diff --git a/zend/base.cpp b/zend/base.cpp
index 4cb3cd85..ed6fe3bc 100644
--- a/zend/base.cpp
+++ b/zend/base.cpp
@@ -17,9 +17,8 @@ namespace Php {
  */
 void Base::__destruct() const
 {
-    // throw exception, so that the PHP-CPP library will check if the user
-    // somehow registered an explicit __destruct method
-    throw NotImplemented();
+    // destroy the object by default
+    zend_objects_destroy_object(_impl->php());
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/zend/classimpl.cpp b/zend/classimpl.cpp
index 6ff96c02..def3e706 100644
--- a/zend/classimpl.cpp
+++ b/zend/classimpl.cpp
@@ -1130,7 +1130,9 @@ void ClassImpl::destructObject(zend_object *object)
     }
     catch (const NotImplemented &exception)
     {
-        // fallback on the default destructor call
+        // fallback on the default destructor call in case a derived object
+        // of Base throws this. The default implementation will call this
+        // function in any case.
         zend_objects_destroy_object(object);
     }
     catch (Throwable &throwable)