Computer-implemented techniques for preventing garbage object accumulation on minimal runtimes. The techniques include checking whether source code written in a source programming language that does not require the programmer to explicitly program when deallocation happens can run within a runtime that provides little or no support for implicit deallocation. At the same time, the techniques ensure that objects in minimal runtimes are deallocated in a timely manner. In one aspect, the techniques encompass generating a compile-time alert (e.g., an error or warning message) to a programmer of source code or halting compilation of the source code upon detecting a data type definition in the source code with the potential for reference cycles. With the techniques, the programmer is provided with an implicit deallocation experience while producing program fragments that interoperate with minimal runtimes that provide no or only minimal support for implicit deallocation (e.g., provide only reference counting).