diff --git a/modules/core/test/test_ptr.cpp b/modules/core/test/test_ptr.cpp
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/modules/core/test/test_ptr.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,389 @@
+/*M///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+//  IMPORTANT: READ BEFORE DOWNLOADING, COPYING, INSTALLING OR USING.
+//
+//  By downloading, copying, installing or using the software you agree to this license.
+//  If you do not agree to this license, do not download, install,
+//  copy or use the software.
+//
+//
+//                           License Agreement
+//                For Open Source Computer Vision Library
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2013, NVIDIA Corporation, all rights reserved.
+// Third party copyrights are property of their respective owners.
+//
+// Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
+// are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+//
+//   * Redistribution's of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
+//     this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+//
+//   * Redistribution's in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+//     this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+//     and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+//
+//   * The name of the copyright holders may not be used to endorse or promote products
+//     derived from this software without specific prior written permission.
+//
+// This software is provided by the copyright holders and contributors "as is" and
+// any express or implied warranties, including, but not limited to, the implied
+// warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed.
+// In no event shall the copyright holders or contributors be liable for any direct,
+// indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages
+// (including, but not limited to, procurement of substitute goods or services;
+// loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however caused
+// and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability,
+// or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of
+// the use of this software, even if advised of the possibility of such damage.
+//
+//M*/
+
+#include "test_precomp.hpp"
+
+using namespace cv;
+
+namespace {
+
+struct Reporter {
+    Reporter(bool* deleted) : deleted_(deleted)
+    { *deleted_ = false; }
+
+    // the destructor is virtual, so that we can test dynamic_cast later
+    virtual ~Reporter()
+    { *deleted_ = true; }
+
+private:
+    bool* deleted_;
+
+    Reporter(const Reporter&);
+    Reporter& operator = (const Reporter&);
+};
+
+struct ReportingDeleter {
+    ReportingDeleter(bool* deleted) : deleted_(deleted)
+    { *deleted_ = false; }
+
+    void operator()(void*)
+    { *deleted_ = true; }
+
+private:
+    bool* deleted_;
+};
+
+int dummyObject;
+
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, default_ctor)
+{
+    Ptr<int> p;
+    EXPECT_EQ(NULL, p.get());
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, owning_ctor)
+{
+    bool deleted = false;
+
+    {
+        Reporter* r = new Reporter(&deleted);
+        Ptr<void> p(r);
+        EXPECT_EQ(r, p.get());
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+
+    {
+        Ptr<int> p(&dummyObject, ReportingDeleter(&deleted));
+        EXPECT_EQ(&dummyObject, p.get());
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+
+    {
+        Ptr<void> p((void*)0, ReportingDeleter(&deleted));
+        EXPECT_EQ(NULL, p.get());
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_FALSE(deleted);
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, sharing_ctor)
+{
+    bool deleted = false;
+
+    {
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(new Reporter(&deleted));
+        Ptr<Reporter> p2(p1);
+        EXPECT_EQ(p1.get(), p2.get());
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+
+    {
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(new Reporter(&deleted));
+        Ptr<void> p2(p1);
+        EXPECT_EQ(p1.get(), p2.get());
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+
+    {
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(new Reporter(&deleted));
+        Ptr<int> p2(p1, &dummyObject);
+        EXPECT_EQ(&dummyObject, p2.get());
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, assignment)
+{
+    bool deleted1 = false, deleted2 = false;
+
+    {
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(new Reporter(&deleted1));
+        p1 = p1;
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted1);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted1);
+
+    {
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(new Reporter(&deleted1));
+        Ptr<Reporter> p2(new Reporter(&deleted2));
+        p2 = p1;
+        EXPECT_TRUE(deleted2);
+        EXPECT_EQ(p1.get(), p2.get());
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted1);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted1);
+
+    {
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(new Reporter(&deleted1));
+        Ptr<void> p2(new Reporter(&deleted2));
+        p2 = p1;
+        EXPECT_TRUE(deleted2);
+        EXPECT_EQ(p1.get(), p2.get());
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted1);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted1);
