youknowone · Oct 15, 2026 · Oct 4, 2026 · Oct 15, 2026
diff --git a/crates/vm/src/builtins/builtin_func.rs b/crates/vm/src/builtins/builtin_func.rs
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ impl PyNativeFunction {
         self.zelf.as_deref().or(self.module_object.as_deref())
     }
 
-    pub const fn as_func(&self) -> &'static dyn PyNativeFn {
+    pub const fn as_func(&self) -> &dyn PyNativeFn {
         self.value.func
     }
 }
@@ -243,10 +243,12 @@ impl PyNativeFunction {
     name = "builtin_method",
     module = false,
     base = PyNativeFunction,
-    ctx = "builtin_method_type"
+    ctx = "builtin_method_type",
+    traverse
 )]
 pub struct PyNativeMethod {
     pub(crate) func: PyNativeFunction,
+    #[pytraverse(skip)]
     pub(crate) class: &'static Py<PyType>,
 }
 

diff --git a/crates/vm/src/builtins/descriptor.rs b/crates/vm/src/builtins/descriptor.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ pub struct PyMethodDescriptor {
     #[pymember(name = "__objclass__", path = "typ")]
     #[pymember(name = "__name__", path = "name")]
     pub common: PyDescriptor,
-    pub method: &'static PyMethodDef,
+    pub(crate) method: &'static PyMethodDef,
     // vectorcall: vector_call_func,
     /// Prevent HeapMethodDef from being freed while this descriptor references it
     pub(crate) _method_def_owner: Option<PyObjectRef>,
@@ -126,7 +126,8 @@ impl Callable for PyMethodDescriptor {
 
 impl PyMethodDescriptor {
     pub fn bind(&self, obj: PyObjectRef, ctx: &Context) -> PyRef<PyNativeFunction> {
-        self.method.build_bound_function(ctx, obj)
+        self.method
+            .build_bound_function_with_owner(ctx, obj, self._method_def_owner.clone())
     }
 }
 
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ pub struct PyClassMethodDescriptor {
     #[pymember(name = "__objclass__", path = "typ")]
     #[pymember(name = "__name__", path = "name")]
     pub common: PyDescriptor,
-    pub method: &'static PyMethodDef,
+    pub(crate) method: &'static PyMethodDef,
     pub(crate) _method_def_owner: Option<PyObjectRef>,
 }
 
@@ -199,7 +200,8 @@ impl PyClassMethodDescriptor {
     }
 
     pub fn bind(&self, obj: PyObjectRef, ctx: &Context) -> PyRef<PyNativeFunction> {
-        self.method.build_bound_function(ctx, obj)
+        self.method
+            .build_bound_function_with_owner(ctx, obj, self._method_def_owner.clone())
     }
 }
 

diff --git a/crates/vm/src/function/method.rs b/crates/vm/src/function/method.rs
@@ -232,13 +232,22 @@ impl PyMethodDef {
         &'static self,
         ctx: &Context,
         obj: PyObjectRef,
+    ) -> PyRef<PyNativeFunction> {
+        self.build_bound_function_with_owner(ctx, obj, None)
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn build_bound_function_with_owner(
+        &'static self,
+        ctx: &Context,
+        obj: PyObjectRef,
+        owner: Option<PyObjectRef>,
     ) -> PyRef<PyNativeFunction> {
         let function = PyNativeFunction {
             zelf: Some(obj),
             value: self,
             module_object: None,
             module: crate::object::PyAtomicRef::new_empty(),
-            _method_def_owner: None,
+            _method_def_owner: owner,
         };
         PyRef::new_ref(
             function,
@@ -383,15 +392,51 @@ impl core::fmt::Debug for PyMethodDef {
 // This is not a part of CPython API.
 // But useful to support dynamically generated methods
 #[pyclass(name, module = false, ctx = "method_def")]
-#[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct HeapMethodDef {
     method: PyMethodDef,
+    _function_owner: Option<Box<dyn PyNativeFn>>,
+}
+
+impl core::fmt::Debug for HeapMethodDef {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut core::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> core::fmt::Result {
+        self.method.fmt(f)
+    }
 }
 
 impl HeapMethodDef {
     #[must_use]
     pub const fn new(method: PyMethodDef) -> Self {
-        Self { method }
+        Self {
+            method,
+            _function_owner: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn with_owned_function(
+        name: &'static str,
+        function: Box<dyn PyNativeFn>,
+        flags: PyMethodFlags,
+        doc: super::ItemDoc,
+    ) -> Self {
+        // SAFETY: the box has a stable address and is retained by this payload.
+        // The definition is private; all functions/descriptors referring to it
+        // retain this HeapMethodDef and expose no static reference to callers.
+        let func = unsafe { &*core::ptr::from_ref(&*function) };
+        Self {
+            method: PyMethodDef {
+                name,
+                func,
+                flags,
+                #[cfg(feature = "doc")]
+                doc_off: doc.offset,
+                #[cfg(feature = "doc")]
+                doc_len: doc.len,
+                #[cfg(feature = "doc")]
+                doc_body_pending: false,
+                doc: doc.text,
+            },
+            _function_owner: Some(function),
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -439,3 +484,53 @@ pub(crate) fn init(ctx: &'static Context) {
 
     let _ = ctx.intern_str(HeapMethodDef::NAME);
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::{AsObject, function::FuncArgs};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn generated_functions_own_and_release_their_native_captures() {
+        use alloc::sync::Arc;
+        let captured = Arc::new(17);
+        crate::Interpreter::without_stdlib(Default::default()).enter(|vm| {
+            let capture = captured.clone();
+            let definition = vm.ctx.new_method_def(
+                "captured",
+                move |_args: FuncArgs| *capture,
+                PyMethodFlags::empty(),
+                super::super::ItemDoc::NONE,
+            );
+            let function = definition.build_function(vm, None);
+            let descriptor = definition.build_method(vm.ctx.types.object_type, vm);
+            drop(definition);
+            assert_eq!(Arc::strong_count(&captured), 2);
+            assert_eq!(
+                function
+                    .as_object()
+                    .call((), vm)
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .try_into_value::<i32>(vm)
+                    .unwrap(),
+                17
+            );
+            let method = descriptor.bind(vm.ctx.none(), &vm.ctx);
+            assert!(method._method_def_owner.is_some());
+            drop(function);
+            drop(descriptor);
+            assert_eq!(Arc::strong_count(&captured), 2);
+            assert_eq!(
+                method
+                    .as_object()
+                    .call((), vm)
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .try_into_value::<i32>(vm)
+                    .unwrap(),
+                17
+            );
+            drop(method);
+            assert_eq!(Arc::strong_count(&captured), 1);
+        });
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/vm/src/vm/context.rs b/crates/vm/src/vm/context.rs
@@ -659,19 +659,12 @@ impl Context {
     where
         F: IntoPyNativeFn<FKind>,
     {
-        let def = PyMethodDef {
+        let payload = HeapMethodDef::with_owned_function(
             name,
-            func: Box::leak(Box::new(f.into_func())),
-            flags: flags.with_call_convention(F::ARGS),
-            #[cfg(feature = "doc")]
-            doc_off: doc.offset,
-            #[cfg(feature = "doc")]
-            doc_len: doc.len,
-            #[cfg(feature = "doc")]
-            doc_body_pending: false,
-            doc: doc.text,
-        };
-        let payload = HeapMethodDef::new(def);
+            Box::new(f.into_func()),
+            flags.with_call_convention(F::ARGS),
+            doc,
+        );
         PyRef::new_ref(payload, self.types.method_def.to_owned(), None)
     }