diff -ru perl5.004_04.dist/sv.c perl5.004_04/sv.c
--- perl5.004_04.dist/sv.c	Mon Oct  6 13:03:36 1997
+++ perl5.004_04/sv.c	Mon Dec 29 11:14:17 1997
@@ -2671,15 +2671,18 @@
 	if (defstash) {		/* Still have a symbol table? */
 	    dSP;
 	    GV* destructor;
+	    HV* class;
 
 	    ENTER;
 	    SAVEFREESV(SvSTASH(sv));
 
-	    destructor = gv_fetchmethod(SvSTASH(sv), "DESTROY");
+	    class = SvSTASH(sv);
+	    destructor = gv_fetchmethod(class, "DESTROY");
 	    if (destructor) {
 		SV ref;
+		SV *super;
 
-		Zero(&ref, 1, SV);
+  		Zero(&ref, 1, SV);
 		sv_upgrade(&ref, SVt_RV);
 		SvRV(&ref) = SvREFCNT_inc(sv);
 		SvROK_on(&ref);
@@ -2687,12 +2690,29 @@
 					   creating+destructing a ref
 					   leads to disaster. */
 
-		EXTEND(SP, 2);
-		PUSHMARK(SP);
-		PUSHs(&ref);
-		PUTBACK;
-		perl_call_sv((SV*)GvCV(destructor),
-			     G_DISCARD|G_EVAL|G_KEEPERR);
+		class = GvSTASH(destructor);
+		super = sv_2mortal(newSVpvf("%s::SUPER::DESTROY",
+					    HvNAME(class)));
+
+		while (destructor) {
+		    /* sv_dump((SV *) destructor); */
+
+		    EXTEND(SP, 2);
+		    PUSHMARK(SP);
+		    PUSHs(&ref);
+		    PUTBACK;
+		    perl_call_sv((SV*)GvCV(destructor),
+				 G_DISCARD|G_EVAL|G_KEEPERR);
+
+		    destructor = gv_fetchmethod(class, SvPVX(super));
+
+		    if (destructor) {
+			class = GvSTASH(destructor);
+			sv_setpvf(super, "%s::SUPER::DESTROY",
+					 HvNAME(class));
+		    }
+		}
+
 		del_XRV(SvANY(&ref));
 		SvREFCNT(sv)--;
 	    }
diff -ru perl5.004_04.dist/t/op/ref.t perl5.004_04/t/op/ref.t
--- perl5.004_04.dist/t/op/ref.t	Fri Sep 19 09:00:07 1997
+++ perl5.004_04/t/op/ref.t	Mon Dec 29 10:22:51 1997
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!./perl
 
-print "1..51\n";
+print "1..56\n";
 
 # Test glob operations.
 
@@ -223,20 +223,65 @@
 
 print "# left block\n";
 
+# test for recursive DESTROY
+package main;
+
+sub ClassA::DESTROY { print "# ClassA\nok ", $_[0][0] + 2, "\n" }
+sub ClassB::DESTROY { print "# ClassB\nok ", $_[0][0] + 1, "\n" }
+sub ClassC::DESTROY { print "# ClassC\nok $_[0][0]\n" }
+
+@ClassC::ISA = 'ClassB';
+@ClassB::ISA = 'ClassA';
+
+{
+    my $obj = bless [ 48 ], 'ClassC';
+    1;
+}
+
+## make sure we walk the ISA graph properly
+## classes marked with a star have DESTROY methods
+#
+#  *A
+#    \
+#     B *C
+#      \/
+#      *D *E
+#        \/
+#       Start
+#
+# Expect D -> A
+
+package main;
+
+@Start::ISA = ('D', 'E');
+@D::ISA     = ('B', 'C');
+@B::ISA     = ('A');
+
+sub E::DESTROY { print "# E\nnot ok ", $_[0][0], "\n" }
+sub D::DESTROY { print "# D\nok ",     $_[0][0], "\n" }
+
+sub C::DESTROY { print "# C\nnot ok ", $_[0][0] + 1, "\n" }
+sub A::DESTROY { print "# A\nok ",     $_[0][0] + 1, "\n" }
+
+{
+    my $obj = bless [ 51 ], 'Start';
+    1;
+}
+
 # another glob test
 
-$foo = "not ok 48";
+$foo = "not ok 53";
 { local(*bar) = "foo" }
-$bar = "ok 48";
+$bar = "ok 53";
 local(*bar) = *bar;
 print "$bar\n";
 
 package FINALE;
 
 {
-    $ref3 = bless ["ok 51\n"];		# package destruction
-    my $ref2 = bless ["ok 50\n"];	# lexical destruction
-    local $ref1 = bless ["ok 49\n"];	# dynamic destruction
+    $ref3 = bless ["ok 56\n"];		# package destruction
+    my $ref2 = bless ["ok 55\n"];	# lexical destruction
+    local $ref1 = bless ["ok 54\n"];	# dynamic destruction
     1;					# flush any temp values on stack
 }