diff --git a/priority.go b/priority.go
index 67aee4c..481c12d 100644
--- a/priority.go
+++ b/priority.go
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ func (h *priorityHeap[T]) Pop() any {
 
 	elem := h.elems[n-1]
 
+	var zero T
+
+	h.elems[n-1] = zero
+
 	h.elems = h.elems[0 : n-1]
 
 	return elem
diff --git a/priority_test.go b/priority_test.go
index 05277ee..b223e31 100644
--- a/priority_test.go
+++ b/priority_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ func TestPriority(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("CapacityLesserThanLenElems", testPriorityCapacityLesserThanLenElems)
 	t.Run("Offer", testPriorityOffer)
 	t.Run("Get", testPriorityGet)
+	t.Run("GetReleasesReference", testPriorityGetReleasesReference)
 	t.Run("Clear", testPriorityClear)
 	t.Run("Contains", testPriorityContains)
 	t.Run("Iterator", testPriorityIterator)
@@ -35,6 +36,51 @@ func TestPriority(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("ResetReleasesExtras", testPriorityResetReleasesExtras)
 }
 
+func testPriorityGetReleasesReference(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	type payload struct{ id int }
+
+	var pq *queue.Priority[*payload]
+
+	finalized := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+
+	func() {
+		p := &payload{id: 42}
+
+		runtime.SetFinalizer(p, func(*payload) { finalized <- struct{}{} })
+
+		pq = queue.NewPriority[*payload](nil, func(a, b *payload) bool { return a.id < b.id })
+
+		if err := pq.Offer(p); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("offer: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		got, err := pq.Get()
+		if err != nil || got != p {
+			t.Fatalf("get: %v, %v", got, err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	deadline := time.After(time.Second)
+
+	for {
+		runtime.GC() //nolint:revive // explicit GC needed to drive finalizer
+
+		select {
+		case <-finalized:
+			runtime.KeepAlive(pq)
+
+			return
+		case <-deadline:
+			runtime.KeepAlive(pq)
+			t.Fatal("popped element not finalized; backing array still holds it")
+		default:
+			time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func testPriorityResetReleasesExtras(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()