diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 97b3b7bd4..c1eee5243 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ aliases:
     name: create_conda_env
     environment:
        CHANNELS: "-c cdat/label/nightly -c conda-forge -c cdat"
-       PKGS: "cdms2 cdat_info udunits2 testsrunner mesalib matplotlib image-compare genutil dv3d cdutil cdtime nbformat 'proj4<5' 'numpy>1.14' " 
+       PKGS: "cdms2 cdat_info udunits2 testsrunner mesalib matplotlib image-compare genutil dv3d cdutil cdtime nbformat 'proj4<5' 'numpy>1.14' vcsaddons" 
     command: |
        export PATH=$WORKDIR/miniconda/bin:$PATH
        conda config --set always_yes yes --set changeps1 no
diff --git a/Share/test_data_files.txt b/Share/test_data_files.txt
index 4b9491455..e3be69ccb 100644
--- a/Share/test_data_files.txt
+++ b/Share/test_data_files.txt
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ aa51aa896ead44019335cebec68e7955  clt.nc
 6af2b2e8f8fe468c49d0324d69d83942  ta_ncep_87-6-88-4.nc
 4e4648ad9855cb71259926c9d4a1d361  tas_ccsr-95a_1979.01-1979.12.nc
 f05fd9a1a8026537d733dcea5b140f33  BlueMarble.ppm
+814242dd4dbba4126b455160abd13d73  test_mesa_leak.nc
diff --git a/tests/test_vcs_mesa_leak.py b/tests/test_vcs_mesa_leak.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e45af465
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_vcs_mesa_leak.py
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+#!/bin/env python
+import basevcstest
+import EzTemplate
+import gc
+import time
+import resource
+import vcs
+import cdms2
+import numpy
+import vcs
+import os
+
+
+def initVCS(x, levs1, levs2, split):
+    gtype = "isofill"
+    if gtype == "isofill":
+        crt = vcs.createisofill
+    else:
+        crt = vcs.createboxfill
+    x.setcolormap("bl_to_darkred")
+    gm1 = crt()
+    #iso         = x.createboxfill()
+    if gtype == "boxfill": gm1.boxfill_type="custom"
+    gm1.levels = levs1
+    gm1.ext_1 = True
+    gm1.ext_2 = True
+    cols = vcs.getcolors(gm1.levels, split=split)
+    gm1.fillareacolors = cols
+
+    gm2 = crt()
+    if gtype == "boxfill": gm2.boxfill_type="custom"
+    levs = levs2
+    gm2.levels = levs
+    gm2.ext_1 = True
+    gm2.ext_2 = True
+    cols = vcs.getcolors(gm2.levels, split=1)
+    gm2.fillareacolors = cols
+
+    leg = x.createtextorientation()
+    leg.halign = "left"
+    leg.height = 8
+
+    tmpl = x.createtemplate()
+    tmpl.blank()
+    tmpl.scalefont(.9)
+
+    tmpl.legend.textorientation = leg
+    for a in ["data", "legend", "box1",
+              "xlabel1", "xtic1", "ylabel1", "ytic1"]:
+        setattr(getattr(tmpl, a), "priority", 1)
+
+    Ez = EzTemplate.Multi(rows=3, columns=1, x=x, template=tmpl)
+    Ez.legend.direction = 'vertical'
+    Ez.margins.left = .05
+    Ez.margins.right = .05
+    Ez.margins.top = .05
+    Ez.margins.bottom = .05
+
+    title = x.createtext()
+    title.height = 14
+    title.halign = "center"
+    title.x = [.5]
+    title.y = [.975]
+
+    t1 = Ez.get(legend="local")
+    t2 = Ez.get(legend="local")
+    t3 = Ez.get(legend="local")
+
+    del(Ez)
+
+    return gm1, gm2, title, t1, t2, t3, tmpl
+
+
+class VCSTestMesaLeak(basevcstest.VCSBaseTest):
+    def testMesaLeak(self):
+        counter = 1
+        levs1 = list(numpy.arange(-5, 115, 10))  # SIC
+        levs2 = list(numpy.arange(-5, 5.5, .5))
+        split = 0
+
+        fout = cdms2.open(os.path.join(vcs.sample_data,"test_mesa_leak.nc"))
+        NITER = 10
+        mems = []
+        for i in range(NITER):
+                startTime = time.time()
+                printStr = 'processing: %i' % (i)
+                s1s = fout("sic")
+                s2 = fout("variable_4")
+                diff = s2 - s1s
+                iso1, iso2, title, t1, t2, t3, tmpl = initVCS(self.x, levs1, levs2, split)
+                title.string = '%i' % (i)
+                self.x.plot(title)
+                self.x.plot(s1s, t1, iso1)
+                self.x.plot(diff, t2, iso2)
+                self.x.plot(s2, t3, iso1)
+                self.x.clear()
+                vcs.removeobject(iso1)
+                vcs.removeobject(iso2)
+                vcs.removeobject(title)
+                vcs.removeobject(t1)
+                vcs.removeobject(t2)
+                vcs.removeobject(t3)
+                vcs.removeobject(tmpl)
+                endTime = time.time()
+                timeStr = 'Time: %06.3f secs;' % (endTime - startTime)
+                mem = float(resource.getrusage(resource.RUSAGE_SELF).ru_maxrss) / 1.e6
+                mems.append(mem)
+                memStr = 'Max mem: %05.3f GB' % ( mem )
+                counterStr = '%05d' % counter
+                pyObj = 'PyObj#: %07d;' % (len(gc.get_objects()))
+                print(counterStr, printStr, timeStr, memStr, pyObj)
+                counter = counter + 1
+                gc.collect()  # Attempt to force a memory flush
+        a, b = numpy.polyfit(numpy.arange(NITER),numpy.array(mems),1)
+        print(a,b)
+        self.assertTrue(abs(a)<1.e-3)