diff --git a/cxx/Makefile.am b/cxx/Makefile.am
index ce189f303..223478deb 100644
--- a/cxx/Makefile.am
+++ b/cxx/Makefile.am
@@ -27,16 +27,30 @@ run_nc4_tests.sh
 # create CDL files, which are compared with some reference files
 # shipped with the code. tst_failure is a program that is intended to
 # fail.
-TESTFILES = nctst$(EXEEXT) tst_failure$(EXEEXT) tst_many_writes$(EXEEXT)
+TESTFILES = nctst$(EXEEXT) tst_failure$(EXEEXT) 
 tst_many_writes_SOURCES = tst_many_writes.cpp
 nctst_SOURCES = nctst.cpp
 tst_failure_SOURCES = tst_failure.cpp
 XFAIL_TESTS = tst_failure$(EXEEXT)
 
+if USE_NETCDF4
+# This is for valgrind script.
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT=USE_NETCDF4=1
+# This is a netCDF-4 test.
+TESTFILES += tst_many_writes$(EXEEXT)
+tst_many_writes_SOURCES = tst_many_writes.cpp
+endif # USE_NETCDF4
+
 # Build and run these tests.
 check_PROGRAMS = $(TESTFILES)
 TESTS = $(TESTFILES)
 
+# This will run a bunch of the test programs with valgrind, the memory
+# checking tool. (Valgrind must be present for this to work.)
+if USE_VALGRIND_TESTS
+TESTS += run_valgrind_tests.sh
+endif # USE_VALGRIND_TESTS
+
 # If the utilities have been built, run these extra tests.
 if BUILD_UTILITIES
 TESTS += run_nc_tests.sh
diff --git a/cxx/run_valgrind_tests.sh b/cxx/run_valgrind_tests.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..4504007b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cxx/run_valgrind_tests.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# This shell runs the tests with valgrind.
+
+# $Id: run_valgrind_tests.sh,v 1.9 2010/01/26 20:24:18 ed Exp $
+
+set -e
+echo ""
+echo "Testing programs with valgrind..."
+
+# These are my test programs.
+list=""
+# If we are running with netcdf4, then add tst_atts
+if test "x$USE_NETCDF4" = "x1" ; then
+list="$list tst_many_writes"
+fi
+
+for tst in $list; do
+    echo ""
+    echo "Memory testing with $tst:"
+    valgrind -q --error-exitcode=2 --leak-check=full ./$tst
+done
+
+echo "SUCCESS!!!"
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/cxx/tst_many_writes.cpp b/cxx/tst_many_writes.cpp
index 5ff68ce53..35fb62aa3 100644
--- a/cxx/tst_many_writes.cpp
+++ b/cxx/tst_many_writes.cpp
@@ -36,10 +36,11 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
    int fileId, dimId, varId[NUMVARS];
    string filename("tst_many_writes.nc");
    
+   cout << "\n*** Testing netCDF-4 file with user-provided test (thanks Marica!)\n";
+
    try{
       //create the netcdf-4 file
       handle_error ( nc_create(filename.c_str(), NC_NETCDF4, &fileId) );
-      //cout << "Netcdf file " << filename << " successfully created..." << endl;
 
       //define the unlimited dimension "rec"
       handle_error ( nc_def_dim(fileId, "rec", NC_UNLIMITED, &dimId) ); //--> Segmentation Fault
@@ -57,8 +58,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
       }
       handle_error ( nc_enddef(fileId) );
       
-      cout << "Variables successfully defined." << endl;
-      
       //write data to the NUMVARS variables using nc_put_var1_double
       double data = 100;
       size_t index[1] ;
@@ -67,26 +66,22 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
       for (int v=0; v<NUMVARS; v++)
       {
       	 handle_error ( nc_inq_varname(fileId, varId[v], charName ) );
-      	 cout << "Writing data to variable <" << charName << ">" << endl;
 	 
       	 for (size_t i = 0; i< NUMREC  ; i++)
       	 {
-      	    if( ( i% 2000 )==0)
-      	       cout << "Record n." << i << endl;
       	    index[0] = i;
       	    handle_error ( nc_put_var1_double(fileId, varId[v], index, &data ) );
       	 }
       }
+
       //close file
       handle_error ( nc_close(fileId) );
-      
+      cout << "*** nctst SUCCESS!\n";      
    }
    catch(exception &ex) //exception handling
    {
       cerr << "Exception caught: " << ex.what() << endl;
+      cout << "*** nctst FAILURE!\n";
       return -1;
    }
-   
-   cout << "Test passed: file " << filename << " successfully written." << endl;
-   
 }