diff --git a/python/ray/tune/checkpoint_manager.py b/python/ray/tune/checkpoint_manager.py
index 9b0aa619a..a483adf8c 100644
--- a/python/ray/tune/checkpoint_manager.py
+++ b/python/ray/tune/checkpoint_manager.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # coding: utf-8
 import heapq
+import gc
 import logging
 
 from ray.tune.result import TRAINING_ITERATION
@@ -104,6 +105,13 @@ class CheckpointManager:
     def newest_memory_checkpoint(self):
         return self._newest_memory_checkpoint
 
+    def replace_newest_memory_checkpoint(self, new_checkpoint):
+        # Forcibly remove the memory checkpoint
+        del self._newest_memory_checkpoint
+        # Apparently avoids memory leaks on k8s/k3s/pods
+        gc.collect()
+        self._newest_memory_checkpoint = new_checkpoint
+
     def on_checkpoint(self, checkpoint):
         """Starts tracking checkpoint metadata on checkpoint.
 
@@ -115,9 +123,7 @@ class CheckpointManager:
             checkpoint (Checkpoint): Trial state checkpoint.
         """
         if checkpoint.storage == Checkpoint.MEMORY:
-            # Forcibly remove the memory checkpoint
-            del self._newest_memory_checkpoint
-            self._newest_memory_checkpoint = checkpoint
+            self.replace_newest_memory_checkpoint(checkpoint)
             return
 
         old_checkpoint = self.newest_persistent_checkpoint
diff --git a/python/ray/tune/tests/test_trial_scheduler_pbt.py b/python/ray/tune/tests/test_trial_scheduler_pbt.py
index bfa69a393..f94b8251b 100644
--- a/python/ray/tune/tests/test_trial_scheduler_pbt.py
+++ b/python/ray/tune/tests/test_trial_scheduler_pbt.py
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ from ray.tune import Trainable
 from ray.tune.ray_trial_executor import RayTrialExecutor
 from ray.tune.schedulers import PopulationBasedTraining
 
+MB = 1024**2
+
 
 class MockParam(object):
     def __init__(self, params):
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ class MockParam(object):
 
 class PopulationBasedTrainingMemoryTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        ray.init(num_cpus=1)
+        ray.init(num_cpus=1, object_store_memory=100 * MB)
 
     def tearDown(self):
         ray.shutdown()
@@ -36,7 +38,7 @@ class PopulationBasedTrainingMemoryTest(unittest.TestCase):
             def setup(self, config):
                 # Make sure this is large enough so ray uses object store
                 # instead of in-process store.
-                self.large_object = random.getrandbits(int(10e7))
+                self.large_object = random.getrandbits(int(10e6))
                 self.iter = 0
                 self.a = config["a"]
 
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ class PopulationBasedTrainingMemoryTest(unittest.TestCase):
         class CustomExecutor(RayTrialExecutor):
             def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
                 checkpoint = super(CustomExecutor, self).save(*args, **kwargs)
-                assert len(ray.objects()) <= 10
+                assert len(ray.objects()) <= 12
                 return checkpoint
 
         param_a = MockParam([1, -1])