diff --git a/pycromanager/_version.py b/pycromanager/_version.py
index 7feff9bf..b6675a0a 100644
--- a/pycromanager/_version.py
+++ b/pycromanager/_version.py
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-version_info = (0, 29, 0)
+version_info = (0, 29, 1)
 __version__ = ".".join(map(str, version_info))
diff --git a/pycromanager/acquisition/java_backend_acquisitions.py b/pycromanager/acquisition/java_backend_acquisitions.py
index 0c19ab12..cab4faaa 100644
--- a/pycromanager/acquisition/java_backend_acquisitions.py
+++ b/pycromanager/acquisition/java_backend_acquisitions.py
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ def _notification_handler_fn(acquisition, notification_push_port, connected_even
     finally:
         monitor_socket.close()
 
+
 class JavaBackendAcquisition(Acquisition, metaclass=NumpyDocstringInheritanceMeta):
     """
     Pycro-Manager acquisition that uses a Java runtime backend via a ZeroMQ communication layer.
@@ -366,6 +367,7 @@ def await_completion(self):
             # for backwards compatiblitiy with older versions of Pycromanager java before this added
             self._acq_notification_recieving_thread.join()
             self._remote_notification_handler.notification_handling_complete()
+            self._remote_notification_handler = None # this prevents a circular reference
             self._acq_notification_dispatcher_thread.join()
 
         self._acq = None
diff --git a/pycromanager/zmq_bridge/_bridge.py b/pycromanager/zmq_bridge/_bridge.py
index 7d7cd9b3..d8d3d858 100644
--- a/pycromanager/zmq_bridge/_bridge.py
+++ b/pycromanager/zmq_bridge/_bridge.py
@@ -246,35 +246,14 @@ def create_or_get_existing_bridge(port: int=DEFAULT_PORT, convert_camel_case: bo
                 if debug:
                     print("DEBUG: creating new beidge for port {} thread {}".format(
                         port, threading.current_thread().name))
-                return _Bridge(port, convert_camel_case, debug, ip_address, timeout, iterate)
-
-
-    # def __new__(cls, port: int=DEFAULT_PORT, timeout: int=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT, convert_camel_case: bool=True,
-    #             debug: bool=False, *args, **kwargs):
-    #     """
-    #     Only one instance of Bridge per a thread/port combo
-    #     """
-    #     # synchronize this method so multiple threads don't try to create a bridge at the same time
-    #     with _Bridge._bridge_creation_lock:
-    #         thread_id = threading.current_thread().ident
-    #         port_thread_id = (port, thread_id)
-    #
-    #         # return the existing cached bridge if it exists, otherwise make a new one
-    #         if port_thread_id in _Bridge._cached_bridges_by_port_and_thread.keys():
-    #             bridge = _Bridge._cached_bridges_by_port_and_thread[port_thread_id]()
-    #             if bridge is None:
-    #                 raise Exception("Bridge for port {} and thread {} has been "
-    #                                 "closed but not removed".format(port, threading.current_thread().name))
-    #             if debug:
-    #                 print("DEBUG: returning cached bridge for port {} thread {}".format(
-    #                     port, threading.current_thread().name))
-    #             return bridge
-    #         else:
-    #             if debug:
-    #                 print("DEBUG: creating new beidge for port {} thread {}".format(
-    #                     port, threading.current_thread().name))
-    #             return super(_Bridge, cls).__new__(cls)
-
+                b = _Bridge(port, convert_camel_case, debug, ip_address, timeout, iterate)
+                # store weak refs so that the existence of thread/port bridge caching doesn't prevent
+                # the garbage collection of unused bridge objects
+                _Bridge._cached_bridges_by_port_and_thread[port_thread_id] = weakref.ref(b)
+                print('cached bridges')
+                for key, beidge in _Bridge._cached_bridges_by_port_and_thread.items():
+                    print(key, beidge())
+                return b
 
     def __init__(
         self, port: int=DEFAULT_PORT, convert_camel_case: bool=True,
@@ -297,14 +276,7 @@ def __init__(
         """
         thread_id = threading.current_thread().ident
         port_thread_id = (port, thread_id)
-        # if port_thread_id in _Bridge._cached_bridges_by_port_and_thread.keys():
-        #     return # already initialized
         self._port_thread_id = port_thread_id
-        # store weak refs so that the existence of thread/port bridge caching doesn't prevent
-        # the garbage collection of unused bridge objects
-        self._weak_self_ref = weakref.ref(self)
-        _Bridge._cached_bridges_by_port_and_thread[port_thread_id] = self._weak_self_ref
-
         self._ip_address = ip_address
         self.port = port
         self._convert_camel_case = convert_camel_case
@@ -571,9 +543,9 @@ def __init__(self, serialized_object, bridge: _Bridge):
         self._iterate = bridge._iterate
 
         self._closed = False
-        # In case there's an exception rather than normal garbage collection,
-        # this makes sure cleanup occurs properly
-        # Need to use a wr to ensure that reference to close doesnt cause memeory leak
+        # # In case there's an exception rather than normal garbage collection,
+        # # this makes sure cleanup occurs properly
+        # # Need to use a wr to ensure that reference to close doesnt cause memeory leak
         wr = weakref.ref(self._close)
         def cleanup():
             if wr() is not None: