diff --git a/jnius/jnius_conversion.pxi b/jnius/jnius_conversion.pxi
index 417156e..f038b22 100644
--- a/jnius/jnius_conversion.pxi
+++ b/jnius/jnius_conversion.pxi
@@ -7,11 +7,15 @@ cdef jstringy_arg(argtype):
                        'Ljava/lang/CharSequence;',
                        'Ljava/lang/Object;')
 
-cdef void release_args(JNIEnv *j_env, tuple definition_args, bint pass_by_reference, jvalue *j_args, args) except *:
+cdef void release_args(JNIEnv *j_env, tuple definition_args, pass_by_reference, jvalue *j_args, args) except *:
     # do the conversion from a Python object to Java from a Java definition
     cdef JavaObject jo
     cdef JavaClass jc
     cdef int index
+    cdef int last_pass_by_ref_index
+
+    last_pass_by_ref_index = len(pass_by_reference) - 1
+
     for index, argtype in enumerate(definition_args):
         py_arg = args[index]
         if argtype[0] == 'L':
@@ -21,7 +25,7 @@ cdef void release_args(JNIEnv *j_env, tuple definition_args, bint pass_by_refere
                     jstringy_arg(argtype):
                 j_env[0].DeleteLocalRef(j_env, j_args[index].l)
         elif argtype[0] == '[':
-            if pass_by_reference and hasattr(args[index], '__setitem__'):
+            if pass_by_reference[min(index, last_pass_by_ref_index)] and hasattr(args[index], '__setitem__'):
                 ret = convert_jarray_to_python(j_env, argtype[1:], j_args[index].l)
                 try:
                     args[index][:] = ret
diff --git a/jnius/jnius_export_class.pxi b/jnius/jnius_export_class.pxi
index 6adb4fd..31e7f72 100644
--- a/jnius/jnius_export_class.pxi
+++ b/jnius/jnius_export_class.pxi
@@ -360,12 +360,16 @@ cdef class JavaClass(object):
                 raise JavaException('Unable to found the constructor'
                         ' for {0}'.format(self.__javaclass__))
 
+            # determine pass by reference choices
+            pass_by_reference = kwargs.get('pass_by_reference', True)
+            pass_by_reference = pass_by_reference if isinstance(pass_by_reference, (tuple, list)) else [pass_by_reference]
+
             # create the object
             j_self = j_env[0].NewObjectA(j_env, self.j_cls,
                     constructor, j_args)
 
             # release our arguments
-            release_args(j_env, d_args, kwargs.get('pass_by_reference', True), j_args, args_)
+            release_args(j_env, d_args, pass_by_reference, j_args, args_)
 
             check_exception(j_env)
             if j_self == NULL:
@@ -835,6 +839,10 @@ cdef class JavaMethod(object):
                     self.classname, self.name) 
             )
 
+        # determine pass by reference choices
+        pass_by_reference = kwargs.get('pass_by_reference', True)
+        pass_by_reference = pass_by_reference if isinstance(pass_by_reference, (tuple, list)) else [pass_by_reference]
+
         if not self.is_static and j_env == NULL:
             raise JavaException(
                 'Cannot call instance method on a un-instanciated class'
@@ -856,7 +864,7 @@ cdef class JavaMethod(object):
                     return self.call_staticmethod(j_env, j_args)
                 return self.call_method(j_env, j_args)
             finally:
-                release_args(j_env, self.definition_args, kwargs.get('pass_by_reference', True), j_args, args)
+                release_args(j_env, self.definition_args, pass_by_reference, j_args, args)
 
         finally:
             if j_args != NULL: