https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=106991
--- Comment #3 from AK <hiraditya at msn dot com> --- Thanks for identifying the underlying issue @Jan After modifying the definition of operator delete. gcc does optimize it at -O3 as well. https://godbolt.org/z/1WPqaWrEr // source code #include<cassert> #include<cstdlib> int volatile gv = 0; void* operator new(long unsigned sz ) { ++gv; return malloc( sz ); } void operator delete(void *p, unsigned long) noexcept { --gv; free(p); } class c { int l; public: c() : l(0) {} int get(){ return l; } }; int caller( void ){ c *f = new c(); assert( f->get() == 0 ); delete f; return gv; } $ $ g++ -std=c++20 -O3 ``` operator new(unsigned long): mov eax, DWORD PTR gv[rip] add eax, 1 mov DWORD PTR gv[rip], eax jmp malloc operator delete(void*, unsigned long): mov eax, DWORD PTR gv[rip] sub eax, 1 mov DWORD PTR gv[rip], eax jmp free caller(): mov eax, DWORD PTR gv[rip] add eax, 1 mov DWORD PTR gv[rip], eax mov eax, DWORD PTR gv[rip] sub eax, 1 mov DWORD PTR gv[rip], eax mov eax, DWORD PTR gv[rip] ret gv: .zero 4 ```