diff --git a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/ExprRep.h b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/ExprRep.h
index 0e721dda16a8..a325930a2ab4 100644
--- a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/ExprRep.h
+++ b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/ExprRep.h
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ class CGAL_CORE_EXPORT ConstPolyRep : public ConstRep {
   }
 
   void operator delete( void *p, size_t ){
-    MemoryPool<ConstPolyRep>::global_allocator().free(p);
+    (MemoryPool<ConstPolyRep>::global_allocator().free)(p);
   }
 
 private:
@@ -1248,7 +1248,7 @@ void * AddSubRep<O>::operator new( size_t size)
 
 template <typename O>
 void AddSubRep<O>::operator delete( void *p, size_t )
-{ MemoryPool<AddSubRep<O> >::global_allocator().free(p); }
+{ (MemoryPool<AddSubRep<O> >::global_allocator().free)(p); }
 
 
 /// \typedef AddRep
diff --git a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/Impl.h b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/Impl.h
index 4ff8b4fa3d48..8ae4c53fe7d1 100644
--- a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/Impl.h
+++ b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/Impl.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
   { return MemoryPool<C<T> >::global_allocator().allocate(size); }        \
   template <typename T>                                                   \
   CGAL_INLINE_FUNCTION void C<T>::operator delete( void *p, size_t )      \
-  { MemoryPool<C<T> >::global_allocator().free(p); }
+  { (MemoryPool<C<T> >::global_allocator().free)(p); }
 #endif
 
 // include some common header files
diff --git a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/MemoryPool.h b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/MemoryPool.h
index 2db3de8736e1..d218a871bec5 100644
--- a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/MemoryPool.h
+++ b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/MemoryPool.h
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class MemoryPool {
 
 
    void* allocate(std::size_t size);
-   void free(void* p);
+   void free BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION (void* p);
 
   // Access the corresponding static global allocator.
   static MemoryPool<T,nObjects>& global_allocator() {
diff --git a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/RealRep.h b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/RealRep.h
index 1c5d0f13a405..f2ec1e90cb3b 100644
--- a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/RealRep.h
+++ b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/RealRep.h
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ void * Realbase_for<T>::operator new( size_t size)
 
 template <class T>
 void Realbase_for<T>::operator delete( void *p, size_t )
-{ MemoryPool<Realbase_for<T> >::global_allocator().free(p); }
+{ (MemoryPool<Realbase_for<T> >::global_allocator().free)(p); }
 
 typedef Realbase_for<long> RealLong;
 typedef Realbase_for<double> RealDouble;

diff --git a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/MemoryPool.h b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/MemoryPool.h
index d218a871bec5..1cfa96fa93d1 100644
--- a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/MemoryPool.h
+++ b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/MemoryPool.h
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ void* MemoryPool< T, nObjects >::allocate(std::size_t) {
 }
 
 template< class T, int nObjects >
-void MemoryPool< T, nObjects >::free(void* t) {
+void MemoryPool< T, nObjects >::free BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION (void* t) {
    CGAL_assertion(t != 0);
    if (t == 0) return; // for safety
    if(blocks.empty()){

diff --git a/BGL/include/CGAL/boost/graph/METIS/partition_dual_graph.h b/BGL/include/CGAL/boost/graph/METIS/partition_dual_graph.h
index 53f8968f86f4..9a217389d82e 100644
--- a/BGL/include/CGAL/boost/graph/METIS/partition_dual_graph.h
+++ b/BGL/include/CGAL/boost/graph/METIS/partition_dual_graph.h
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ void partition_dual_graph(const TriangleMesh& tm,
   delete[] eptr;
   delete[] eind;
 
-  std::free(npart);
-  std::free(epart);
+  (std::free)(npart);
+  (std::free)(epart);
 }
 
 template<typename TriangleMesh, typename NamedParameters>
diff --git a/BGL/include/CGAL/boost/graph/METIS/partition_graph.h b/BGL/include/CGAL/boost/graph/METIS/partition_graph.h
index 08926a641169..42f8c240f011 100644
--- a/BGL/include/CGAL/boost/graph/METIS/partition_graph.h
+++ b/BGL/include/CGAL/boost/graph/METIS/partition_graph.h
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ void partition_graph(const TriangleMesh& tm,
   delete[] eptr;
   delete[] eind;
 
