Beams of Pinus radiata D. Don in the green condition were bent and kept bent while drying under a variety of regimes. After release from their clamps they were subjected to humidity cycles during which the changes in residual deflection were measured. The experiments demonstrated the influence of elevated temperature on subsequent behaviour. The stress in the clamped beams tended to relax more when the temperature during drying increased temporarily to 80 degrees C than when it was held constant at 25 degrees C. The consequent residual deformation could not be as readily reduced by cycling of the humidity. No such influence on the recovery of mechano-sorptive deformation was observed after either a temporary moisture increase in the clamped beams, or a delay in the introduction of a moisture cycle after unclamping. Residual deformation and recovery appeared to be proportional to prior stress.