diff --git a/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python.test/src/tests/test_weakref.py b/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python.test/src/tests/test_weakref.py
index e47a8975d4..a78a036ad6 100644
--- a/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python.test/src/tests/test_weakref.py
+++ b/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python.test/src/tests/test_weakref.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (c) 2018, 2025, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 2018, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 # DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
 #
 # The Universal Permissive License (UPL), Version 1.0
@@ -128,6 +128,34 @@ def test_weakref_object_type_support():
         assert False, "should throw TypeError for unsupported objects"
 
 
+def test_proxy_does_not_keep_object_alive():
+    import gc
+
+    class A:
+        attr = 42
+
+    a = A()
+    proxy = weakref.proxy(a)
+    ref = weakref.ref(a)
+
+    assert proxy.attr == 42
+    a = None
+
+    for _ in range(10000):
+        gc.collect()
+        if ref() is None:
+            break
+
+    assert ref() is None
+    assert "NoneType" in repr(proxy)
+    try:
+        getattr(proxy, "attr")
+    except ReferenceError:
+        pass
+    else:
+        assert False, "weakref proxy kept the object alive"
+
+
 def test_proxy_getitem():
     class A:
         def __init__(self, collection):
@@ -293,4 +321,4 @@ def __call__(self):
     a = A(42)
     proxy = weakref.proxy(a)
     assert callable(proxy) is True
-    assert proxy() == 42
\ No newline at end of file
+    assert proxy() == 42
diff --git a/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python/src/com/oracle/graal/python/builtins/modules/weakref/PProxyType.java b/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python/src/com/oracle/graal/python/builtins/modules/weakref/PProxyType.java
index f39653ccde..325cfeee11 100644
--- a/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python/src/com/oracle/graal/python/builtins/modules/weakref/PProxyType.java
+++ b/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python/src/com/oracle/graal/python/builtins/modules/weakref/PProxyType.java
@@ -46,16 +46,13 @@
 
 public class PProxyType extends PythonBuiltinObject {
 
-    public final Object object;
     public final PReferenceType weakReference;
 
-    public PProxyType(Object cls, Shape instanceShape, Object object, PReferenceType weakReference) {
+    public PProxyType(Object cls, Shape instanceShape, PReferenceType weakReference) {
         super(cls, instanceShape);
 
-        assert (object != null);
         assert (weakReference != null);
 
-        this.object = object;
         this.weakReference = weakReference;
     }
 }
diff --git a/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python/src/com/oracle/graal/python/builtins/modules/weakref/ProxyTypeBuiltins.java b/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python/src/com/oracle/graal/python/builtins/modules/weakref/ProxyTypeBuiltins.java
index e21082fc96..f8c7da9632 100644
--- a/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python/src/com/oracle/graal/python/builtins/modules/weakref/ProxyTypeBuiltins.java
+++ b/graalpython/com.oracle.graal.python/src/com/oracle/graal/python/builtins/modules/weakref/ProxyTypeBuiltins.java
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ static PProxyType newNode(VirtualFrame frame, Node inliningTarget, Object object
 
             PythonBuiltinClassType cls = PythonBuiltinClassType.PProxyType;
             Shape shape = cls.getInstanceShape(language);
-            return new PProxyType(cls, shape, object, weakReference);
+            return new PProxyType(cls, shape, weakReference);
         }
     }
 
@@ -268,9 +268,13 @@ static Object repr(PProxyType self,
                         @Cached ObjectNodes.GetIdNode getIdNode,
                         @Cached TypeNodes.GetQualNameNode getQualNameNode,
                         @Cached CastToJavaStringNode castToJavaStringNode) {
-            Object object = unwrap(self, inliningTarget);
+            Object object = self.weakReference.getPyObject();
 
             long selfId = (long) getIdNode.execute(self);
+            if (object == PNone.NONE) {
+                long noneId = (long) getIdNode.execute(PNone.NONE);
+                return reprBoundary(selfId, noneId, "NoneType");
+            }
             long objectId = (long) getIdNode.execute(object);
             TruffleString objectTypeNameTS = getQualNameNode.execute(inliningTarget, ((PythonObject) object).getPythonClass());
             String objectTypeName = castToJavaStringNode.execute(objectTypeNameTS);
diff --git a/graalpython/lib-python/3/test/test_file.py b/graalpython/lib-python/3/test/test_file.py
index b6dfeb7e4c..9df5527869 100644
--- a/graalpython/lib-python/3/test/test_file.py
+++ b/graalpython/lib-python/3/test/test_file.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 import io
 import _pyio as pyio
 
-from test import support
 from test.support import gc_collect
 from test.support.os_helper import TESTFN
 from test.support import os_helper
@@ -25,7 +24,6 @@ def tearDown(self):
             self.f.close()
         os_helper.unlink(TESTFN)
 
-    @support.impl_detail("weakref nondeterministic GR-44850", graalpy=False)
     def testWeakRefs(self):
         # verify weak references
         p = proxy(self.f)