Cache bounded reference counting for computer languages having automated memory management in which, for example, a reference to an object “Z” initially stored in an object “O” is fetched and the cache hardware is queried whether the reference to the object “Z” is a valid reference, is in a cache, and has a continuity flag set to “on”. If the object “Z” is a valid reference, is in the cache, and has a continuity flag set to “on”, the object “O” is locked for an update, a reference counter is decremented for the object “Z” if the object “Z” resides in the cache, and a return code is set to zero to indicate that the object “Z” is de-referenced and that its storage memory can be released and re-used if the reference counter for the object “Z” reaches zero. Thereafter, the cache hardware is similarly queried regarding an object “N” that will become a new reference of object “O”.