diff --git a/src/skiplist.cc b/src/skiplist.cc
index b64c060..85ea202 100644
--- a/src/skiplist.cc
+++ b/src/skiplist.cc
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ void skiplist_init(skiplist_raw *slist,
     // for +17M items, complexity will grow linearly: O(k lg n).
     slist->fanout = 4;
     slist->max_layer = 12;
+    slist->num_entries = 0;
 
     skiplist_init_node(&slist->head);
     skiplist_init_node(&slist->tail);
@@ -155,6 +156,12 @@ void skiplist_free_node(skiplist_node *node)
     FREE_NODE_PTR(node->next);
 }
 
+size_t skiplist_get_size(skiplist_raw* slist) {
+    uint32_t val;
+    ATM_LOAD(slist->num_entries, val);
+    return val;
+}
+
 skiplist_raw_config skiplist_get_default_config()
 {
     skiplist_raw_config ret;
@@ -464,6 +471,7 @@ void skiplist_insert(skiplist_raw *slist,
             // modification is done for all layers
             _sl_clr_flags(prevs, 0, top_layer);
             ATM_FETCH_SUB(cur_node->ref_count, 1);
+            ATM_FETCH_ADD(slist->num_entries, 1);
             return;
         } while (cur_node != &slist->tail);
     }
@@ -679,6 +687,7 @@ int skiplist_erase_node(skiplist_raw *slist,
     ATM_FETCH_SUB(cur_node->ref_count, 1);
 
     ATM_STORE(node->being_modified, bool_false);
+    ATM_FETCH_SUB(slist->num_entries, 1);
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -714,9 +723,6 @@ int skiplist_erase(skiplist_raw *slist,
     return ret;
 }
 
-
-#include <assert.h>
-
 int skiplist_is_safe_to_free(skiplist_node* node) {
     if (node->accessing_next) return 0;
     if (node->being_modified) return 0;
@@ -733,7 +739,7 @@ void skiplist_grab_node(skiplist_node* node) {
 }
 
 void skiplist_release_node(skiplist_node* node) {
-    assert(node->ref_count);
+    __SLD_ASSERT(node->ref_count);
     ATM_FETCH_SUB(node->ref_count, 1);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/skiplist.h b/src/skiplist.h
index 860e688..d4fa707 100644
--- a/src/skiplist.h
+++ b/src/skiplist.h
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ typedef struct {
     skiplist_node tail;
     skiplist_cmp_t *cmp_func;
     void *aux;
+    atm_uint32_t num_entries;
     uint8_t fanout;
     uint8_t max_layer;
 } skiplist_raw;
@@ -94,6 +95,8 @@ void skiplist_free(skiplist_raw* slist);
 void skiplist_init_node(skiplist_node* node);
 void skiplist_free_node(skiplist_node* node);
 
+size_t skiplist_get_size(skiplist_raw* slist);
+
 skiplist_raw_config skiplist_get_default_config();
 skiplist_raw_config skiplist_get_config(skiplist_raw* slist);
 
diff --git a/tests/mt_itr_write_erase_test.cc b/tests/mt_itr_write_erase_test.cc
index 7c779ae..ebda85c 100644
--- a/tests/mt_itr_write_erase_test.cc
+++ b/tests/mt_itr_write_erase_test.cc
@@ -71,12 +71,11 @@ void itr_thread(ThreadArgs* args) {
     args->ret = _itr_thread(args);
 }
 
-void writer_thread(ThreadArgs* args) {
+int _writer_thread(ThreadArgs* args) {
     std::chrono::time_point<std::chrono::system_clock> start, cur;
     std::chrono::duration<double> elapsed;
 
     start = std::chrono::system_clock::now();
-
     do {
         int r;
         TestNode* node;
@@ -115,10 +114,26 @@ void writer_thread(ThreadArgs* args) {
         cur = std::chrono::system_clock::now();
         elapsed = cur - start;
     } while (args->duration_ms > elapsed.count() * 1000);
+
+    uint64_t c_check = 0;
+    skiplist_node* cursor = skiplist_begin(args->slist);
+    while (cursor) {
+        skiplist_node* temp_node = cursor;
+        cursor = skiplist_next(args->slist, cursor);
+        skiplist_release_node(temp_node);
+        c_check++;
+    }
+    if (cursor) skiplist_release_node(cursor);
+
+    CHK_EQ(c_check, skiplist_get_size(args->slist));
+    return 0;
+}
+
+void writer_thread(ThreadArgs* args) {
+    args->ret = _writer_thread(args);
 }
 
 int itr_write_erase() {
-    ThreadArgs args;
     std::thread iterator;
     std::thread writer;
     int num = 30000;
@@ -132,6 +147,8 @@ int itr_write_erase() {
         node[ii]->value = ii;
         skiplist_insert(&slist, &node[ii]->snode);
     }
+    CHK_EQ(num, (int)skiplist_get_size(&slist));
+
     for (int ii=0; ii<num; ii+=1) {
         CHK_EQ(0, node[ii]->snode.ref_count);
     }
@@ -143,15 +160,22 @@ int itr_write_erase() {
         CHK_EQ(0, node[ii]->snode.ref_count);
     }
 
-    args.slist = &slist;
-    args.duration_ms = 1000;
-    args.max_num = num;
-    iterator = std::thread(itr_thread, &args);
-    writer = std::thread(writer_thread, &args);
+    ThreadArgs args_itr;
+    ThreadArgs args_writer;
+    args_itr.slist = &slist;
+    args_itr.duration_ms = 1000;
+    args_itr.max_num = num;
+    args_itr.ret = 0;
+    args_writer = args_itr;
+    iterator = std::thread(itr_thread, &args_itr);
+    writer = std::thread(writer_thread, &args_writer);
 
     iterator.join();
     writer.join();
 
+    CHK_EQ(0, args_itr.ret);
+    CHK_EQ(0, args_writer.ret);
+
     for (int ii=0; ii<num; ii+=1) {
         CHK_EQ(0, node[ii]->snode.ref_count);
     }