diff --git a/project.xml b/project.xml
index 87c64c5a9..f55199cf7 100644
--- a/project.xml
+++ b/project.xml
@@ -218,6 +218,9 @@
     <contributor>
       <name>Olaf Krische</name>
     </contributor>
+    <contributor>
+      <name>Guilhem Lavaux</name>
+    </contributor>
     <contributor>
       <name>David Leppik</name>
     </contributor>
diff --git a/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/TestReferenceMap.java b/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/TestReferenceMap.java
index c4f9572b6..5b0c0ef76 100644
--- a/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/TestReferenceMap.java
+++ b/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/TestReferenceMap.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.collections.map.AbstractTestMap;
  * @version $Revision$ $Date$
  *
  * @author Paul Jack
+ * @author Guilhem Lavaux
  */
 public class TestReferenceMap extends AbstractTestMap {
 
@@ -152,25 +153,30 @@ public class TestReferenceMap extends AbstractTestMap {
     }
 */
 
-    /** Tests whether purge values setting works */
-    public void testPurgeValues() throws Exception {
-        // many thanks to Juozas Baliuka for suggesting this method
+    WeakReference keyReference;
+    WeakReference valueReference;
+
+    public Map buildRefMap() {
         Object key = new Object();
         Object value = new Object();
         
-        WeakReference keyReference = new WeakReference(key);
-        WeakReference valueReference = new WeakReference(value);
+        keyReference = new WeakReference(key);
+        valueReference = new WeakReference(value);
         
         Map testMap = new ReferenceMap(ReferenceMap.WEAK, ReferenceMap.HARD, true);
         testMap.put(key, value);
-        
+ 
         assertEquals("In map", value, testMap.get(key));
         assertNotNull("Weak reference released early (1)", keyReference.get());
         assertNotNull("Weak reference released early (2)", valueReference.get());
-        
-        // dereference strong references
-        key = null;
-        value = null;
+        return testMap;
+    }
+
+    /** Tests whether purge values setting works */
+    public void testPurgeValues() throws Exception {
+        // many thanks to Juozas Baliuka for suggesting this method
+      
+        Map testMap = buildRefMap();
         
         int iterations = 0;
         int bytz = 2;
diff --git a/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/map/TestReferenceIdentityMap.java b/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/map/TestReferenceIdentityMap.java
index f3e4e7994..96616701f 100644
--- a/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/map/TestReferenceIdentityMap.java
+++ b/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/map/TestReferenceIdentityMap.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.collections.IterableMap;
  *
  * @author Paul Jack
  * @author Stephen Colebourne
+ * @author Guilhem Lavaux
  */
 public class TestReferenceIdentityMap extends AbstractTestIterableMap {
 
@@ -261,25 +262,29 @@ public class TestReferenceIdentityMap extends AbstractTestIterableMap {
     }
 */
 
-    /** Tests whether purge values setting works */
-    public void testPurgeValues() throws Exception {
-        // many thanks to Juozas Baliuka for suggesting this method
+    WeakReference keyReference;
+    WeakReference valueReference;
+
+    public Map buildRefMap() {
         Object key = new Object();
         Object value = new Object();
         
-        WeakReference keyReference = new WeakReference(key);
-        WeakReference valueReference = new WeakReference(value);
+        keyReference = new WeakReference(key);
+        valueReference = new WeakReference(value);
         
-        Map testMap = new ReferenceIdentityMap(ReferenceIdentityMap.WEAK, ReferenceIdentityMap.HARD, true);
+        Map testMap = new ReferenceIdentityMap(ReferenceMap.WEAK, ReferenceMap.HARD, true);
         testMap.put(key, value);
-        
+ 
         assertEquals("In map", value, testMap.get(key));
         assertNotNull("Weak reference released early (1)", keyReference.get());
         assertNotNull("Weak reference released early (2)", valueReference.get());
-        
-        // dereference strong references
-        key = null;
-        value = null;
+        return testMap;
+    }
+
+    /** Tests whether purge values setting works */
+    public void testPurgeValues() throws Exception {
+        // many thanks to Juozas Baliuka for suggesting this method
+        Map testMap = buildRefMap();
         
         int iterations = 0;
         int bytz = 2;
diff --git a/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/map/TestReferenceMap.java b/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/map/TestReferenceMap.java
index 2876fdffe..e5d2bf34e 100644
--- a/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/map/TestReferenceMap.java
+++ b/src/test/org/apache/commons/collections/map/TestReferenceMap.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.collections.BulkTest;
  * @version $Revision$ $Date$
  *
  * @author Paul Jack
+ * @author Guilhem Lavaux
  */
 public class TestReferenceMap extends AbstractTestIterableMap {
 
@@ -196,26 +197,30 @@ public class TestReferenceMap extends AbstractTestIterableMap {
     }
 */
 
-    /** Tests whether purge values setting works */
-    public void testPurgeValues() throws Exception {
-        // many thanks to Juozas Baliuka for suggesting this method
+    WeakReference keyReference;
+    WeakReference valueReference;
+
+    public Map buildRefMap() {
         Object key = new Object();
         Object value = new Object();
         
-        WeakReference keyReference = new WeakReference(key);
-        WeakReference valueReference = new WeakReference(value);
+        keyReference = new WeakReference(key);
+        valueReference = new WeakReference(value);
         
         Map testMap = new ReferenceMap(ReferenceMap.WEAK, ReferenceMap.HARD, true);
         testMap.put(key, value);
-        
+ 
         assertEquals("In map", value, testMap.get(key));
         assertNotNull("Weak reference released early (1)", keyReference.get());
         assertNotNull("Weak reference released early (2)", valueReference.get());
-        
-        // dereference strong references
-        key = null;
-        value = null;
-        
+        return testMap;
+    }
+
+    /** Tests whether purge values setting works */
+    public void testPurgeValues() throws Exception {
+        // many thanks to Juozas Baliuka for suggesting this method
+        Map testMap = buildRefMap();
+
         int iterations = 0;
         int bytz = 2;
         while(true) {