diff --git a/buffer.go b/buffer.go
index 4bb5e7e..566704d 100644
--- a/buffer.go
+++ b/buffer.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"io"
 	"os"
-	"runtime"
 	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/awnumar/memguard/core"
@@ -17,26 +16,16 @@ The number of LockedBuffers that you are able to create is limited by how much m
 */
 type LockedBuffer struct {
 	*core.Buffer
-	*drop
 }
 
-/*
-Value monitored by a finalizer so that we can clean up LockedBuffers that have gone out of scope.
-*/
-type drop [16]byte
-
 // Constructs a LockedBuffer object from a core.Buffer while also setting up the finalizer for it.
 func newBuffer(buf *core.Buffer) *LockedBuffer {
-	b := &LockedBuffer{buf, new(drop)}
-	runtime.SetFinalizer(b.drop, func(_ *drop) {
-		go buf.Destroy()
-	})
-	return b
+	return &LockedBuffer{buf}
 }
 
 // Constructs a quasi-destroyed LockedBuffer with size zero.
 func newNullBuffer() *LockedBuffer {
-	return &LockedBuffer{new(core.Buffer), new(drop)}
+	return &LockedBuffer{new(core.Buffer)}
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/buffer_test.go b/buffer_test.go
index 36c50e4..63934cd 100644
--- a/buffer_test.go
+++ b/buffer_test.go
@@ -12,19 +12,26 @@ import (
 	"unsafe"
 )
 
-func TestFinalizer(t *testing.T) {
-	b := NewBuffer(32)
-	ib := b.Buffer
+func TestPtrSafetyWithGC(t *testing.T) {
+	dataToLock := []byte(`abcdefgh`)
+	b := NewBufferFromBytes(dataToLock)
+	dataPtr := b.Bytes()
 
-	runtime.KeepAlive(b)
+	finalizerCalledChan := make(chan bool)
+	runtime.SetFinalizer(b, func(_ *LockedBuffer) {
+		finalizerCalledChan <- true
+	})
 	// b is now unreachable
 
 	runtime.GC()
-	for {
-		if !ib.Alive() {
-			break
-		}
-		runtime.Gosched() // should collect b
+	finalizerCalled := <-finalizerCalledChan
+	if finalizerCalled == false {
+		t.Error("this should never occur")
+	}
+
+	// Check that data hasn't been garbage collected
+	if !bytes.Equal(dataPtr, []byte(`abcdefgh`)) {
+		t.Error("data does not have the value we set")
 	}
 }