diff --git a/changelog.d/53.improve.md b/changelog.d/53.improve.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1660ee8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/53.improve.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Harden `Structure` class against memory leak<ISSUES_LIST>.  
+The extensions' implementation of packstream `Structure` could leak memory when being part of a reference cycle.
+In reality this doesn't matter because the driver never constructs cyclic `Structure`s.
+Every packstream value is a tree in terms of references (both directions: packing and unpacking).  
+This change is meant to harden the extensions against introducing effective memory leaks in the driver should the driver's usage of `Structure` change in the future.
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 5030228..4d547ce 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ use pyo3::basic::CompareOp;
 use pyo3::exceptions::PyValueError;
 use pyo3::prelude::*;
 use pyo3::types::{PyBytes, PyTuple};
-use pyo3::IntoPyObjectExt;
+use pyo3::{IntoPyObjectExt, PyTraverseError, PyVisit};
 
 #[pymodule(gil_used = false)]
 #[pyo3(name = "_rust")]
@@ -114,4 +114,15 @@ impl Structure {
         }
         Ok(fields_hash.wrapping_add(self.tag.into()))
     }
+
+    fn __traverse__(&self, visit: PyVisit<'_>) -> Result<(), PyTraverseError> {
+        for field in &self.fields {
+            visit.call(field)?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn __clear__(&mut self) {
+        self.fields.clear();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/v1/unpack.rs b/src/v1/unpack.rs
index 4f5380d..a258ed9 100644
--- a/src/v1/unpack.rs
+++ b/src/v1/unpack.rs
@@ -135,8 +135,7 @@ impl<'a> PackStreamDecoder<'a> {
             _ => {
                 // raise ValueError("Unknown PackStream marker %02X" % marker)
                 return Err(PyErr::new::<PyValueError, _>(format!(
-                    "Unknown PackStream marker {:02X}",
-                    marker
+                    "Unknown PackStream marker {marker:02X}",
                 )));
             }
         })
@@ -243,8 +242,7 @@ impl<'a> PackStreamDecoder<'a> {
             STRING_16 => self.read_u16(),
             STRING_32 => self.read_u32(),
             _ => Err(PyErr::new::<PyValueError, _>(format!(
-                "Invalid string length marker: {}",
-                marker
+                "Invalid string length marker: {marker}",
             ))),
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/test_structure.py b/tests/test_structure.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a25e6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_structure.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# Copyright (c) "Neo4j"
+# Neo4j Sweden AB [https://neo4j.com]
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import gc
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+
+from neo4j._codec.packstream import Structure
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def gc_disabled():
+    try:
+        gc.disable()
+        yield
+    finally:
+        gc.enable()
+        gc.collect()
+
+
+class StructureHolder:
+    s: Structure | None = None
+
+
+def test_memory_leak() -> None:
+    iterations = 10_000
+
+    gc.collect()
+    with gc_disabled():
+        for _ in range(iterations):
+            # create a reference cycle
+            holder1 = StructureHolder()
+            structure1 = Structure(b"\x00", [holder1])
+            holder2 = StructureHolder()
+            structure2 = Structure(b"\x01", [holder2])
+            holder1.s = structure2
+            holder2.s = structure1
+        del structure1, structure2, holder1, holder2
+
+        cleaned = gc.collect()
+        assert cleaned >= 4 * iterations