diff --git a/urdf/CMakeLists.txt b/urdf/CMakeLists.txt
index 1576919..76c8c7f 100644
--- a/urdf/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/urdf/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ rosbuild_add_boost_directories()
 rosbuild_add_executable(urdf_check src/urdf_check.cpp)
 target_link_libraries(urdf_check ${PROJECT_NAME})
 
+rosbuild_add_executable(mem_test test/memtest.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(mem_test ${PROJECT_NAME})
+
+
 rosbuild_add_executable(test_parser EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL test/test_robot_model_parser.cpp)
 rosbuild_add_gtest_build_flags(test_parser)
 target_link_libraries(test_parser ${PROJECT_NAME})
diff --git a/urdf/include/urdf/link.h b/urdf/include/urdf/link.h
index b5722fa..6dc90e2 100644
--- a/urdf/include/urdf/link.h
+++ b/urdf/include/urdf/link.h
@@ -206,12 +206,16 @@ public:
   ///   every link can have one parent
   boost::shared_ptr<Joint> parent_joint;
   /// Get Parent Link throught the Parent Joint
-  boost::shared_ptr<Link> parent_link;
+  boost::shared_ptr<Link> parent_link __attribute__((deprecated));  // use getParent() instead
 
   std::vector<boost::shared_ptr<Joint> > child_joints;
   std::vector<boost::shared_ptr<Link> > child_links;
 
   bool initXml(TiXmlElement* config);
+
+  boost::shared_ptr<Link> getParent() const
+  {return parent_link_.lock();};
+
   void setParent(boost::shared_ptr<Link> parent);
 
   void clear()
@@ -228,6 +232,10 @@ public:
   void setParentJoint(boost::shared_ptr<Joint> child);
   void addChild(boost::shared_ptr<Link> child);
   void addChildJoint(boost::shared_ptr<Joint> child);
+
+private:
+  boost::weak_ptr<Link> parent_link_;
+
 };
 
 
diff --git a/urdf/src/link.cpp b/urdf/src/link.cpp
index a979a67..1d56b8e 100644
--- a/urdf/src/link.cpp
+++ b/urdf/src/link.cpp
@@ -407,6 +407,7 @@ bool Link::initXml(TiXmlElement* config)
 void Link::setParent(boost::shared_ptr<Link> parent)
 {
   this->parent_link = parent;
+  this->parent_link_ = parent;
   ROS_DEBUG("set parent Link '%s' for Link '%s'", parent->name.c_str(), this->name.c_str());
 }
 
diff --git a/urdf/test/memtest.cpp b/urdf/test/memtest.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e699d54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/urdf/test/memtest.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <urdf/model.h>
+#include <ros/ros.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv){
+  ros::init(argc, argv, "memtest");
+  while (ros::ok()){
+    urdf::Model urdf;
+    urdf.initFile(std::string(argv[1]));
+  }
+}