-  std::free(npart);
-  std::free(epart);
+  (std::free)(npart);
+  (std::free)(epart);
 }
 
 template<typename TriangleMesh, typename NamedParameters>
diff --git a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/Impl.h b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/Impl.h
index 8ae4c53fe7d1..2e21aab5ac0a 100644
--- a/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/Impl.h
+++ b/CGAL_Core/include/CGAL/CORE/Impl.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
     CGAL_INLINE_FUNCTION void *T::operator new( size_t size)             \
     { return MemoryPool<T>::global_allocator().allocate(size); }         \
     CGAL_INLINE_FUNCTION void T::operator delete( void *p, size_t )      \
-    { MemoryPool<T>::global_allocator().free(p); }
+    { (MemoryPool<T>::global_allocator().free)(p); }
   #define CORE_MEMORY_IMPL_TEMPLATE_WITH_ONE_ARG(C)                       \
   template <typename T>                                                   \
   CGAL_INLINE_FUNCTION void *C<T>::operator new( size_t size)             \
diff --git a/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Elevation.h b/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Elevation.h
index 175b20b6a44e..9ea9f267cc46 100644
--- a/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Elevation.h
+++ b/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Elevation.h
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class Elevation : public Feature_base
           std::nth_element (z.begin(), z.begin() + (z.size() / 10), z.end());
           dtm_x(i,j) = z[z.size() / 10];
         }
-    dem.free();
+    (dem.free)();
 
     if (grid.width() * grid.height() > input.size())
       values.resize (input.size(), compressed_float(0));
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ class Elevation : public Feature_base
               values[*it] = v;
           }
         }
-    dtm_x.free();
+    (dtm_x.free)();
 
   }
 
diff --git a/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Height_above.h b/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Height_above.h
index b59b108c1aca..3c85d27f91e2 100644
--- a/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Height_above.h
+++ b/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Height_above.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class Height_above : public Feature_base
         std::size_t J = grid.y(i);
         values[i] = float(dtm(I,J) - get (point_map, *(input.begin() + i)).z());
       }
-      dtm.free();
+      (dtm.free)();
     }
 
   }
diff --git a/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Height_below.h b/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Height_below.h
index 223719341555..f71195dd3489 100644
--- a/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Height_below.h
+++ b/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Height_below.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class Height_below : public Feature_base
         std::size_t J = grid.y(i);
         values[i] = float(get (point_map, *(input.begin() + i)).z() - dtm(I,J));
       }
-      dtm.free();
+      (dtm.free)();
     }
 
   }
diff --git a/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Vertical_range.h b/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Vertical_range.h
index 45b9c98d3ee7..a4df1591c13f 100644
--- a/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Vertical_range.h
+++ b/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Feature/Vertical_range.h
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class Vertical_range : public Feature_base
         std::size_t J = grid.y(i);
         values[i] = dtm(I,J);
       }
-      dtm.free();
+      (dtm.free)();
     }
 
   }
diff --git a/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Image.h b/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Image.h
index 084e9572764a..3bd915f0b5d7 100644
--- a/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Image.h
+++ b/Classification/include/CGAL/Classification/Image.h
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class Image
   {
   }
 
-  void free()
+  void free BOOST_PREVENT_MACRO_SUBSTITUTION ()
   {
     m_raw.reset();
     m_sparse.reset();

diff --git a/Installation/include/CGAL/config.h b/Installation/include/CGAL/config.h
index bd5dafbf0171..92a4ac768f58 100644
--- a/Installation/include/CGAL/config.h
+++ b/Installation/include/CGAL/config.h
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef CGAL_INCLUDE_WINDOWS_DOT_H
+
+#if defined(_MSC_VER) && defined(_DEBUG)
+// Include support for memory leak detection
+// This is only available in debug mode and when _CRTDBG_MAP_ALLOC is defined.
+// It will include <crtdbg.h> which will redefine `malloc` and `free`.
+#  define _CRTDBG_MAP_ALLOC 1
+#endif
 // Mimic users including this file which defines min max macros
 // and other names leading to name clashes
 #include <windows.h>