diff --git a/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/EntityBeanIntercept.java b/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/EntityBeanIntercept.java
index 888f8f23e..833d7cb31 100644
--- a/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/EntityBeanIntercept.java
+++ b/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/EntityBeanIntercept.java
@@ -874,9 +874,6 @@ public final class EntityBeanIntercept implements Serializable {
     }
     if (lazyLoadProperty == -1) {
       lazyLoadProperty = loadProperty;
-      if (nodeUsageCollector != null) {
-        nodeUsageCollector.setLoadProperty(getProperty(lazyLoadProperty));
-      }
       loader.loadBean(this);
       if (lazyLoadFailure) {
         // failed when lazy loading this bean
diff --git a/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/NodeUsageCollector.java b/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/NodeUsageCollector.java
index 708f6acf1..c168b3a66 100644
--- a/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/NodeUsageCollector.java
+++ b/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/bean/NodeUsageCollector.java
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package io.ebean.bean;
 
 import java.lang.ref.Cleaner;
-import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
 import java.util.Set;
 
@@ -15,7 +14,8 @@ public final class NodeUsageCollector {
   private final static Cleaner cleaner = Cleaner.create();
 
   public static final class State implements Runnable {
-    private final WeakReference<NodeUsageListener> managerRef;
+
+    private final NodeUsageListener listener;
     /**
      * The properties used at this profile point.
      */
@@ -29,14 +29,9 @@ public final class NodeUsageCollector {
      */
     private boolean modified;
 
-    /**
-     * The property that cause a reference to lazy load.
-     */
-    private String loadProperty;
-
-    private State(ObjectGraphNode node, WeakReference<NodeUsageListener> managerRef) {
+    private State(ObjectGraphNode node, NodeUsageListener listener) {
       this.node = node;
-      this.managerRef = managerRef;
+      this.listener = listener;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -46,10 +41,7 @@ public final class NodeUsageCollector {
 
     @Override
     public void run() {
-      NodeUsageListener manager = managerRef.get();
-      if (manager != null) {
-        manager.collectNodeUsage(this);
-      }
+      listener.collectNodeUsage(this);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -84,8 +76,8 @@ public final class NodeUsageCollector {
 
   private final State state;
 
-  public NodeUsageCollector(ObjectGraphNode node, WeakReference<NodeUsageListener> managerRef) {
-    this.state = new State(node, managerRef);
+  public NodeUsageCollector(ObjectGraphNode node, NodeUsageListener listener) {
+    this.state = new State(node, listener);
     cleaner.register(this, state);
   }
 
@@ -110,13 +102,6 @@ public final class NodeUsageCollector {
     state.used.add(property);
   }
 
-  /**
-   * The property that invoked a lazy load.
-   */
-  public void setLoadProperty(String loadProperty) {
-    state.loadProperty = loadProperty;
-  }
-
   @Override
   public String toString() {
     return state.toString();
diff --git a/ebean-api/src/test/java/io/ebean/bean/NodeUsageCollectorTest.java b/ebean-api/src/test/java/io/ebean/bean/NodeUsageCollectorTest.java
index 851922142..103772249 100644
--- a/ebean-api/src/test/java/io/ebean/bean/NodeUsageCollectorTest.java
+++ b/ebean-api/src/test/java/io/ebean/bean/NodeUsageCollectorTest.java
@@ -3,24 +3,21 @@ package io.ebean.bean;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Disabled;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
-import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
-
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 
 class NodeUsageCollectorTest {
 
   private final Listener listener = new Listener();
 
