diff --git a/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/Makefile.in b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/Makefile.in
index c24453452db..12185328a8c 100644
--- a/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/Makefile.in
+++ b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/Makefile.in
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ IPDLTESTS = \
   TestCrashCleanup \
   TestDataStructures \
   TestDesc \
+  TestFailedCtor \
   TestHangs \
   TestJSON \
   TestLatency \
diff --git a/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/PTestFailedCtor.ipdl b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/PTestFailedCtor.ipdl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f71de11b7b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/PTestFailedCtor.ipdl
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+include protocol PTestFailedCtorSub;
+
+namespace mozilla {
+namespace _ipdltest {
+
+rpc protocol PTestFailedCtor {
+    manages PTestFailedCtorSub; 
+child:
+    rpc PTestFailedCtorSub();
+    __delete__();
+
+state CONSTRUCT:
+    call PTestFailedCtorSub goto DEAD;
+state DEAD:
+    send __delete__;
+};
+
+}
+}
diff --git a/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/PTestFailedCtorSub.ipdl b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/PTestFailedCtorSub.ipdl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4ccc8926b5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/PTestFailedCtorSub.ipdl
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+include protocol PTestFailedCtor;
+include protocol PTestFailedCtorSubsub;
+
+namespace mozilla {
+namespace _ipdltest {
+
+rpc protocol PTestFailedCtorSub {
+    manager PTestFailedCtor;
+    manages PTestFailedCtorSubsub;
+
+parent:
+    async PTestFailedCtorSubsub();
+    sync Sync();
+    __delete__();
+};
+
+}
+}
diff --git a/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/PTestFailedCtorSubsub.ipdl b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/PTestFailedCtorSubsub.ipdl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..101841bffd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/PTestFailedCtorSubsub.ipdl
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+
+include protocol PTestFailedCtorSub;
+
+namespace mozilla {
+namespace _ipdltest {
+
+rpc protocol PTestFailedCtorSubsub {
+    manager PTestFailedCtorSub;
+
+parent:
+     __delete__();
+};
+
+}
+}
diff --git a/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/TestFailedCtor.cpp b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/TestFailedCtor.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e673cd8966d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/TestFailedCtor.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+#include "TestFailedCtor.h"
+
+#include "IPDLUnitTests.h"      // fail etc.
+
+namespace mozilla {
+namespace _ipdltest {
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// parent
+void
+TestFailedCtorParent::Main()
+{
+    PTestFailedCtorSubParent* p = CallPTestFailedCtorSubConstructor();
+    if (p)
+        fail("expected ctor to fail");
+
+    Close();
+}
+
+PTestFailedCtorSubParent*
+TestFailedCtorParent::AllocPTestFailedCtorSub()
+{
+    return new TestFailedCtorSubParent();
+}
+bool
+TestFailedCtorParent::DeallocPTestFailedCtorSub(PTestFailedCtorSubParent* actor)
+{
+    delete actor;
+    return true;
+}
+
+PTestFailedCtorSubsubParent*
+TestFailedCtorSubParent::AllocPTestFailedCtorSubsub()
+{
+    TestFailedCtorSubsub* a = new TestFailedCtorSubsub();
+    if (!mOne) {
+        return mOne = a;
+    } else if (!mTwo) {
+        return mTwo = a;
+    } else if (!mThree) {
+        return mThree = a;
+    } else {
+        fail("unexpected Alloc()");
+        return nsnull;
+    }
+}
+bool
+TestFailedCtorSubParent::DeallocPTestFailedCtorSubsub(PTestFailedCtorSubsubParent* actor)
+{
+    static_cast<TestFailedCtorSubsub*>(actor)->mDealloced = true;
+    return true;
+}
+
+void
+TestFailedCtorSubParent::ActorDestroy(ActorDestroyReason why)
+{
+
+    if (mOne->mWhy != Deletion)
+        fail("Subsub one got wrong ActorDestroyReason");
+    if (mTwo->mWhy != AncestorDeletion)
+        fail("Subsub two got wrong ActorDestroyReason");
+    if (mThree->mWhy != AncestorDeletion)
+        fail("Subsub three got wrong ActorDestroyReason");
+
+    if (FailedConstructor != why)
+        fail("unexpected destruction!");
+}
+
+TestFailedCtorSubParent::~TestFailedCtorSubParent()
+{
+    if (!(mOne->mDealloced && mTwo->mDealloced && mThree->mDealloced))
+        fail("Not all subsubs were Dealloc'd");
+    delete mOne;
+    delete mTwo;
+    delete mThree;
+}
+
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// child
+
+PTestFailedCtorSubChild*
+TestFailedCtorChild::AllocPTestFailedCtorSub()
+{
+    return new TestFailedCtorSubChild();
+}
+
+bool
+TestFailedCtorChild::AnswerPTestFailedCtorSubConstructor(PTestFailedCtorSubChild* actor)
+{
+    PTestFailedCtorSubsubChild* c1 = actor->SendPTestFailedCtorSubsubConstructor();
+    PTestFailedCtorSubsubChild::Send__delete__(c1);
+
+    if (!actor->SendPTestFailedCtorSubsubConstructor() ||
+        !actor->SendPTestFailedCtorSubsubConstructor() ||
+        !actor->SendSync())
+        fail("setting up test");
+
+    // This causes our process to die
+    return false;
+}
+
+bool
+TestFailedCtorChild::DeallocPTestFailedCtorSub(PTestFailedCtorSubChild* actor)
