diff --git a/src/DisplayModels/_PeopleModel.py b/src/DisplayModels/_PeopleModel.py
index d730d59f2..cfe92b76a 100644
--- a/src/DisplayModels/_PeopleModel.py
+++ b/src/DisplayModels/_PeopleModel.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Gramps - a GTK+/GNOME based genealogy program
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2000-2007  Donald N. Allingham
+# Copyright (C) 2009       Gary Burton
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -88,6 +89,9 @@ class NodeTreeMap(object):
         self.sortnames = {}
 
     def clear_temp_data(self):
+        del self.temp_iter2path
+        del self.temp_path2iter
+        del self.temp_sname_sub
         self.temp_iter2path = {}
         self.temp_path2iter = {}
         self.temp_sname_sub = {}
@@ -240,6 +244,10 @@ class PeopleModel(gtk.GenericTreeModel):
 
         self.db = db
         self.in_build = False
+        self.lru_data  = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
+        self.lru_name  = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
+        self.lru_bdate = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
+        self.lru_ddate = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
 
         Config.client.notify_add("/apps/gramps/preferences/todo-color",
                                  self.update_todo)
@@ -350,11 +358,8 @@ class PeopleModel(gtk.GenericTreeModel):
         """
         Calculate the new path to node values for the model.
         """
+        self.clear_cache()
         self.in_build  = True
-        self.lru_data  = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
-        self.lru_name  = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
-        self.lru_bdate = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
-        self.lru_ddate = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
 
         self.total = 0
         self.displayed = 0
@@ -373,10 +378,10 @@ class PeopleModel(gtk.GenericTreeModel):
         self.in_build  = False
 
     def clear_cache(self):
-        self.lru_data  = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
-        self.lru_name  = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
-        self.lru_bdate = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
-        self.lru_ddate = LRU(_CACHE_SIZE)
+        self.lru_name.clear()
+        self.lru_data.clear()
+        self.lru_bdate.clear()
+        self.lru_ddate.clear()
 
     def build_sub_entry(self, name):
         self.mapper.build_sub_entry(name)
diff --git a/src/Lru.py b/src/Lru.py
index 64858dc9e..ec623b240 100644
--- a/src/Lru.py
+++ b/src/Lru.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # This file is derived from the GPL program "PyPE"
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2003-2006  Josiah Carlson
+# Copyright (C) 2009       Gary Burton
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -144,3 +145,9 @@ class LRU(object):
         Return all items
         """
         return [data[0] for data in self.iteritems()]
+
+    def clear(self):
+        """
+        Empties LRU
+        """
+        self.data.clear()
diff --git a/src/Utils.py b/src/Utils.py
index 4ba5ff420..f7e07495b 100644
--- a/src/Utils.py
+++ b/src/Utils.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Gramps - a GTK+/GNOME based genealogy program
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2000-2007  Donald N. Allingham
+# Copyright (C) 2009       Gary Burton
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -590,7 +591,11 @@ def probably_alive(person, db, current_date=None, limit=0):
     # been alive in the current year then they must be dead.
 
     try:
-        if descendants_too_old(person, _MIN_GENERATION_YEARS):
+        age_too_old = descendants_too_old(person, _MIN_GENERATION_YEARS)
+        # Set to None otherwise there is a memory leak as this function
+        # is recursive
+        descendants_too_old = None
+        if age_too_old:
             return False
     except RuntimeError:
         raise Errors.DatabaseError(
@@ -653,7 +658,11 @@ def probably_alive(person, db, current_date=None, limit=0):
 
     # If there are ancestors that would be too old in the current year
     # then assume our person must be dead too.
-    if ancestors_too_old (person, current_date.get_year()):
+    # Set to None otherwise there is a memory leak as this function
+    # is recursive
+    age_too_old = ancestors_too_old (person, current_date.get_year())
+    ancestors_too_old = None
+    if age_too_old:
         return False
 
     # If we can't find any reason to believe that they are dead we
diff --git a/src/gen/utils/callback.py b/src/gen/utils/callback.py
index 3164f6303..04c98878d 100644
--- a/src/gen/utils/callback.py
+++ b/src/gen/utils/callback.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Gramps - a GTK+/GNOME based genealogy program
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2000-2005  Donald N. Allingham
+# Copyright (C) 2009       Gary Burton
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -258,6 +259,8 @@ class Callback(object):
                     # signal name clash
                     sys.stderr.write("Warning: signal name clash: %s\n" % str(k))
                 self.__signal_map[k] = v
+        # Set to None to prevent a memory leak in this recursive function
+        trav = None
 
         # self.__signal_map now contains the connonical list
         # of signals that this instance can emit.