diff --git a/build.yaml b/build.yaml
index cd6486ea290..23ce245efb2 100644
--- a/build.yaml
+++ b/build.yaml
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ filegroups:
   - include/grpc/support/useful.h
   headers:
   - src/core/lib/profiling/timers.h
+  - src/core/lib/support/abstract.h
   - src/core/lib/support/arena.h
   - src/core/lib/support/atomic.h
   - src/core/lib/support/atomic_with_atm.h
diff --git a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/internal.h b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/internal.h
index f3b10e56ad0..d883170a231 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/internal.h
+++ b/src/core/ext/transport/chttp2/transport/internal.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "src/core/lib/iomgr/combiner.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/iomgr/endpoint.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/iomgr/timer.h"
+#include "src/core/lib/support/abstract.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/support/manual_constructor.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/transport/connectivity_state.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/transport/transport_impl.h"
@@ -240,12 +241,15 @@ typedef enum {
 class AbstractBase {
  public:
   AbstractBase() {}
+  virtual ~AbstractBase() { gpr_log(GPR_ERROR, "base dtor"); }
   virtual void foo() { gpr_log(GPR_ERROR, "base"); }
+  GRPC_ABSTRACT_BASE_CLASS
 };
 
 class Derived : public AbstractBase {
  public:
   Derived() {}
+  virtual ~Derived() { gpr_log(GPR_ERROR, "derived dtor"); }
   void foo() override { gpr_log(GPR_ERROR, "derived"); }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/core/lib/support/abstract.h b/src/core/lib/support/abstract.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e8b8c094588
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/lib/support/abstract.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/*
+ *
+ * Copyright 2017 gRPC authors.
+ *
+ * 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.
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef GRPC_CORE_LIB_SUPPORT_ABSTRACT_H
+#define GRPC_CORE_LIB_SUPPORT_ABSTRACT_H
+
+// This is needed to support abstract base classes in the c core. Since gRPC
+// doesn't have a c++ runtime, it will hit a linker error on delete unless
+// a we define a virtual operator delete. See this blog for more info:
+// https://eli.thegreenplace.net/2015/c-deleting-destructors-and-virtual-operator-delete/
+#define GRPC_ABSTRACT_BASE_CLASS static void operator delete(void *p) { abort(); }
+
+#endif /* GRPC_CORE_LIB_SUPPORT_ABSTRACT_H */