diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3be174d..9c40790 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ macro(compile_options target_name)
     sanitizers(${target_name})
 endmacro()
 
-project(blt-gp VERSION 0.3.10)
+project(blt-gp VERSION 0.3.11)
 
 include(CTest)
 
@@ -120,5 +120,6 @@ if (${BUILD_GP_TESTS})
 #    blt_add_project(blt-gp7 tests/old/gp_test_7.cpp test)
 
     blt_add_project(blt-symbolic-regression tests/symbolic_regression_test.cpp test)
+    blt_add_project(blt-drop tests/drop_test.cpp test)
 
 endif ()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/blt/gp/stack.h b/include/blt/gp/stack.h
index f189108..96b9d83 100644
--- a/include/blt/gp/stack.h
+++ b/include/blt/gp/stack.h
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ namespace blt::gp
         {
             const auto bytes = detail::aligned_size(sizeof(NO_REF_T<T>));
             if constexpr (blt::gp::detail::has_func_drop_v<T>)
-                return bytes + aligned_size<size_t*>();
+                return bytes + sizeof(std::atomic_uint64_t*);
             return bytes;
         }
 
@@ -164,8 +164,15 @@ namespace blt::gp
         {
             static_assert(std::is_trivially_copyable_v<NO_REF>, "Type must be bitwise copyable!");
             static_assert(alignof(NO_REF) <= gp::detail::MAX_ALIGNMENT, "Type alignment must not be greater than the max alignment!");
-            const auto ptr = allocate_bytes_for_size(aligned_size<NO_REF>());
+            const auto ptr = static_cast<char*>(allocate_bytes_for_size(aligned_size<NO_REF>()));
             std::memcpy(ptr, &t, sizeof(NO_REF));
+            // what about non ephemeral values?
+            if constexpr (gp::detail::has_func_drop_v<T>)
+            {
+                BLT_TRACE("Hello!");
+                const auto* ref_counter_ptr = new std::atomic_uint64_t(1); // NOLINT
+                std::memcpy(ptr + sizeof(NO_REF), &ref_counter_ptr, sizeof(std::atomic_uint64_t*));
+            }
         }
 
         template <typename T, typename NO_REF = NO_REF_T<T>>
diff --git a/tests/drop_test.cpp b/tests/drop_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6db0e05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/drop_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+/*
+ *  <Short Description>
+ *  Copyright (C) 2025  Brett Terpstra
+ *
+ *  This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ *  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ *  (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ *  GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ *  along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+#include "../examples/symbolic_regression.h"
+#include <blt/gp/program.h>
+#include <blt/std/logging.h>
+
+using namespace blt::gp;
+
+struct drop_type
+{
+    float silly_type;
+
+    void drop() const
+    {
+        BLT_TRACE("Wow silly type of value %f was dropped!", silly_type);
+    }
+};
+
+struct context
+{
+    float x, y;
+};
+
+prog_config_t config = prog_config_t()
+                       .set_initial_min_tree_size(2)
+                       .set_initial_max_tree_size(6)
+                       .set_elite_count(2)
+                       .set_crossover_chance(0.8)
+                       .set_mutation_chance(0.1)
+                       .set_reproduction_chance(0.1)
+                       .set_max_generations(50)
+                       .set_pop_size(500)
+                       .set_thread_count(0);
+
+
+example::symbolic_regression_t regression{691ul, config};
+
+operation_t add{[](const float a, const float b) { return a + b; }, "add"};
+operation_t sub([](const float a, const float b) { return a - b; }, "sub");
+operation_t mul([](const float a, const float b) { return a * b; }, "mul");
+operation_t pro_div([](const float a, const float b) { return b == 0.0f ? 0.0f : a / b; }, "div");
+operation_t op_sin([](const float a) { return std::sin(a); }, "sin");
+operation_t op_cos([](const float a) { return std::cos(a); }, "cos");
+operation_t op_exp([](const float a) { return std::exp(a); }, "exp");
+operation_t op_log([](const float a) { return a == 0.0f ? 0.0f : std::log(a); }, "log");
+operation_t op_conv([](const drop_type d) { return d.silly_type; }, "conv");
+auto lit = operation_t([]()
+{
+    return drop_type{regression.get_program().get_random().get_float(-1.0f, 1.0f)};
+}, "lit").set_ephemeral();
+
+operation_t op_x([](const context& context)
+{
+    return context.x;
+}, "x");
+
+int main()
+{
+    operator_builder<context> builder{};
+    builder.build(add, sub, mul, pro_div, op_sin, op_cos, op_exp, op_log, lit, op_x);
+    regression.get_program().set_operations(builder.grab());
+
+    regression.generate_initial_population();
+    auto& program = regression.get_program();
+    while (!program.should_terminate())
+    {
+        BLT_TRACE("Creating next generation");
+        program.create_next_generation();
+        BLT_TRACE("Move to next generation");
+        program.next_generation();
+        BLT_TRACE("Evaluate Fitness");
+        program.evaluate_fitness();
+    }
+}