diff --git a/jnius/jnius_export_class.pxi b/jnius/jnius_export_class.pxi
index 1256720..a62a913 100644
--- a/jnius/jnius_export_class.pxi
+++ b/jnius/jnius_export_class.pxi
@@ -218,11 +218,14 @@ cdef class JavaClass(object):
             # create the object
             j_self = j_env[0].NewObjectA(j_env, self.j_cls,
                     constructor, j_args)
+
+            check_exception(j_env)
             if j_self == NULL:
                 raise JavaException('Unable to instanciate {0}'.format(
                     self.__javaclass__))
 
             self.j_self = create_local_ref(j_env, j_self)
+            j_env[0].DeleteLocalRef(j_env, j_self)
         finally:
             if j_args != NULL:
                 free(j_args)
diff --git a/jnius/jnius_utils.pxi b/jnius/jnius_utils.pxi
index 7d893b4..05d54f7 100644
--- a/jnius/jnius_utils.pxi
+++ b/jnius/jnius_utils.pxi
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ cdef bytes lookup_java_object_name(JNIEnv *j_env, jobject j_obj):
     cdef jmethodID jmeth = j_env[0].GetMethodID(j_env, jcls2, 'getName', '()Ljava/lang/String;')
     cdef jobject js = j_env[0].CallObjectMethod(j_env, jcls, jmeth)
     name = convert_jobject_to_python(j_env, b'Ljava/lang/String;', js)
+    j_env[0].DeleteLocalRef(j_env, js)
+    j_env[0].DeleteLocalRef(j_env, jcls)
+    j_env[0].DeleteLocalRef(j_env, jcls2)
     return name.replace('.', '/')