diff --git a/src/runtime/classderived.cs b/src/runtime/classderived.cs
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ public static void Finalize(IPythonDerivedType obj)
            {
                if (0 == Runtime.Py_IsInitialized() || Runtime.IsFinalizing)
                {
-                    self.gcHandle.Free();
                    return;
                }
            }
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ public static void Finalize(IPythonDerivedType obj)
                    // If python's been terminated then just free the gchandle.
                    if (0 == Runtime.Py_IsInitialized() || Runtime.IsFinalizing)
                    {
-                        self.gcHandle.Free();
                        return;
                    }