diff --git a/src/core/removable.ts b/src/core/removable.ts
index eea3e682bc..2e7aeb1beb 100644
--- a/src/core/removable.ts
+++ b/src/core/removable.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { isValidTimeout } from './utils'
+import { CompatWeakRef, isValidTimeout } from './utils'
 
 export abstract class Removable {
   cacheTime!: number
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@ export abstract class Removable {
     this.clearGcTimeout()
 
     if (isValidTimeout(this.cacheTime)) {
+      const thisRef = new CompatWeakRef(this)
+
       this.gcTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
-        this.optionalRemove()
+        thisRef.deref()?.optionalRemove()
       }, this.cacheTime)
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/core/tests/query.test.tsx b/src/core/tests/query.test.tsx
index f53ff9ad85..9abd6a2883 100644
--- a/src/core/tests/query.test.tsx
+++ b/src/core/tests/query.test.tsx
@@ -881,4 +881,39 @@ describe('query', () => {
 
     expect(initialDataUpdatedAtSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
+
+  test.skip('short cacheTime should not let a query self-reference to remain in memory', async () => {
+    let query
+
+    query = new QueryObserver(new QueryClient(), {
+      queryKey: queryKey(),
+      queryFn: async () => 'data',
+      cacheTime: 3,
+    }).getCurrentQuery()
+
+    const weakQuery = new WeakRef(query)
+    query = null
+
+    await sleep(30)
+    // global.gc() // This test needs node to run jest run with --expose-gc
+    expect(query).toBe(null)
+    expect(weakQuery.deref()).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+  test.skip('long cacheTime should not let a query self-reference to remain in memory', async () => {
+    let query
+
+    query = new QueryObserver(new QueryClient(), {
+      queryKey: queryKey(),
+      queryFn: async () => 'data',
+      cacheTime: 3000,
+    }).getCurrentQuery()
+
+    const weakQuery = new WeakRef(query)
+    query = null
+
+    await sleep(30)
+    // global.gc() // This test needs node to run jest run with --expose-gc
+    expect(query).toBe(null)
+    expect(weakQuery.deref()).toBeUndefined()
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/core/utils.ts b/src/core/utils.ts
index 0c4c9b0fcf..43585da994 100644
--- a/src/core/utils.ts
+++ b/src/core/utils.ts
@@ -413,3 +413,21 @@ export function getAbortController(): AbortController | undefined {
     return new AbortController()
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Gracefully degrade a WeakRef to a "StrongRef" if support is missing.
+ */
+const StrongRef = (function StrongRef<T extends object>(
+  this: { [Symbol.toStringTag]: 'WeakRef'; deref(): T | undefined },
+  target: T
+) {
+  this.deref = () => target
+
+  if (typeof Symbol === 'function' && typeof Symbol.toStringTag === 'symbol') {
+    this[Symbol.toStringTag] = 'WeakRef'
+  }
+} as Function) as {
+  readonly prototype: WeakRef<any>
+  new <T extends object>(target: T): WeakRef<T>
+}
+export const CompatWeakRef = typeof WeakRef === 'function' ? WeakRef : StrongRef