verify object when attaching it to a handle

1 files changed, 4 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/vespalib/src/vespa/vespalib/util/ref_counted.h b/vespalib/src/vespa/vespalib/util/ref_counted.h
index 5b1e1b66407..a65cedf365d 100644
--- a/vespalib/src/vespa/vespalib/util/ref_counted.h
+++ b/vespalib/src/vespa/vespalib/util/ref_counted.h
@@ -53,7 +53,10 @@ class ref_counted
     template <typename X> friend class ref_counted;
 private:
     T *_ptr;
-    ref_counted(T *ptr) noexcept : _ptr(ptr) {}
+    ref_counted(T *ptr) noexcept : _ptr(ptr) {
+        // verify that ptr points to a valid object
+        (void) ptr->count_refs();
+    }
     void maybe_subref() noexcept {
         if (_ptr) [[likely]] {
             _ptr->internal_subref();