+{
+    delete actor;
+    return true;
+}
+
+void
+TestFailedCtorChild::ProcessingError(Result what)
+{
+    _exit(0);
+}
+
+PTestFailedCtorSubsubChild*
+TestFailedCtorSubChild::AllocPTestFailedCtorSubsub()
+{
+    return new TestFailedCtorSubsub();
+}
+
+bool
+TestFailedCtorSubChild::DeallocPTestFailedCtorSubsub(PTestFailedCtorSubsubChild* actor)
+{
+    delete actor;
+    return true;
+}
+
+void
+TestFailedCtorSubChild::ActorDestroy(ActorDestroyReason why)
+{
+}
+
+
+} // namespace _ipdltest
+} // namespace mozilla
diff --git a/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/TestFailedCtor.h b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/TestFailedCtor.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..29e7bc524f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/TestFailedCtor.h
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+#ifndef mozilla_ipdltest_TestFailedCtor_h
+#define mozilla_ipdltest_TestFailedCtor_h
+
+#include "mozilla/_ipdltest/IPDLUnitTests.h"
+
+#include "mozilla/_ipdltest/PTestFailedCtorParent.h"
+#include "mozilla/_ipdltest/PTestFailedCtorChild.h"
+
+#include "mozilla/_ipdltest/PTestFailedCtorSubParent.h"
+#include "mozilla/_ipdltest/PTestFailedCtorSubChild.h"
+
+#include "mozilla/_ipdltest/PTestFailedCtorSubsubParent.h"
+#include "mozilla/_ipdltest/PTestFailedCtorSubsubChild.h"
+
+namespace mozilla {
+namespace _ipdltest {
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Top-level
+//
+class TestFailedCtorParent :
+    public PTestFailedCtorParent
+{
+public:
+    TestFailedCtorParent() { }
+    virtual ~TestFailedCtorParent() { }
+
+    void Main();
+
+protected:
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual PTestFailedCtorSubParent* AllocPTestFailedCtorSub();
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual bool DeallocPTestFailedCtorSub(PTestFailedCtorSubParent* actor);
+
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual void ActorDestroy(ActorDestroyReason why)
+    {
+        if (AbnormalShutdown != why)
+            fail("unexpected destruction!");  
+        passed("ok");
+        QuitParent();
+    }
+};
+
+
+class TestFailedCtorChild :
+    public PTestFailedCtorChild
+{
+public:
+    TestFailedCtorChild() { }
+    virtual ~TestFailedCtorChild() { }
+
+protected:
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual PTestFailedCtorSubChild* AllocPTestFailedCtorSub();
+
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual bool AnswerPTestFailedCtorSubConstructor(PTestFailedCtorSubChild* actor);
+
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual bool DeallocPTestFailedCtorSub(PTestFailedCtorSubChild* actor);
+
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual void ProcessingError(Result what);
+
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual void ActorDestroy(ActorDestroyReason why)
+    {
+        fail("should have _exit()ed");
+    }
+};
+
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// First descendent
+//
+class TestFailedCtorSubsub;
+
+class TestFailedCtorSubParent :
+    public PTestFailedCtorSubParent
+{
+public:
+    TestFailedCtorSubParent() : mOne(NULL), mTwo(NULL), mThree(NULL) { }
+    virtual ~TestFailedCtorSubParent();
+
+protected:
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual PTestFailedCtorSubsubParent* AllocPTestFailedCtorSubsub();
+
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual bool DeallocPTestFailedCtorSubsub(PTestFailedCtorSubsubParent* actor);
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual bool RecvSync() { return true; }
+
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual void ActorDestroy(ActorDestroyReason why);
+
+    TestFailedCtorSubsub* mOne;
+    TestFailedCtorSubsub* mTwo;
+    TestFailedCtorSubsub* mThree;
+};
+
+
+class TestFailedCtorSubChild :
+    public PTestFailedCtorSubChild
+{
+public:
+    TestFailedCtorSubChild() { }
+    virtual ~TestFailedCtorSubChild() { }
+
+protected:
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual PTestFailedCtorSubsubChild* AllocPTestFailedCtorSubsub();
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual bool DeallocPTestFailedCtorSubsub(PTestFailedCtorSubsubChild* actor);
+
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual void ActorDestroy(ActorDestroyReason why);
+};
+
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Grand-descendent
+//
+class TestFailedCtorSubsub :
+        public PTestFailedCtorSubsubParent,
+        public PTestFailedCtorSubsubChild
+{
+public:
+    TestFailedCtorSubsub() : mWhy(ActorDestroyReason(-1)), mDealloced(false) {}
+    virtual ~TestFailedCtorSubsub() {}
+
+    NS_OVERRIDE
+    virtual void ActorDestroy(ActorDestroyReason why) { mWhy = why; }
+
+    ActorDestroyReason mWhy;
+    bool mDealloced;
+};
+
+
+}
+}
+
+#endif // ifndef mozilla_ipdltest_TestFailedCtor_h
diff --git a/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/ipdl.mk b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/ipdl.mk
index 35257e6c45f..7ac17d9031d 100644
--- a/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/ipdl.mk
+++ b/ipc/ipdl/test/cxx/ipdl.mk
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ IPDLSRCS =					\
   PTestDesc.ipdl				\
   PTestDescSub.ipdl				\
   PTestDescSubsub.ipdl				\
+  PTestFailedCtor.ipdl				\
+  PTestFailedCtorSub.ipdl			\
+  PTestFailedCtorSubsub.ipdl			\
   PTestHandle.ipdl				\
   PTestHangs.ipdl				\
   PTestJSON.ipdl				\