diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/DefaultPersistenceContext.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/DefaultPersistenceContext.java
index ba654782f..3ede05de1 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/DefaultPersistenceContext.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/DefaultPersistenceContext.java
@@ -275,20 +275,17 @@ public final class DefaultPersistenceContext implements SpiPersistenceContext {
       return null;
     }
 
-    private void put(Object id, Object b) {
+    private void put(Object id, Object bean) {
       Object existing;
       if (useReferences) {
         weakCount++;
-        existing = map.put(id, new BeanRef(this, id, b, queue));
+        existing = map.put(id, new BeanRef(this, id, bean, queue));
       } else {
-        existing = map.put(id, b);
+        existing = map.put(id, bean);
       }
-      // when existing BeanRef is replaced, it must not be processed by the queue.
-      // Removing from queue is not possible, so we set it to "dead" and skip 
-      // this reference in expunge. This prevents us from removing wrong keys.
-      
       if (existing instanceof BeanRef) {
-        ((BeanRef) existing).setDead();
+        // when a BeanRef is replaced, its expunge() must NOT remove an entry
+        ((BeanRef) existing).setReplaced();
         weakCount--;
       }
     }
@@ -339,7 +336,7 @@ public final class DefaultPersistenceContext implements SpiPersistenceContext {
 
     private final ClassContext classContext;
     private final Object key;
-    private boolean alive = true;
+    private boolean replaced;
 
     private BeanRef(ClassContext classContext, Object key, Object referent, ReferenceQueue<? super Object> q) {
       super(referent, q);
@@ -347,12 +344,12 @@ public final class DefaultPersistenceContext implements SpiPersistenceContext {
       this.key = key;
     }
 
-    private void setDead() {
-      alive = false;
+    private void setReplaced() {
+      replaced = true;
     }
 
     private void expunge() {
-      if (alive) {
+      if (!replaced) {
         classContext.remove(key);
       }
     }
diff --git a/ebean-test/src/test/java/org/tests/basic/TestPersistenceContext.java b/ebean-test/src/test/java/org/tests/basic/TestPersistenceContext.java
index 2f87bdc08..82788d8a0 100644
--- a/ebean-test/src/test/java/org/tests/basic/TestPersistenceContext.java
+++ b/ebean-test/src/test/java/org/tests/basic/TestPersistenceContext.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
 
 class TestPersistenceContext extends BaseTestCase {
 
-  
   @Test
   void testReload() {
     ResetBasicData.reset();
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ class TestPersistenceContext extends BaseTestCase {
       assertThat(notes.get(0).getTitle()).isEqualTo("FooBar");
     }
   }
-  
+
   @Test
   void test() {
     ResetBasicData.reset();
@@ -191,10 +190,10 @@ class TestPersistenceContext extends BaseTestCase {
       assertThat(pc.toString()).contains("Customer=size:200 (0 weak)");
     }
   }
-  
+
   @Disabled // run manually
   @Test
-  void testPcScopes_with_findEachFindList() throws InterruptedException {
+  void testPcScopes_with_findEachFindList() {
     for (int i = 0; i < 5000; i++) {
       Customer c = new Customer();
       c.setName("Customer #" + i);
@@ -203,7 +202,7 @@ class TestPersistenceContext extends BaseTestCase {
       o.setCustomer(c);
       DB.save(o);
     }
-    
+
     for (int i = 0; i < 1000; i++) {
       try (Transaction txn = DB.beginTransaction()) {
         List<Customer> customers = new ArrayList<>();
@@ -212,7 +211,7 @@ class TestPersistenceContext extends BaseTestCase {
         assertThat(pc.toString()).contains("Customer=size:5000 (5000 weak)");
         customers.clear();
         customers = DB.find(Customer.class).select("id").findList();
-        
+
         assertThat(pc.toString()).contains("Customer=size:5000"); // We expect ALWAYS 5000 entries in the PC
       }
     }