diff --git a/llvm/__init__.py b/llvm/__init__.py
index c800500..c5e1123 100644
--- a/llvm/__init__.py
+++ b/llvm/__init__.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ __version__ = '0.9.1'
 
 
 from weakref import WeakValueDictionary
+from llvm._utils.finalizer import track as track_resource
+from llvm._utils.finalizer import OwnerMixin as _OwnerMixin
 
 
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
@@ -19,11 +21,26 @@ class LLVMException(Exception):
         Exception.__init__(self, msg)
 
 
+#===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
+# Resource Handle
+#===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
+
+class Handle(_OwnerMixin):
+    _finalizer = NotImplemented
+
+    def __init__(self, ptr):
+        self.ptr = ptr
+        self._finalizer_track(self.ptr)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _finalize(cls, ptr):
+        cls._finalizer(ptr)
+
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
 # Ownables
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
 
-class Ownable(object):
+class Ownable(Handle):
     """Objects that can be owned.
 
     Modules and Module Providers can be owned, i.e., the responsibility of
@@ -32,25 +49,21 @@ class Ownable(object):
     is NOT intended for public use.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, ptr, del_fn):
-        self.ptr = ptr
+    def __init__(self, ptr):
+        Handle.__init__(self, ptr)
         self.owner = None
-        self.del_fn = del_fn
 
     def _own(self, owner):
         if self.owner:
             raise LLVMException("object already owned")
         self.owner = owner
+        self._finalizer_untrack(self.ptr)
 
     def _disown(self):
         if not self.owner:
             raise LLVMException("not owned")
         self.owner = None
-
-    def __del__(self):
-        if not self.owner:
-            self.del_fn(self.ptr)
-
+        self._finalizer_track(self.ptr)
 
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
 # Dummy owner, will not delete ownee. Be careful.
diff --git a/llvm/_utils/__init__.py b/llvm/_utils/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/llvm/_utils/finalizer.py b/llvm/_utils/finalizer.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..56df5b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/_utils/finalizer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+'''
+Modified C-level finalizer by Benjamin Peterson <benjamin@python.org>
+Available at http://code.activestate.com/recipes/577242-calling-c-level-finalizers-without-__del__/
+'''
+import sys
+import traceback
+import weakref
+
+class OwnerRef(weakref.ref):
+    """A simple weakref.ref subclass, so attributes can be added."""
+    pass
+
+def _run_finalizer(ref):
+    """Internal weakref callback to run finalizers"""
+    del _finalize_refs[ref.owner]
+    for item, finalizer in ref.items:
+        try:
+            finalizer(item)
+        except Exception:
+            print>>sys.stderr, "Exception running {}:".format(finalizer)
+            traceback.print_exc()
+
+_finalize_refs = {}
+
+def track(owner, item, finalizer):
+    """Register an object for finalization.
+
+        ``owner`` is the the object which is responsible for ``item``.
+        ``finalizer`` will be called with ``item`` as its only argument when
+        ``owner`` is destroyed by the garbage collector.
+        """
+    if id(owner) in _finalize_refs:
+        ref = _finalize_refs[id(owner)]
+    else:
+        ref = OwnerRef(owner, _run_finalizer)
+        ref.owner = id(owner)
+        ref.items = []
+    ref.items.append((item, finalizer))
+    _finalize_refs[id(owner)] = ref
+
+def untrack(owner, item):
+    ref = _finalize_refs[id(owner)]
+    # search and remove the item from the ref
+    for i, (item_i, _) in enumerate(ref.items):
+        if item_i is item:
+            del ref.items[i]
+    # remove the ref if it is empty
+    if not ref.items:
+        del _finalize_refs[id(owner)]
+
+class OwnerMixin(object):
+    def _finalizer_track(self, item):
+        if not hasattr(self, '_finalize'):
+            raise AttributeError("%s must define a _finalize method" % self)
+        track(self, item, type(self)._finalize)
+
+    def _finalizer_untrack(self, item):
+        untrack(self, item)
diff --git a/llvm/core.py b/llvm/core.py
index 6a7cc1d..6d3a088 100644
--- a/llvm/core.py
+++ b/llvm/core.py
@@ -396,7 +396,9 @@ class Module(llvm.Ownable, llvm.Cacheable):
 
         Use the static method `Module.new' instead.
         """
-        llvm.Ownable.__init__(self, ptr, _core.LLVMDisposeModule)
+        llvm.Ownable.__init__(self, ptr)
+
+    _finalizer = _core.LLVMDisposeModule
 
     def __str__(self):
         """Text representation of a module.
@@ -1798,7 +1800,7 @@ def _make_value(ptr):
 # Builder
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
 
-class Builder(object):
+class Builder(llvm.Handle):
 
     @staticmethod
     def new(basic_block):
@@ -1808,10 +1810,9 @@ class Builder(object):
         return b
 
     def __init__(self, ptr):
-        self.ptr = ptr
+        llvm.Handle.__init__(self, ptr)
 
-    def __del__(self):
-        _core.LLVMDisposeBuilder(self.ptr)
+    _finalizer = _core.LLVMDisposeBuilder
 
     def position_at_beginning(self, bblk):
         """Position the builder at the beginning of the given block.
@@ -2300,7 +2301,7 @@ class Builder(object):
 # Memory buffer
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
 
-class MemoryBuffer(object):
+class MemoryBuffer(llvm.Handle):
 
     @staticmethod
     def from_file(fname):
@@ -2321,10 +2322,9 @@ class MemoryBuffer(object):
             return (obj, "")
 
     def __init__(self, ptr):
-        self.ptr = ptr
+        llvm.Handle.__init__(self, ptr)
 
