diff --git a/lib/phpunit/classes/util.php b/lib/phpunit/classes/util.php
index 19e8a95253c..4ee93a63a71 100644
--- a/lib/phpunit/classes/util.php
+++ b/lib/phpunit/classes/util.php
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ class phpunit_util extends testing_util {
         // Stop any message redirection.
         phpunit_util::stop_phpmailer_redirection();
 
+        // Release memory and indirectly call destroy() methods to release resource handles, etc.
+        gc_collect_cycles();
+
         // Show any unhandled debugging messages, the runbare() could already reset it.
         self::display_debugging_messages();
         self::reset_debugging();