diff --git a/gm/gmmain.cpp b/gm/gmmain.cpp
index ca18e49..b34a442 100644
--- a/gm/gmmain.cpp
+++ b/gm/gmmain.cpp
@@ -810,6 +810,11 @@
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char * const argv[]) {
+
+#ifdef SK_ENABLE_INST_COUNT
+    gPrintInstCount = true;
+#endif
+
     SkGraphics::Init();
     // we don't need to see this during a run
     gSkSuppressFontCachePurgeSpew = true;
diff --git a/gyp/common.gypi b/gyp/common.gypi
index a9b274d..717e6eb 100644
--- a/gyp/common.gypi
+++ b/gyp/common.gypi
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
       'Debug': {
         'defines': [
           'SK_DEBUG',
+          'SK_ENABLE_INST_COUNT',
           'GR_DEBUG=1',
         ],
       },
diff --git a/gyp/core.gyp b/gyp/core.gyp
index f50d64a..ab2e117 100644
--- a/gyp/core.gyp
+++ b/gyp/core.gyp
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@
         '../src/core/SkGlyphCache.cpp',
         '../src/core/SkGlyphCache.h',
         '../src/core/SkGraphics.cpp',
+        '../src/core/SkInstCnt.cpp',
         '../src/core/SkLineClipper.cpp',
         '../src/core/SkMallocPixelRef.cpp',
         '../src/core/SkMask.cpp',
diff --git a/include/config/SkUserConfig.h b/include/config/SkUserConfig.h
index e7f781d..b180c89 100644
--- a/include/config/SkUserConfig.h
+++ b/include/config/SkUserConfig.h
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@
 //#define SK_DEBUG
 //#define SK_RELEASE
 
+/*  To assist debugging, Skia provides an instance counting utility in
+    include/core/SkInstCount.h. This flag turns on and off that utility to
+    allow instance count tracking in either debug or release builds. By 
+    default it is enabled in debug but disabled in release.
+ */
+//#define SK_ENABLE_INST_COUNT
 
 /*  If, in debugging mode, Skia needs to stop (presumably to invoke a debugger)
     it will call SK_CRASH(). If this is not defined it, it is defined in
diff --git a/include/core/SkInstCnt.h b/include/core/SkInstCnt.h
index ff9a19f..18ea9bb 100644
--- a/include/core/SkInstCnt.h
+++ b/include/core/SkInstCnt.h
@@ -18,9 +18,11 @@
  * At the end of an application a call to all the "root" objects'
  * CheckInstanceCount methods should be made
  */
-#ifdef SK_DEBUG
+#ifdef SK_ENABLE_INST_COUNT
 #include "SkTArray.h"
 
+extern bool gPrintInstCount;
+
 #define SK_DECLARE_INST_COUNT(className)                                    \
     SK_DECLARE_INST_COUNT_INTERNAL(className,                               \
                                 INHERITED::AddInstChild(CheckInstanceCount);)
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@
     }                                                                       \
                                                                             \
     static int CheckInstanceCount(int level = 0) {                          \
-        if (0 != SkInstanceCountHelper::gInstanceCount) {                   \
+        if (gPrintInstCount && 0 != SkInstanceCountHelper::gInstanceCount) {\
             SkDebugf("%*c Leaked %s: %d\n",                                 \
                      4*level, ' ', #className,                              \
                      SkInstanceCountHelper::gInstanceCount);                \
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@
             count -= (*SkInstanceCountHelper::gChildren[i])(level+1);       \
         }                                                                   \
         SkASSERT(count >= 0);                                               \
-        if (childCount > 0 && count > 0) {                                  \
+        if (gPrintInstCount && childCount > 0 && count > 0) {               \
             SkDebugf("%*c Leaked ???: %d\n", 4*(level + 1), ' ', count);    \
         }                                                                   \
         return SkInstanceCountHelper::gInstanceCount;                       \
diff --git a/src/core/SkInstCnt.cpp b/src/core/SkInstCnt.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d22639e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/SkInstCnt.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2012 Google Inc.
+ *
+ * Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+ * found in the LICENSE file.
+ */
+
+#include "SkInstCnt.h"
+
+#ifdef SK_ENABLE_INST_COUNT
+bool gPrintInstCount = false;
+#endif
diff --git a/tests/GrMemoryPoolTest.cpp b/tests/GrMemoryPoolTest.cpp
index f5527e9..0426944 100644
--- a/tests/GrMemoryPoolTest.cpp
+++ b/tests/GrMemoryPoolTest.cpp
@@ -48,13 +48,17 @@
     static A* Create(SkRandom* r);
 
     static void SetAllocator(size_t preallocSize, size_t minAllocSize) {
+#ifdef SK_ENABLE_INST_COUNT
         SkASSERT(0 == GetInstanceCount());
+#endif
         GrMemoryPool* pool = new GrMemoryPool(preallocSize, minAllocSize);
         gPool.reset(pool);
     }
 
     static void ResetAllocator() {
+#ifdef SK_ENABLE_INST_COUNT
         SkASSERT(0 == GetInstanceCount());
+#endif
         gPool.reset(NULL);
     }