-    def __del__(self):
-        _core.LLVMDisposeMemoryBuffer(self.ptr)
+    _finalizer = _core.LLVMDisposeMemoryBuffer
 
 
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
diff --git a/llvm/ee.py b/llvm/ee.py
index d522473..27f6018 100644
--- a/llvm/ee.py
+++ b/llvm/ee.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ BO_LITTLE_ENDIAN    = 1
 # Generic value
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
 
-class GenericValue(object):
+class GenericValue(llvm.Handle):
 
     @staticmethod
     def int(ty, intval):
@@ -99,10 +99,9 @@ class GenericValue(object):
         return GenericValue(ptr)
 
     def __init__(self, ptr):
-        self.ptr = ptr
+        llvm.Handle.__init__(self, ptr)
 
-    def __del__(self):
-        _core.LLVMDisposeGenericValue(self.ptr)
+    _finalizer = _core.LLVMDisposeGenericValue
 
     def as_int(self):
         return _core.LLVMGenericValueToInt(self.ptr, 0)
@@ -128,7 +127,7 @@ def _unpack_generic_values(objlist):
 # Engine builder
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
 
-class EngineBuilder(object):
+class EngineBuilder(llvm.Handle):
     @staticmethod
     def new(module):
         core.check_is_module(module)
@@ -137,11 +136,10 @@ class EngineBuilder(object):
         return EngineBuilder(obj, module)
 
     def __init__(self, ptr, module):
-        self.ptr = ptr
+        llvm.Handle.__init__(self, ptr)
         self._module = module
 
-    def __del__(self):
-        _core.LLVMDisposeEngineBuilder(self.ptr)
+    _finalizer = _core.LLVMDisposeEngineBuilder
 
     def force_jit(self):
         _core.LLVMEngineBuilderForceJIT(self.ptr)
@@ -193,7 +191,7 @@ class EngineBuilder(object):
 # Execution engine
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
 
-class ExecutionEngine(object):
+class ExecutionEngine(llvm.Handle):
 
     @staticmethod
     def new(module, force_interpreter=False):
@@ -205,11 +203,10 @@ class ExecutionEngine(object):
         return ExecutionEngine(ret, module)
 
     def __init__(self, ptr, module):
-        self.ptr = ptr
+        llvm.Handle.__init__(self, ptr)
         module._own(self)
 
-    def __del__(self):
-        _core.LLVMDisposeExecutionEngine(self.ptr)
+    _finalizer = _core.LLVMDisposeExecutionEngine
 
     def run_function(self, fn, args):
         core.check_is_function(fn)
@@ -299,7 +296,9 @@ class TargetMachine(llvm.Ownable):
         return TargetMachine(ptr)
 
     def __init__(self, ptr):
-        llvm.Ownable.__init__(self, ptr, _core.LLVMDisposeTargetMachine)
+        llvm.Ownable.__init__(self, ptr)
+
+    _finalizer = _core.LLVMDisposeTargetMachine
 
     def emit_assembly(self, module):
         '''returns byte string of the module as assembly code of the target machine
diff --git a/llvm/passes.py b/llvm/passes.py
index 657aabd..bca8caf 100644
--- a/llvm/passes.py
+++ b/llvm/passes.py
@@ -45,16 +45,15 @@ import warnings
 # Pass manager builder
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
 
-class PassManagerBuilder(object):
+class PassManagerBuilder(llvm.Handle):
     @staticmethod
     def new():
         return PassManagerBuilder(_core.LLVMPassManagerBuilderCreate())
 
     def __init__(self, ptr):
-        self.ptr = ptr
+        llvm.Handle.__init__(self, ptr)
 
-    def __del__(self):
-        _core.LLVMPassManagerBuilderDispose(self.ptr)
+    _finalizer = _core.LLVMPassManagerBuilderDispose
 
     def populate(self, pm):
         if isinstance(pm, FunctionPassManager):
@@ -142,7 +141,7 @@ class PassManagerBuilder(object):
 # Pass manager
 #===----------------------------------------------------------------------===
 
-class PassManager(object):
+class PassManager(llvm.Handle):
 
     @staticmethod
     def new():
@@ -151,8 +150,7 @@ class PassManager(object):
     def __init__(self, ptr):
         self.ptr = ptr
 
-    def __del__(self):
-        _core.LLVMDisposePassManager(self.ptr)
+    _finalizer = _core.LLVMDisposePassManager
 
     def add(self, pass_obj):
         '''Add a pass to the pass manager.
@@ -208,9 +206,11 @@ class Pass(llvm.Ownable):
     '''Pass Inferface
     '''
     def __init__(self, ptr):
-        llvm.Ownable.__init__(self, ptr, _core.LLVMDisposePass)
+        llvm.Ownable.__init__(self, ptr)
         self.__name = ''
 
+    _finalizer = _core.LLVMDisposePass
+
     @staticmethod
     def new(name):
         '''Create a new pass by name.
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 94c9f95..d6d6a3b 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ setup(
     maintainer = 'Continuum Analytics, Inc.',
     maintainer_email = 'llvmpy@continuum.io',
     url = 'http://www.llvmpy.org/',
-    packages = ['llvm', 'llvm_cbuilder', 'llpython'],
+    packages = ['llvm', 'llvm_cbuilder', 'llpython', 'llvm._utils'],
     py_modules = ['llvm.core'],
     license = "BSD",
     classifiers = [