diff --git a/src/definitions.rs b/src/definitions.rs
index 4627fd2d1..46a77196d 100644
--- a/src/definitions.rs
+++ b/src/definitions.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use std::{
     fmt::Debug,
     sync::{
         atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering},
-        Arc, OnceLock,
+        Arc, OnceLock, Weak,
     },
 };
 
@@ -28,47 +28,50 @@ use crate::{build_tools::py_schema_err, py_gc::PyGcTraverse};
 /// They get indexed by a ReferenceId, which are integer identifiers
 /// that are handed out and managed by DefinitionsBuilder when the Schema{Validator,Serializer}
 /// gets build.
-#[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Definitions<T>(AHashMap<Arc<String>, Definition<T>>);
 
-/// Internal type which contains a definition to be filled
-pub struct Definition<T>(Arc<DefinitionInner<T>>);
-
-struct DefinitionInner<T> {
-    value: OnceLock<T>,
-    name: LazyName,
+struct Definition<T> {
+    value: Arc<OnceLock<T>>,
+    name: Arc<LazyName>,
 }
 
 /// Reference to a definition.
 pub struct DefinitionRef<T> {
-    name: Arc<String>,
-    value: Definition<T>,
+    reference: Arc<String>,
+    // We use a weak reference to the definition to avoid a reference cycle
+    // when recursive definitions are used.
+    value: Weak<OnceLock<T>>,
+    name: Arc<LazyName>,
 }
 
 // DefinitionRef can always be cloned (#[derive(Clone)] would require T: Clone)
 impl<T> Clone for DefinitionRef<T> {
     fn clone(&self) -> Self {
         Self {
-            name: self.name.clone(),
+            reference: self.reference.clone(),
             value: self.value.clone(),
+            name: self.name.clone(),
         }
     }
 }
 
 impl<T> DefinitionRef<T> {
     pub fn id(&self) -> usize {
-        Arc::as_ptr(&self.value.0) as usize
+        Weak::as_ptr(&self.value) as usize
     }
 
     pub fn get_or_init_name(&self, init: impl FnOnce(&T) -> String) -> &str {
-        match self.value.0.value.get() {
-            Some(value) => self.value.0.name.get_or_init(|| init(value)),
+        let Some(definition) = self.value.upgrade() else {
+            return "...";
+        };
+        match definition.get() {
+            Some(value) => self.name.get_or_init(|| init(value)),
             None => "...",
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn get(&self) -> Option<&T> {
-        self.value.0.value.get()
+    pub fn read<R>(&self, f: impl FnOnce(Option<&T>) -> R) -> R {
+        f(self.value.upgrade().as_ref().and_then(|value| value.get()))
     }
 }
 
@@ -96,15 +99,9 @@ impl<T: Debug> Debug for Definitions<T> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<T> Clone for Definition<T> {
-    fn clone(&self) -> Self {
-        Self(self.0.clone())
-    }
-}
-
 impl<T: Debug> Debug for Definition<T> {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
-        match self.0.value.get() {
+        match self.value.get() {
             Some(value) => value.fmt(f),
             None => "...".fmt(f),
         }
@@ -113,7 +110,7 @@ impl<T: Debug> Debug for Definition<T> {
 
 impl<T: PyGcTraverse> PyGcTraverse for DefinitionRef<T> {
     fn py_gc_traverse(&self, visit: &PyVisit<'_>) -> Result<(), PyTraverseError> {
-        if let Some(value) = self.value.0.value.get() {
+        if let Some(value) = self.value.upgrade().as_ref().and_then(|v| v.get()) {
             value.py_gc_traverse(visit)?;
         }
         Ok(())
@@ -123,7 +120,7 @@ impl<T: PyGcTraverse> PyGcTraverse for DefinitionRef<T> {
 impl<T: PyGcTraverse> PyGcTraverse for Definitions<T> {
     fn py_gc_traverse(&self, visit: &PyVisit<'_>) -> Result<(), PyTraverseError> {
         for value in self.0.values() {
-            if let Some(value) = value.0.value.get() {
+            if let Some(value) = value.value.get() {
                 value.py_gc_traverse(visit)?;
             }
         }
@@ -131,7 +128,7 @@ impl<T: PyGcTraverse> PyGcTraverse for Definitions<T> {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct DefinitionsBuilder<T> {
     definitions: Definitions<T>,
 }
@@ -148,45 +145,48 @@ impl<T: std::fmt::Debug> DefinitionsBuilder<T> {
         // We either need a String copy or two hashmap lookups
         // Neither is better than the other
         // We opted for the easier outward facing API
-        let name = Arc::new(reference.to_string());
-        let value = match self.definitions.0.entry(name.clone()) {
+        let reference = Arc::new(reference.to_string());
+        let value = match self.definitions.0.entry(reference.clone()) {
             Entry::Occupied(entry) => entry.into_mut(),
-            Entry::Vacant(entry) => entry.insert(Definition(Arc::new(DefinitionInner {
-                value: OnceLock::new(),
-                name: LazyName::new(),
-            }))),
+            Entry::Vacant(entry) => entry.insert(Definition {
+                value: Arc::new(OnceLock::new()),
+                name: Arc::new(LazyName::new()),
+            }),
         };
         DefinitionRef {
-            name,
-            value: value.clone(),
+            reference,
+            value: Arc::downgrade(&value.value),
+            name: value.name.clone(),
         }
     }
 
     /// Add a definition, returning the ReferenceId that maps to it
     pub fn add_definition(&mut self, reference: String, value: T) -> PyResult<DefinitionRef<T>> {
-        let name = Arc::new(reference);
-        let value = match self.definitions.0.entry(name.clone()) {
+        let reference = Arc::new(reference);
+        let value = match self.definitions.0.entry(reference.clone()) {
             Entry::Occupied(entry) => {
                 let definition = entry.into_mut();
-                match definition.0.value.set(value) {
-                    Ok(()) => definition.clone(),
-                    Err(_) => return py_schema_err!("Duplicate ref: `{}`", name),
+                match definition.value.set(value) {
+                    Ok(()) => definition,
+                    Err(_) => return py_schema_err!("Duplicate ref: `{}`", reference),
                 }
             }
-            Entry::Vacant(entry) => entry
-                .insert(Definition(Arc::new(DefinitionInner {
-                    value: OnceLock::from(value),
-                    name: LazyName::new(),
-                })))
-                .clone(),
+            Entry::Vacant(entry) => entry.insert(Definition {
+                value: Arc::new(OnceLock::from(value)),
+                name: Arc::new(LazyName::new()),
+            }),
         };
-        Ok(DefinitionRef { name, value })
+        Ok(DefinitionRef {
+            reference,
+            value: Arc::downgrade(&value.value),
+            name: value.name.clone(),
+        })
     }
 
     /// Consume this Definitions into a vector of items, indexed by each items ReferenceId
     pub fn finish(self) -> PyResult<Definitions<T>> {
         for (reference, def) in &self.definitions.0 {
-            if def.0.value.get().is_none() {
+            if def.value.get().is_none() {
                 return py_schema_err!("Definitions error: definition `{}` was never filled", reference);
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/serializers/type_serializers/definitions.rs b/src/serializers/type_serializers/definitions.rs
index b7bf63365..99dae5bcd 100644
--- a/src/serializers/type_serializers/definitions.rs
+++ b/src/serializers/type_serializers/definitions.rs
@@ -68,15 +68,17 @@ impl TypeSerializer for DefinitionRefSerializer {
         exclude: Option<&PyAny>,
         extra: &Extra,
     ) -> PyResult<PyObject> {
-        let comb_serializer = self.definition.get().unwrap();
-        let value_id = extra.rec_guard.add(value, self.definition.id())?;
-        let r = comb_serializer.to_python(value, include, exclude, extra);
-        extra.rec_guard.pop(value_id, self.definition.id());
-        r
+        self.definition.read(|comb_serializer| {
+            let comb_serializer = comb_serializer.unwrap();
+            let value_id = extra.rec_guard.add(value, self.definition.id())?;
+            let r = comb_serializer.to_python(value, include, exclude, extra);
+            extra.rec_guard.pop(value_id, self.definition.id());
+            r
+        })
     }
 
     fn json_key<'py>(&self, key: &'py PyAny, extra: &Extra) -> PyResult<Cow<'py, str>> {
-        self.definition.get().unwrap().json_key(key, extra)
+        self.definition.read(|s| s.unwrap().json_key(key, extra))
     }
 
     fn serde_serialize<S: serde::ser::Serializer>(
@@ -87,14 +89,16 @@ impl TypeSerializer for DefinitionRefSerializer {
         exclude: Option<&PyAny>,
         extra: &Extra,
     ) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error> {
-        let comb_serializer = self.definition.get().unwrap();
-        let value_id = extra
-            .rec_guard
-            .add(value, self.definition.id())
-            .map_err(py_err_se_err)?;
-        let r = comb_serializer.serde_serialize(value, serializer, include, exclude, extra);
-        extra.rec_guard.pop(value_id, self.definition.id());
-        r
+        self.definition.read(|comb_serializer| {
+            let comb_serializer = comb_serializer.unwrap();
+            let value_id = extra
+                .rec_guard
+                .add(value, self.definition.id())
+                .map_err(py_err_se_err)?;
+            let r = comb_serializer.serde_serialize(value, serializer, include, exclude, extra);
+            extra.rec_guard.pop(value_id, self.definition.id());
+            r
+        })
     }
 
     fn get_name(&self) -> &str {
@@ -102,6 +106,6 @@ impl TypeSerializer for DefinitionRefSerializer {
     }
 
     fn retry_with_lax_check(&self) -> bool {
-        self.definition.get().unwrap().retry_with_lax_check()
+        self.definition.read(|s| s.unwrap().retry_with_lax_check())
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/validators/definitions.rs b/src/validators/definitions.rs
index 7297bd27a..0b5f78c10 100644
--- a/src/validators/definitions.rs
+++ b/src/validators/definitions.rs
@@ -73,23 +73,25 @@ impl Validator for DefinitionRefValidator {
         input: &'data impl Input<'data>,
         state: &mut ValidationState,
     ) -> ValResult<PyObject> {
-        let validator = self.definition.get().unwrap();
-        if let Some(id) = input.identity() {
-            if state.recursion_guard.contains_or_insert(id, self.definition.id()) {
-                // we don't remove id here, we leave that to the validator which originally added id to `recursion_guard`
-                Err(ValError::new(ErrorTypeDefaults::RecursionLoop, input))
-            } else {
-                if state.recursion_guard.incr_depth() {
-                    return Err(ValError::new(ErrorTypeDefaults::RecursionLoop, input));
+        self.definition.read(|validator| {
+            let validator = validator.unwrap();
+            if let Some(id) = input.identity() {
+                if state.recursion_guard.contains_or_insert(id, self.definition.id()) {
+                    // we don't remove id here, we leave that to the validator which originally added id to `recursion_guard`
+                    Err(ValError::new(ErrorTypeDefaults::RecursionLoop, input))
+                } else {
+                    if state.recursion_guard.incr_depth() {
+                        return Err(ValError::new(ErrorTypeDefaults::RecursionLoop, input));
+                    }
+                    let output = validator.validate(py, input, state);
+                    state.recursion_guard.remove(id, self.definition.id());
+                    state.recursion_guard.decr_depth();
+                    output
                 }
-                let output = validator.validate(py, input, state);
-                state.recursion_guard.remove(id, self.definition.id());
-                state.recursion_guard.decr_depth();
-                output
+            } else {
+                validator.validate(py, input, state)
             }
-        } else {
-            validator.validate(py, input, state)
-        }
+        })
     }
 
     fn validate_assignment<'data>(
@@ -100,23 +102,25 @@ impl Validator for DefinitionRefValidator {
         field_value: &'data PyAny,
         state: &mut ValidationState,
     ) -> ValResult<PyObject> {
-        let validator = self.definition.get().unwrap();
-        if let Some(id) = obj.identity() {
-            if state.recursion_guard.contains_or_insert(id, self.definition.id()) {
-                // we don't remove id here, we leave that to the validator which originally added id to `recursion_guard`
-                Err(ValError::new(ErrorTypeDefaults::RecursionLoop, obj))
-            } else {
-                if state.recursion_guard.incr_depth() {
-                    return Err(ValError::new(ErrorTypeDefaults::RecursionLoop, obj));
+        self.definition.read(|validator| {
+            let validator = validator.unwrap();
+            if let Some(id) = obj.identity() {
+                if state.recursion_guard.contains_or_insert(id, self.definition.id()) {
+                    // we don't remove id here, we leave that to the validator which originally added id to `recursion_guard`
+                    Err(ValError::new(ErrorTypeDefaults::RecursionLoop, obj))
+                } else {
+                    if state.recursion_guard.incr_depth() {
+                        return Err(ValError::new(ErrorTypeDefaults::RecursionLoop, obj));
+                    }
+                    let output = validator.validate_assignment(py, obj, field_name, field_value, state);
+                    state.recursion_guard.remove(id, self.definition.id());
+                    state.recursion_guard.decr_depth();
+                    output
                 }
-                let output = validator.validate_assignment(py, obj, field_name, field_value, state);
-                state.recursion_guard.remove(id, self.definition.id());
-                state.recursion_guard.decr_depth();
-                output
+            } else {
+                validator.validate_assignment(py, obj, field_name, field_value, state)
             }
-        } else {
-            validator.validate_assignment(py, obj, field_name, field_value, state)
-        }
+        })
     }
 
     fn get_name(&self) -> &str {