diff --git a/src/heap.c b/src/heap.c
index 5d0d4b8a..aab7e126 100644
--- a/src/heap.c
+++ b/src/heap.c
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ static void mi_heap_collect_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_collect_t collect)
     _mi_abandoned_reclaim_all(heap, &heap->tld->segments);
   }
   
-
   // if abandoning, mark all pages to no longer add to delayed_free
   if (collect == MI_ABANDON) {
     mi_heap_visit_pages(heap, &mi_heap_page_never_delayed_free, NULL, NULL);
@@ -150,12 +149,10 @@ static void mi_heap_collect_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_collect_t collect)
     _mi_segment_thread_collect(&heap->tld->segments);
   }
 
-  #ifndef NDEBUG
-  // collect regions
+  // collect regions on program-exit (or shared library unload)
   if (collect >= MI_FORCE && _mi_is_main_thread() && mi_heap_is_backing(heap)) {
     _mi_mem_collect(&heap->tld->os);
   }
-  #endif
 }
 
 void _mi_heap_collect_abandon(mi_heap_t* heap) {
diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index 602a2f7a..1724bd21 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -503,11 +503,15 @@ static void mi_process_done(void) {
   FlsSetValue(mi_fls_key, NULL);  // don't call main-thread callback
   FlsFree(mi_fls_key);            // call thread-done on all threads to prevent dangling callback pointer if statically linked with a DLL; Issue #208
   #endif
-  #ifndef NDEBUG
-  mi_collect(true);
+  
+  #if (MI_DEBUG != 0) || !defined(MI_SHARED_LIB)  
+  // free all memory if possible on process exit. This is not needed for a stand-alone process
+  // but should be done if mimalloc is statically linked into another shared library which
+  // is repeatedly loaded/unloaded, see issue #281.
+  mi_collect(true /* force */ );
   #endif
-  if (mi_option_is_enabled(mi_option_show_stats) ||
-      mi_option_is_enabled(mi_option_verbose)) {
+
+  if (mi_option_is_enabled(mi_option_show_stats) || mi_option_is_enabled(mi_option_verbose)) {
     mi_stats_print(NULL);
   }
   mi_allocator_done();