diff --git a/components/pthread/test/test_pthread_cxx.cpp b/components/pthread/test/test_pthread_cxx.cpp
index ced961d09..d207c1161 100644
--- a/components/pthread/test/test_pthread_cxx.cpp
+++ b/components/pthread/test/test_pthread_cxx.cpp
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ TEST_CASE("pthread C++", "[pthread]")
         std::cout << "Join thread " << std::hex << t4.get_id() << std::endl;
         t4.join();
     }
+
+    global_sp.reset(); // avoid reported leak
 }
 
 static void task_test_sandbox(void *arg)
diff --git a/tools/unit-test-app/components/unity/unity_platform.c b/tools/unit-test-app/components/unity/unity_platform.c
index d204530dc..7b96ae4f3 100644
--- a/tools/unit-test-app/components/unity/unity_platform.c
+++ b/tools/unit-test-app/components/unity/unity_platform.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "esp_log.h"
 #include "soc/cpu.h"
 #include "esp_heap_caps.h"
+#include "esp_heap_trace.h"
 #include "test_utils.h"
 
 #define unity_printf ets_printf
@@ -37,11 +38,26 @@ const size_t CRITICAL_LEAK_THRESHOLD = 4096;
 /* setUp runs before every test */
 void setUp(void)
 {
+// If heap tracing is enabled in kconfig, leak trace the test
+#ifdef CONFIG_HEAP_TRACING
+    const size_t num_heap_records = 80;
+    static heap_trace_record_t *record_buffer;
+    if (!record_buffer) {
+        record_buffer = malloc(sizeof(heap_trace_record_t) * num_heap_records);
+        assert(record_buffer);
+        heap_trace_init_standalone(record_buffer, num_heap_records);
+    }
+#endif
+
     printf("%s", ""); /* sneakily lazy-allocate the reent structure for this test task */
     get_test_data_partition();  /* allocate persistent partition table structures */
 
     before_free_8bit = heap_caps_get_free_size(MALLOC_CAP_8BIT);
     before_free_32bit = heap_caps_get_free_size(MALLOC_CAP_32BIT);
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_HEAP_TRACING
+    heap_trace_start(HEAP_TRACE_LEAKS);
+#endif
 }
 
 static void check_leak(size_t before_free, size_t after_free, const char *type)
@@ -76,6 +92,10 @@ void tearDown(void)
     TEST_ASSERT_MESSAGE( heap_caps_check_integrity(MALLOC_CAP_INVALID, true), "The test has corrupted the heap");
 
     /* check for leaks */
+#ifdef CONFIG_HEAP_TRACING
+    heap_trace_stop();
+    heap_trace_dump();
+#endif
     size_t after_free_8bit = heap_caps_get_free_size(MALLOC_CAP_8BIT);
     size_t after_free_32bit = heap_caps_get_free_size(MALLOC_CAP_32BIT);
 
diff --git a/tools/unit-test-app/sdkconfig b/tools/unit-test-app/sdkconfig
index 6816f4cb0..d9315630b 100644
--- a/tools/unit-test-app/sdkconfig
+++ b/tools/unit-test-app/sdkconfig
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ CONFIG_OPTIMIZATION_LEVEL_RELEASE=
 CONFIG_OPTIMIZATION_ASSERTIONS_ENABLED=y
 CONFIG_OPTIMIZATION_ASSERTIONS_SILENT=
 CONFIG_OPTIMIZATION_ASSERTIONS_DISABLED=
+CONFIG_CXX_EXCEPTIONS=
 
 #
 # Component config
@@ -277,8 +278,7 @@ CONFIG_FREERTOS_DEBUG_INTERNALS=
 CONFIG_HEAP_POISONING_DISABLED=
 CONFIG_HEAP_POISONING_LIGHT=
 CONFIG_HEAP_POISONING_COMPREHENSIVE=y
-CONFIG_HEAP_TRACING=y
-CONFIG_HEAP_TRACING_STACK_DEPTH=2
+CONFIG_HEAP_TRACING=
 
 #
 # libsodium