diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index da458ea..bcad1a4 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,11 +41,14 @@ DEPENDS
 ##-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 list (APPEND sources
     vk.hpp
+
     fwd.hpp
     object.cpp
     object.hpp
+
     buffer.cpp
     buffer.hpp
+    callback.hpp
     command_buffer.cpp
     command_buffer.hpp
     command_pool.cpp
diff --git a/callback.hpp b/callback.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ac8244
--- /dev/null
+++ b/callback.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ *
+ * Copyright:
+ *      2017, Danny Robson <danny@nerdcruft.net>
+ */
+
+#ifndef CRUFT_VK_CALLACK_HPP
+#define CRUFT_VK_CALLACK_HPP
+
+#include "./object.hpp"
+#include "./fwd.hpp"
+
+namespace cruft::vk {
+    struct debug_report : public owned<debug_report,instance> {
+        using owned::owned;
+    };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/fwd.hpp b/fwd.hpp
index 24ba2c2..2cb687c 100644
--- a/fwd.hpp
+++ b/fwd.hpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ namespace cruft::vk {
     struct command_pool;
     struct device;
     struct device_memory;
+    struct debug_report;
     struct event;
     struct fence;
     struct framebuffer;
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ namespace cruft::vk {
         MAP0(FUNC, \
              buffer, \
              command_pool, \
+             debug_report, \
              device_memory, \
              framebuffer, \
              image_view, \
diff --git a/instance.hpp b/instance.hpp
index e865d02..0e87336 100644
--- a/instance.hpp
+++ b/instance.hpp
@@ -46,15 +46,15 @@ namespace cruft::vk {
                   util::view<const char**> extensions);
         instance (const create_info_t &info);
 
-        template <typename T>
-        T
+        template <typename FunctionT>
+        FunctionT
         proc (const char *name)
         {
             auto ret = vkGetInstanceProcAddr (native (), name);
             if (!ret)
                 throw vk::invalid_argument ("invalid procedure name");
 
-            return reinterpret_cast<T> (ret);
+            return reinterpret_cast<FunctionT> (ret);
         }
 
         std::set<std::string> extensions (void) const;
diff --git a/tools/hello.cpp b/tools/hello.cpp
index 7815678..622b822 100644
--- a/tools/hello.cpp
+++ b/tools/hello.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <cruft/vk/device_memory.hpp>
 #include <cruft/vk/swapchain.hpp>
 #include <cruft/vk/pipeline.hpp>
+#include <cruft/vk/callback.hpp>
 
 #include <GLFW/glfw3.h>
 #include <GLFW/glfw3native.h>
@@ -100,8 +101,9 @@ main (void)
         util::make_view (extensions.data (), extensions.data () + extensions.size ())
     );
 
-    {
-        VkDebugReportCallbackEXT callback;
+    load_traits (instance);
+
+    auto callback = [&instance] () {
         VkDebugReportCallbackCreateInfoEXT debug_info {};
         debug_info.sType = cruft::vk::structure_type_v<VkDebugReportCallbackCreateInfoEXT>;
         debug_info.flags = //VK_DEBUG_REPORT_INFORMATION_BIT_EXT |
@@ -112,12 +114,8 @@ main (void)
                            ;
         debug_info.pfnCallback = vk_debug_callback;
 
-        auto func = (decltype(&vkCreateDebugReportCallbackEXT))vkGetInstanceProcAddr (instance.native (),"vkCreateDebugReportCallbackEXT");
-
-        cruft::vk::error::try_func (
-            *func, instance.native (), &debug_info, nullptr, &callback
-        );
-    }
+        return cruft::vk::make_owned<cruft::vk::debug_report> (instance, &debug_info, nullptr);
+    } ();
 
     auto pdevices = cruft::vk::physical_device::find (instance);
     auto &pdevice = pdevices[0];
diff --git a/traits.cpp b/traits.cpp
index 4c1c4c4..5260dc0 100644
--- a/traits.cpp
+++ b/traits.cpp
@@ -17,5 +17,27 @@
 
 #include "./traits.hpp"
 
+#include "./instance.hpp"
+
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+#define INSTANTIATE(KLASS, NAME, FUNC) \
+decltype(FUNC)* cruft::vk::life_traits<KLASS>::NAME = nullptr
+
+INSTANTIATE(VkDebugReportCallbackEXT, create,  vkCreateDebugReportCallbackEXT);
+INSTANTIATE(VkDebugReportCallbackEXT, destroy, vkDestroyDebugReportCallbackEXT);
+
+
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void
+cruft::vk::load_traits (instance &i)
+{
+    #define LOAD(KLASS,NAME,FUNC) \
+    try { \
+        cruft::vk::life_traits<KLASS>::NAME = i.proc<decltype(&FUNC)> (#FUNC); \
+    } catch (const vk::invalid_argument&) \
+    { ; }
+
+    LOAD(VkDebugReportCallbackEXT, create,  vkCreateDebugReportCallbackEXT);
+    LOAD(VkDebugReportCallbackEXT, destroy, vkDestroyDebugReportCallbackEXT);
+}
diff --git a/traits.hpp b/traits.hpp
index 08f70c5..8bbd7b5 100644
--- a/traits.hpp
+++ b/traits.hpp
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ namespace cruft::vk {
     template <> struct native_traits<shader_module>     { using type = VkShaderModule; };
     template <> struct native_traits<surface>           { using type = VkSurfaceKHR; };
     template <> struct native_traits<swapchain>         { using type = VkSwapchainKHR; };
+    template <> struct native_traits<debug_report> { using type = VkDebugReportCallbackEXT; };
 
     //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
     template <>
@@ -172,6 +173,7 @@ namespace cruft::vk {
     template <> struct owner_traits<swapchain> { using type = device; };
     template <> struct owner_traits<pipeline<bindpoint::GRAPHICS>> { using type = device; };
     template <> struct owner_traits<pipeline<bindpoint::COMPUTE>> { using type = device; };
+    template <> struct owner_traits<debug_report> { using type = instance; };
 
     template <typename T>
     using owner_t = typename owner_traits<T>::type;
@@ -316,6 +318,22 @@ namespace cruft::vk {
     };
 
 
+    template <> struct life_traits<VkDebugReportCallbackEXT> {
+        static decltype(vkCreateDebugReportCallbackEXT) *create;
+        static decltype(vkDestroyDebugReportCallbackEXT) *destroy;
+    };
+
+
+    // loads all extension function pointers from an instance into the
+    // appropriate life_traits pointers where available.
+    //
+    // this is unambigiously the wrong way of doing things: each instance may
+    // have their own function pointers to each of the extension methods.
+    //
+    // but... we only support one instance for the time being, and this easier.
+    void load_traits (instance&);
+
+
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     template <typename T>
     struct wrapper_traits : public life_traits<native_t<T>> { };
@@ -341,6 +359,7 @@ namespace cruft::vk {
     /// describes the functions required to enumerate native types
     template <typename> struct enum_traits { };
 
+
     template <> struct enum_traits<VkPhysicalDevice> {
         static constexpr auto &enumerate = vkEnumeratePhysicalDevices;
     };