diff --git a/include/etl/bip_buffer_spsc_atomic.h b/include/etl/bip_buffer_spsc_atomic.h
index 100fc961..4b2427aa 100644
--- a/include/etl/bip_buffer_spsc_atomic.h
+++ b/include/etl/bip_buffer_spsc_atomic.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ SOFTWARE.
 #include "alignment.h"
 #include "parameter_type.h"
 #include "atomic.h"
+#include "memory.h"
 #include "memory_model.h"
 #include "integral_limits.h"
 #include "utility.h"
@@ -177,18 +178,8 @@ namespace etl
       return RESERVED;
     }
 
-    //*************************************************************************
-    /// Clears the buffer.
-    //*************************************************************************
-    void clear()
-    {
-      read.store(0, etl::memory_order_release);
-      write.store(0, etl::memory_order_release);
-      last.store(0, etl::memory_order_release);
-    }
-
   protected:
-     
+
     //*************************************************************************
     /// Construccts the buffer.
     //*************************************************************************
@@ -200,6 +191,14 @@ namespace etl
     {
     }
 
+    //*************************************************************************
+    void reset()
+    {
+      read.store(0, etl::memory_order_release);
+      write.store(0, etl::memory_order_release);
+      last.store(0, etl::memory_order_release);
+    }
+
     //*************************************************************************
     size_type get_write_reserve(size_type* psize)
     {
@@ -344,6 +343,7 @@ namespace etl
 
 #if defined(ETL_POLYMORPHIC_SPSC_BIP_BUFFER_ATOMIC) || defined(ETL_POLYMORPHIC_CONTAINERS)
   public:
+
     virtual ~bip_buffer_spsc_atomic_base()
     {
     }
@@ -363,15 +363,16 @@ namespace etl
   class ibip_buffer_spsc_atomic : public bip_buffer_spsc_atomic_base<MEMORY_MODEL>
   {
   private:
-    
+
     typedef typename etl::bip_buffer_spsc_atomic_base<MEMORY_MODEL> base_t;
+    using base_t::reset;
     using base_t::get_read_reserve;
     using base_t::apply_read_reserve;
     using base_t::get_write_reserve;
     using base_t::apply_write_reserve;
 
   public:
-    
+
     typedef T                          value_type;      ///< The type stored in the buffer.
     typedef T&                         reference;       ///< A reference to the type used in the buffer.
     typedef const T&                   const_reference; ///< A const reference to the type used in the buffer.
@@ -380,6 +381,8 @@ namespace etl
 #endif
     typedef typename base_t::size_type size_type;       ///< The type used for determining the size of the buffer.
 
+    using base_t::max_size;
+
     //*************************************************************************
     // Reserves a memory area for reading up to the max_reserve_size
     //*************************************************************************
@@ -424,6 +427,24 @@ namespace etl
       apply_write_reserve(windex, reserve.size());
     }
 
+    //*************************************************************************
+    /// Clears the buffer, destructing any elements that haven't been read.
+    //*************************************************************************
+    void clear()
+    {
+      // the buffer might be split into two contiguous blocks
+      for (auto reader = read_reserve(max_size()); reader.size() > 0; reader = read_reserve(max_size()))
+      {
+        destroy(reader.begin(), reader.end());
+        read_commit(reader);
+      }
+      // now the buffer is already empty
+      // resetting the buffer here is beneficial to have
+      // the whole buffer available for a single block,
+      // but it requires synchronization between the writer and reader threads
+      reset();
+    }
+
   protected:
 
     //*************************************************************************
@@ -444,7 +465,7 @@ namespace etl
     ibip_buffer_spsc_atomic& operator =(ibip_buffer_spsc_atomic&&) = delete;
 #endif
 
-    const T* p_buffer;
+    T* const p_buffer;
   };
 
   //***************************************************************************
@@ -475,11 +496,22 @@ namespace etl
 
     static ETL_CONSTANT size_type MAX_SIZE = size_type(SIZE);
 
+    //*************************************************************************
+    /// Default constructor.
+    //*************************************************************************
     bip_buffer_spsc_atomic()
       : base_t(reinterpret_cast<T*>(&buffer[0]), RESERVED_SIZE)
     {
     }
 
+    //*************************************************************************
+    /// Destructor.
+    //*************************************************************************
+    ~bip_buffer_spsc_atomic()
+    {
+      base_t::clear();
+    }
+
   private:
 
     /// The uninitialised buffer of T used in the bip_buffer_spsc.