diff --git a/tensorflow/go/tensor_handle.go b/tensorflow/go/tensor_handle.go
index befc1c43ba1..3b06773dd16 100644
--- a/tensorflow/go/tensor_handle.go
+++ b/tensorflow/go/tensor_handle.go
@@ -59,6 +59,13 @@ func (th *TensorHandle) finalizer() {
 	C.TFE_DeleteTensorHandle(th.c)
 }
 
+// newTensorHandleFromC takes ownership of c and returns the owning TensorHandle.
+func newTensorHandleFromC(c *C.TFE_TensorHandle) *TensorHandle {
+	th := &TensorHandle{c: c}
+	runtime.SetFinalizer(th, (*TensorHandle).finalizer)
+	return th
+}
+
 // DataType returns the TensorHandle's datatype.
 func (th *TensorHandle) DataType() DataType {
 	return DataType(C.TFE_TensorHandleDataType(th.c))
@@ -150,5 +157,5 @@ func (th *TensorHandle) CopyToDevice(c *Context, deviceName string) (*TensorHand
 	if err := status.Err(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return &TensorHandle{c: newTh}, nil
+	return newTensorHandleFromC(newTh), nil
 }