diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f289f6066..6c303723e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ All notable changes to **bUnit** will be documented in this file. The project ad
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- A `WaitFor*` call whose first check passed left its timeout timer running, which kept the helper, the renderer and everything the renderer holds alive until the timeout elapsed. With a long `DefaultWaitTimeout`, a test suite could hold every rendered component in memory for its whole run. Fixed by [@xaviergxf](https://github.com/xaviergxf).
+
 ## [2.12.5] - 2026-10-19
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/src/bunit/Extensions/WaitForHelpers/WaitForHelper.cs b/src/bunit/Extensions/WaitForHelpers/WaitForHelper.cs
index d8e5111e1..d99de823b 100644
--- a/src/bunit/Extensions/WaitForHelpers/WaitForHelper.cs
+++ b/src/bunit/Extensions/WaitForHelpers/WaitForHelper.cs
@@ -94,7 +94,11 @@ protected WaitForHelper(
 
 		// If the initial check did not complete successfully,
 		// start the timer and recheck after every render until the timer expires.
-		if (!WaitTask.IsCompleted)
+		// A check that completed synchronously has already disposed this helper
+		// before WaitTask, which completes on the thread pool, reflects it. A timer
+		// started after that would never be disposed, and would keep this helper,
+		// and through it the renderer, alive until the timeout elapsed.
+		if (!isDisposed && !WaitTask.IsCompleted)
 		{
 			timer = new Timer(
 				static (state) =>
@@ -112,6 +116,12 @@ protected WaitForHelper(
 				this,
 				GetRuntimeTimeout(timeout),
 				Timeout.InfiniteTimeSpan);
+
+			// The check may have completed on the renderer's dispatcher, and disposed
+			// this helper while the timer field was still null, between the test above
+			// and the assignment. Dispose(bool) found no timer to stop in that case.
+			if (isDisposed)
+				timer.Dispose();
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests/bunit.tests/Extensions/WaitForHelpers/RenderedComponentWaitForHelperExtensions.cs b/tests/bunit.tests/Extensions/WaitForHelpers/RenderedComponentWaitForHelperExtensions.cs
index 0d0044ea4..d0e50bc6b 100644
--- a/tests/bunit.tests/Extensions/WaitForHelpers/RenderedComponentWaitForHelperExtensions.cs
+++ b/tests/bunit.tests/Extensions/WaitForHelpers/RenderedComponentWaitForHelperExtensions.cs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
 using AngleSharp.Dom;
 
 namespace Bunit.Extensions.WaitForHelpers;
@@ -240,6 +241,55 @@ await cut.WaitForAssertionAsync(async () =>
 		expected.Message.ShouldStartWith(WaitForAssertionHelper<Simple1>.TimeoutMessage);
 	}
 
+	[Fact(DisplayName = "WaitForAssertion does not keep the renderer alive after the first check passes")]
+	public async Task Test500()
+	{
+		// The first call is slow while it is being JIT compiled, which is enough for the wait task
+		// to complete before the helper decides whether to start its timer, so it is not measured.
+		RenderAndWaitForAssertionThatPassesAtOnce();
+
+		var renderers = Enumerable.Range(0, 10)
+			.Select(_ => RenderAndWaitForAssertionThatPassesAtOnce())
+			.ToList();
+
+		// Disposing a context queues work that still references the renderer: cancelling its
+		// unhandled exception task wakes the helper's failure continuation on the thread pool, and
+		// the renderer's own base disposal goes through the dispatcher. On a busy test host that
+		// can still be queued when the first collection runs, so the collection is retried for a
+		// short while. A timer left running roots the renderer for ten minutes, so no number of
+		// retries makes the leaking case pass.
+		var alive = renderers.Count;
+		for (var attempt = 0; attempt < 20 && alive > 0; attempt++)
+		{
+			if (attempt > 0)
+				await Task.Delay(50, Xunit.TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);
+
+#pragma warning disable S1215 // A full collection is what proves the renderers are no longer rooted.
+			GC.Collect();
+			GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
+			GC.Collect();
+#pragma warning restore S1215
+
+			alive = renderers.Count(r => r.IsAlive);
+		}
+
+		alive.ShouldBe(0, "a wait whose first check passed should leave no timer running");
+	}
+
+	// Kept out of the test method so that nothing on its stack frame keeps the context alive.
+	[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.NoInlining)]
+	private static WeakReference RenderAndWaitForAssertionThatPassesAtOnce()
+	{
+		using var context = new BunitContext();
+		var cut = context.Render<Simple1>();
+
+		// A timeout far longer than the test: a timer left running roots the helper,
+		// and through it the renderer, until it fires.
+		cut.WaitForAssertion(() => { }, TimeSpan.FromMinutes(10));
+
+		return new WeakReference(context.Renderer);
+	}
+
 	private sealed class ThrowsAfterAsyncOperation : ComponentBase
 	{
 		protected override async Task OnInitializedAsync()