diff --git a/Lib/bsddb/test/test_replication.py b/Lib/bsddb/test/test_replication.py
--- a/Lib/bsddb/test/test_replication.py
+++ b/Lib/bsddb/test/test_replication.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 import os
 import time
 import unittest
-import weakref
 
 from test_all import db, test_support, have_threads, verbose, \
         get_new_environment_path, get_new_database_path
@@ -12,7 +11,7 @@
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-class DBReplicationManager(unittest.TestCase):
+class DBReplication(unittest.TestCase):
     import sys
     if sys.version_info[:3] < (2, 4, 0):
         def assertTrue(self, expr, msg=None):
@@ -35,16 +34,13 @@
                 | db.DB_INIT_LOG | db.DB_INIT_MPOOL | db.DB_INIT_LOCK |
                 db.DB_INIT_REP | db.DB_RECOVER | db.DB_THREAD, 0666)
 
-        wr = weakref.ref(self)
         self.confirmed_master=self.client_startupdone=False
         def confirmed_master(a,b,c) :
             if b==db.DB_EVENT_REP_MASTER :
-                self = wr()
                 self.confirmed_master=True
 
         def client_startupdone(a,b,c) :
             if b==db.DB_EVENT_REP_STARTUPDONE :
-                self = wr()
                 self.client_startupdone=True
 
         self.dbenvMaster.set_event_notify(confirmed_master)
@@ -63,11 +59,21 @@
             self.dbClient.close()
         if self.dbMaster :
             self.dbMaster.close()
+
+        # Here we assign dummy event handlers to allow GC of the test object.
+        # Since the dummy handler doesn't use any outer scope variable, it
+        # doesn't keep any reference to the test object.
+        def dummy(a,b,c) :
+            pass
+        self.dbenvMaster.set_event_notify(dummy)
+        self.dbenvClient.set_event_notify(dummy)
+
         self.dbenvClient.close()
         self.dbenvMaster.close()
         test_support.rmtree(self.homeDirClient)
         test_support.rmtree(self.homeDirMaster)
 
+class DBReplicationManager(DBReplication) :
     def test01_basic_replication(self) :
         master_port = test_support.find_unused_port()
         self.dbenvMaster.repmgr_set_local_site("127.0.0.1", master_port)
@@ -197,18 +203,15 @@
         self.assertTrue(time.time()<timeout)
         self.assertEquals(None, v)
 
-class DBBaseReplication(DBReplicationManager):
+class DBBaseReplication(DBReplication):
     def setUp(self) :
-        DBReplicationManager.setUp(self)
-        wr = weakref.ref(self)
+        DBReplication.setUp(self)
         def confirmed_master(a,b,c) :
             if (b == db.DB_EVENT_REP_MASTER) or (b == db.DB_EVENT_REP_ELECTED) :
-                self = wr()
                 self.confirmed_master = True
 
         def client_startupdone(a,b,c) :
             if b == db.DB_EVENT_REP_STARTUPDONE :
-                self = wr()
                 self.client_startupdone = True
 
         self.dbenvMaster.set_event_notify(confirmed_master)
@@ -221,11 +224,9 @@
         # There are only two nodes, so we don't need to
         # do any routing decision
         def m2c(dbenv, control, rec, lsnp, envid, flags) :
-            self = wr()
             self.m2c.put((control, rec))
 
         def c2m(dbenv, control, rec, lsnp, envid, flags) :
-            self = wr()
             self.c2m.put((control, rec))
 
         self.dbenvMaster.rep_set_transport(13,m2c)
@@ -242,12 +243,10 @@
         #self.dbenvClient.set_verbose(db.DB_VERB_FILEOPS_ALL, True)
 
         def thread_master() :
-            self = wr()
             return self.thread_do(self.dbenvMaster, self.c2m, 3,
                     self.master_doing_election, True)
 
         def thread_client() :
-            self = wr()
             return self.thread_do(self.dbenvClient, self.m2c, 13,
                     self.client_doing_election, False)
 
@@ -280,6 +279,19 @@
         self.c2m.put(None)
         self.t_m.join()
         self.t_c.join()
+
+        # Here we assign dummy event handlers to allow GC of the test object.
+        # Since the dummy handler doesn't use any outer scope variable, it
+        # doesn't keep any reference to the test object.
+        def dummy(a,b,c) :
+            pass
+        self.dbenvMaster.set_event_notify(dummy)
+        self.dbenvClient.set_event_notify(dummy)
+        def dummy(a,b,c,d,e,f) :
+            pass
+        self.dbenvMaster.rep_set_transport(13,dummy)
+        self.dbenvClient.rep_set_transport(3,dummy)
+
         self.dbenvClient.close()
         self.dbenvMaster.close()
         test_support.rmtree(self.homeDirClient)