+  private final ObjectGraphNode node = new ObjectGraphNode((ObjectGraphOrigin) null, "foo");
+
   /**
-   * Run this manually as we make explicit GC call here.
+   * Run this manually as we make use of explicit GC call here which is dubious.
    */
   @Disabled
   @Test
   void test() throws InterruptedException {
-    WeakReference<NodeUsageListener> profilingListenerRef = new WeakReference<>(listener);
-
-    ObjectGraphNode node = new ObjectGraphNode((ObjectGraphOrigin)null, "foo");
-    NodeUsageCollector c = new NodeUsageCollector(node, profilingListenerRef);
+    NodeUsageCollector c = new NodeUsageCollector(node, listener);
     c.addUsed("a");
     c.addUsed("b");
     c = null;
@@ -29,6 +26,7 @@ class NodeUsageCollectorTest {
     Thread.sleep(100);
 
     assertThat(listener.collectCount).isEqualTo(1);
+    assertThat(node).isNotNull();
   }
 
   static class Listener implements NodeUsageListener {
diff --git a/ebean-autotune/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/autotune/service/ProfileOriginTest.java b/ebean-autotune/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/autotune/service/ProfileOriginTest.java
index e9069c9b4..371d1976b 100644
--- a/ebean-autotune/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/autotune/service/ProfileOriginTest.java
+++ b/ebean-autotune/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/autotune/service/ProfileOriginTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package io.ebeaninternal.server.autotune.service;
 
 import io.ebean.bean.NodeUsageCollector;
+import io.ebean.bean.NodeUsageListener;
 import io.ebean.bean.ObjectGraphNode;
 import io.ebean.bean.ObjectGraphOrigin;
 import io.ebeaninternal.server.deploy.BeanDescriptor;
@@ -13,6 +14,15 @@ import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 
 public class ProfileOriginTest extends BaseTestCase {
 
+  static class Noop implements NodeUsageListener {
+    @Override
+    public void collectNodeUsage(NodeUsageCollector.State state) {
+      // do nothing
+    }
+  }
+
+  private final NodeUsageListener listener = new Noop();
+
   private final BeanDescriptor<Order> desc = getBeanDescriptor(Order.class);
 
   @Test
@@ -121,7 +131,7 @@ public class ProfileOriginTest extends BaseTestCase {
 
   private NodeUsageCollector node(String path) {
     ObjectGraphNode node = new ObjectGraphNode((ObjectGraphOrigin)null, path);
-    return new NodeUsageCollector(node, null);
+    return new NodeUsageCollector(node, listener);
   }
 
 //  @Test
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/query/CQuery.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/query/CQuery.java
index 22e2e1f37..3566ee08a 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/query/CQuery.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/query/CQuery.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import io.ebeaninternal.server.core.SpiOrmQueryRequest;
 import io.ebeaninternal.server.deploy.*;
 
 import javax.persistence.PersistenceException;
-import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.sql.Connection;
 import java.sql.PreparedStatement;
 import java.sql.ResultSet;
@@ -149,8 +148,6 @@ public final class CQuery<T> implements DbReadContext, CancelableQuery, SpiProfi
 
   private final ProfilingListener profilingListener;
 
-  private final WeakReference<NodeUsageListener> profilingListenerRef;
-
   private final Boolean readOnly;
 
   private long profileOffset;
@@ -189,7 +186,6 @@ public final class CQuery<T> implements DbReadContext, CancelableQuery, SpiProfi
     this.objectGraphNode = query.getParentNode();
     this.profilingListener = query.getProfilingListener();
     this.autoTuneProfiling = profilingListener != null;
-    this.profilingListenerRef = autoTuneProfiling ? new WeakReference<>(profilingListener) : null;
     // set the generated sql back to the query
     // so its available to the user...
     query.setGeneratedSql(queryPlan.getSql());
@@ -673,7 +669,7 @@ public final class CQuery<T> implements DbReadContext, CancelableQuery, SpiProfi
   @Override
   public void profileBean(EntityBeanIntercept ebi, String prefix) {
     ObjectGraphNode node = request.loadContext().getObjectGraphNode(prefix);
-    ebi.setNodeUsageCollector(new NodeUsageCollector(node, profilingListenerRef));
+    ebi.setNodeUsageCollector(new NodeUsageCollector(node, profilingListener));
   }
 
   @Override