diff --git a/elfio/elfio_segment.hpp b/elfio/elfio_segment.hpp
index 6b0f81d..9ebb24d 100644
--- a/elfio/elfio_segment.hpp
+++ b/elfio/elfio_segment.hpp
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class segment
     ELFIO_GET_ACCESS_DECL( Elf64_Off, offset );
 
     virtual const char* get_data() const = 0;
+    virtual void free_data() const = 0;
 
     virtual Elf_Half add_section( section* psec, Elf_Xword addr_align ) = 0;
     virtual Elf_Half add_section_index( Elf_Half  index,
@@ -104,6 +105,12 @@ template <class T> class segment_impl : public segment
         return data.get();
     }
 
+    void free_data() const override
+    {
+        data.reset(nullptr);
+        is_lazy = true;
+    }
+
     //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Elf_Half add_section_index( Elf_Half  sec_index,
                                 Elf_Xword addr_align ) override