    T* m_ptr;
-};
-
-class SafeCountable
-{
-public:
-#ifdef KAK_DEBUG
-    SafeCountable() : m_count(0) {}
-    ~SafeCountable() { kak_assert(m_count == 0); }
-
-    void inc_safe_count() const { ++m_count; }
-    void dec_safe_count() const { --m_count; kak_assert(m_count >= 0); }
-
-private:
-    mutable int m_count;
-#endif
-};
-
 // *** Containers helpers ***
 
 template<typename Container>
diff --git a/src/window.hh b/src/window.hh
index 74d4fa37..8552c304 100644
--- a/src/window.hh
+++ b/src/window.hh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "hook_manager.hh"
 #include "option_manager.hh"
 #include "keymap_manager.hh"
+#include "safe_ptr.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {