diff --git a/python/mrc/tests/utils.cpp b/python/mrc/tests/utils.cpp
index a01c061ed..b05695c86 100644
--- a/python/mrc/tests/utils.cpp
+++ b/python/mrc/tests/utils.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <glog/logging.h>
 #include <pybind11/cast.h>
 #include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
+#include <pybind11/pytypes.h>
 
 #include <memory>
 #include <sstream>
@@ -32,18 +33,7 @@ namespace mrc::pytests {
 
 namespace py = pybind11;
 
-// Simple test class which acquires the GIL in it's destructor
-struct ObjUsingGil
-{
-    ObjUsingGil() = default;
-    ~ObjUsingGil()
-    {
-        LOG(INFO) << "ObjUsingGil::~ObjUsingGil()";
-        py::gil_scoped_acquire gil;
-        LOG(INFO) << "ObjUsingGil::~ObjUsingGil()+gil";
-    }
-};
-
+// Simple test class which invokes Python's GC. Needed to repro #
 struct ObjCallingGC
 {
     ObjCallingGC() = default;
@@ -76,8 +66,6 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(utils, py_mod)
         },
         py::arg("msg") = "");
 
-    py::class_<ObjUsingGil>(py_mod, "ObjUsingGil").def(py::init<>());
-
     py::class_<ObjCallingGC>(py_mod, "ObjCallingGC").def(py::init<>()).def_static("finalize", &ObjCallingGC::finalize);
 
     py_mod.attr("__version__") = MRC_CONCAT_STR(mrc_VERSION_MAJOR << "." << mrc_VERSION_MINOR << "."
diff --git a/python/tests/test_gil_tls.py b/python/tests/test_gil_tls.py
index 56248d75a..8c2b232d5 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_gil_tls.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_gil_tls.py
@@ -1,53 +1,30 @@
-import gc
 import threading
 import weakref
 
 import mrc
 from mrc.tests.utils import ObjCallingGC
-from mrc.tests.utils import ObjUsingGil
 
 TLS = threading.local()
 
 
-class Holder:
+def test_gc_called_in_thread_finalizer():
+    mrc.logging.log("Building pipeline")
 
-    def __init__(self, obj):
-        """Intentionally create a cycle to delay obj's destruction"""
-        self.obj = obj
-        self.cycle = self
+    def source_gen():
+        mrc.logging.log("source_gen")
+        x = ObjCallingGC()
+        weakref.finalize(x, x.finalize)
+        TLS.x = x
+        yield x
 
-    def __del__(self):
-        mrc.logging.log("Holder.__del__")
-        self.obj = None
+    def init_seg(builder: mrc.Builder):
+        builder.make_source("souce_gen", source_gen)
 
+    pipe = mrc.Pipeline()
+    pipe.make_segment("seg1", init_seg)
 
-class ThreadTest(threading.Thread):
-
-    def _create_obs(self):
-        TLS.h = Holder(ObjUsingGil())
-        TLS.ocg = ObjCallingGC()
-        weakref.finalize(TLS.ocg, TLS.ocg.finalize)
-
-    def run(self):
-        mrc.logging.log("Running thread")
-        self._create_obs()
-        mrc.logging.log("Thread complete")
-
-
-def test_gil_tls():
-    t = ThreadTest()
-    t.start()
-    t.join()
-    mrc.logging.log("Thread joined")
-
-
-def main():
-    mrc.logging.init_logging(__name__)
-    gc.disable()
-    gc.set_debug(gc.DEBUG_STATS)
-    test_gil_tls()
-    mrc.logging.log("Exiting main")
-
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    main()
+    options = mrc.Options()
+    executor = mrc.Executor(options)
+    executor.register_pipeline(pipe)
+    executor.start()
+    executor.join()