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, release)
+{
+    bool deleted = false;
+
+    Ptr<Reporter> p1(new Reporter(&deleted));
+    p1.release();
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+    EXPECT_EQ(NULL, p1.get());
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, reset)
+{
+    bool deleted_old = false, deleted_new = false;
+
+    {
+        Ptr<void> p(new Reporter(&deleted_old));
+        Reporter* r = new Reporter(&deleted_new);
+        p.reset(r);
+        EXPECT_TRUE(deleted_old);
+        EXPECT_EQ(r, p.get());
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted_new);
+
+    {
+        Ptr<void> p(new Reporter(&deleted_old));
+        p.reset(&dummyObject, ReportingDeleter(&deleted_new));
+        EXPECT_TRUE(deleted_old);
+        EXPECT_EQ(&dummyObject, p.get());
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted_new);
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, swap)
+{
+    bool deleted1 = false, deleted2 = false;
+
+    {
+        Reporter* r1 = new Reporter(&deleted1);
+        Reporter* r2 = new Reporter(&deleted2);
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(r1), p2(r2);
+        p1.swap(p2);
+        EXPECT_EQ(r1, p2.get());
+        EXPECT_EQ(r2, p1.get());
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted1);
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted2);
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_TRUE(deleted2);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted1);
+
+    {
+        Reporter* r1 = new Reporter(&deleted1);
+        Reporter* r2 = new Reporter(&deleted2);
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(r1), p2(r2);
+        swap(p1, p2);
+        EXPECT_EQ(r1, p2.get());
+        EXPECT_EQ(r2, p1.get());
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted1);
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted2);
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_TRUE(deleted2);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted1);
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, accessors)
+{
+    {
+        Ptr<int> p;
+        EXPECT_EQ(NULL, static_cast<int*>(p));
+        EXPECT_TRUE(p.empty());
+    }
+
+    {
+        Size* s = new Size();
+        Ptr<Size> p(s);
+        EXPECT_EQ(s, static_cast<Size*>(p));
+        EXPECT_EQ(s, &*p);
+        EXPECT_EQ(&s->width, &p->width);
+        EXPECT_FALSE(p.empty());
+    }
+}
+
+namespace {
+
+struct SubReporterBase {
+    virtual ~SubReporterBase() {}
+    int padding;
+};
+
+/* multiple inheritance, so that casts do something interesting */
+struct SubReporter : SubReporterBase, Reporter
+{
+    SubReporter(bool* deleted) : Reporter(deleted)
+    {}
+};
+
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, casts)
+{
+    bool deleted = false;
+
+    {
+        Ptr<const Reporter> p1(new Reporter(&deleted));
+        Ptr<Reporter> p2 = p1.constCast<Reporter>();
+        EXPECT_EQ(p1.get(), p2.get());
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+
+    {
+        SubReporter* sr = new SubReporter(&deleted);
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(sr);
+        // This next check isn't really for Ptr itself; it checks that Reporter
+        // is at a non-zero offset within SubReporter, so that the next
+        // check will give us more confidence that the cast actually did something.
+        EXPECT_NE(static_cast<void*>(sr), static_cast<void*>(p1.get()));
+        Ptr<SubReporter> p2 = p1.staticCast<SubReporter>();
+        EXPECT_EQ(sr, p2.get());
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+
+    {
+        SubReporter* sr = new SubReporter(&deleted);
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(sr);
+        EXPECT_NE(static_cast<void*>(sr), static_cast<void*>(p1.get()));
+        Ptr<void> p2 = p1.dynamicCast<void>();
+        EXPECT_EQ(sr, p2.get());
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+
+    {
+        Ptr<Reporter> p1(new Reporter(&deleted));
+        Ptr<SubReporter> p2 = p1.dynamicCast<SubReporter>();
+        EXPECT_EQ(NULL, p2.get());
+        p1.release();
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, comparisons)
+{
+    Ptr<int> p1, p2(new int), p3(new int);
+    Ptr<int> p4(p2, p3.get());
+
+    // Not using EXPECT_EQ here, since none of them are really "expected" or "actual".
+    EXPECT_TRUE(p1 == p1);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(p2 == p2);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(p2 != p3);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(p2 != p4);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(p3 == p4);
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, make)
+{
+    bool deleted = true;
+
+    {
+        Ptr<void> p = makePtr<Reporter>(&deleted);
+        EXPECT_FALSE(deleted);
+    }
+
+    EXPECT_TRUE(deleted);
+}
+
+namespace {
+
+struct SpeciallyDeletable
+{
+    SpeciallyDeletable() : deleted(false)
+    {}
+    bool deleted;
+};
+
+}
+
+namespace cv {
+
+template<>
+void DefaultDeleter<SpeciallyDeletable>::operator()(SpeciallyDeletable * obj) const
+{ obj->deleted = true; }
+
+}
+
+TEST(Core_Ptr, specialized_deleter)
+{
+    SpeciallyDeletable sd;
+
+    { Ptr<void> p(&sd); }
+
+    ASSERT_TRUE(sd.deleted);
+}