diff --git a/conn_tests/test_pubsubserver.py b/conn_tests/test_pubsubserver.py
index 7e5b57b..d1e2208 100644
--- a/conn_tests/test_pubsubserver.py
+++ b/conn_tests/test_pubsubserver.py
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ class TestPubsubServer(unittest.TestCase):
 
 	def test001getdefaultconfig(self):
 		"""Get the default node config"""
+		self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].deleteNode(self.pshost, 'testnode2')
+		self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].deleteNode(self.pshost, 'testnode3')
+		self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].deleteNode(self.pshost, 'testnode4')
+		self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].deleteNode(self.pshost, 'testnode5')
 		result = self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].getNodeConfig(self.pshost)
 		self.statev['defaultconfig'] = result
 		self.failUnless(isinstance(result, sleekxmpp.plugins.xep_0004.Form))
@@ -130,6 +134,39 @@ class TestPubsubServer(unittest.TestCase):
 		self.failUnless(msg != False, "Account #1 did not get message event: perhaps node was advertised incorrectly?")
 		self.failUnless(result)
 
+#	def test016speedtest(self):
+#		"Uncached speed test"
+#		import time
+#		start = time.time()
+#		for y in range(0, 50000, 1000):
+#			start2 = time.time()
+#			for x in range(y, y+1000):
+#				self.failUnless(self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].subscribe(self.pshost, "testnode4", subscribee="testuser%s@whatever" % x))
+#			print time.time() - start2
+#		seconds = time.time() - start
+#		print "--", seconds
+#		print "---------"
+#		time.sleep(15)
+#		self.failUnless(self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].deleteNode(self.pshost, 'testnode4'), "Could not delete non-cached test node")
+	
+#	def test015speedtest(self):
+#		"cached speed test"
+#		result = self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].getNodeConfig(self.pshost)
+#		self.statev['defaultconfig'] = result
+#		self.statev['defaultconfig'].field['pubsub#node_type'].setValue("leaf")
+#		self.statev['defaultconfig'].field['sleek#saveonchange'].setValue(True)
+#		self.failUnless(self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].create_node(self.pshost, 'testnode4', self.statev['defaultconfig']))
+#		self.statev['defaultconfig'].field['sleek#saveonchange'].setValue(False)
+#		self.failUnless(self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].create_node(self.pshost, 'testnode5', self.statev['defaultconfig']))
+#		start = time.time()
+#		for y in range(0, 50000, 1000):
+#			start2 = time.time()
+#			for x in range(y, y+1000):
+#				self.failUnless(self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].subscribe(self.pshost, "testnode5", subscribee="testuser%s@whatever" % x))
+#			print time.time() - start2
+#		seconds = time.time() - start
+#		print "--", seconds
+
 	def test900cleanup(self):
 		"Cleaning up"
 		self.failUnless(self.xmpp1['xep_0060'].deleteNode(self.pshost, 'testnode2'), "Could not delete test node.")
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0045.py b/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0045.py
index 240e6b9..937c6f9 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0045.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0045.py
@@ -93,10 +93,10 @@ class MUCPresence(ElementBase):
 		return self
 	
 	def getNick(self):
-		return self.parent['from'].resource
+		return self.parent()['from'].resource
 	
 	def getRoom(self):
-		return self.parent['from'].bare
+		return self.parent()['from'].bare
 	
 	def setNick(self, value):
 		logging.warning("Cannot set nick through mucpresence plugin.")
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/stanza/error.py b/sleekxmpp/stanza/error.py
index a1454d1..15af662 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/stanza/error.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/stanza/error.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class Error(ElementBase):
 			self['type'] = 'cancel'
 			self['condition'] = 'feature-not-implemented'
 		if self.parent is not None:
-			self.parent['type'] = 'error'
+			self.parent()['type'] = 'error'
 	
 	def getCondition(self):
 		for child in self.xml.getchildren():
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/stanza/htmlim.py b/sleekxmpp/stanza/htmlim.py
index f9ee985..60686e4 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/stanza/htmlim.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/stanza/htmlim.py
@@ -31,4 +31,5 @@ class HTMLIM(ElementBase):
 		return html
 	
 	def delHtml(self):
-		return self.__del__()
+		if self.parent is not None:
+			self.parent().xml.remove(self.xml)
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/stanza/nick.py b/sleekxmpp/stanza/nick.py
index 92a523d..ac7e360 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/stanza/nick.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/stanza/nick.py
@@ -22,4 +22,5 @@ class Nick(ElementBase):
 		return self.xml.text
 	
 	def delNick(self):
-		return self.__del__()
+		if self.parent is not None:
+			self.parent().xml.remove(self.xml)
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py
index 57c727a..018e81c 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from xml.etree import cElementTree as ET
 import logging
 import traceback
 import sys
+import weakref
 
 if sys.version_info < (3,0):
 	from . import tostring26 as tostring
@@ -51,7 +52,10 @@ class ElementBase(tostring.ToString):
 	subitem = None
 
 	def __init__(self, xml=None, parent=None):
-		self.parent = parent
+		if parent is None:
+			self.parent = None
+		else:
+			self.parent = weakref.ref(parent)
 		self.xml = xml
 		self.plugins = {}
 		self.iterables = []
@@ -158,7 +162,7 @@ class ElementBase(tostring.ToString):
 				else:
 					self.xml.append(new)
 			if self.parent is not None:
-				self.parent.xml.append(self.xml)
+				self.parent().xml.append(self.xml)
 			return True #had to generate XML
 		else:
 			return False
@@ -302,9 +306,9 @@ class ElementBase(tostring.ToString):
 		self.xml.append(xml)
 		return self
 	
-	def __del__(self):
-		if self.parent is not None:
-			self.parent.xml.remove(self.xml)
+	#def __del__(self): #prevents garbage collection of reference cycle
+	#	if self.parent is not None:
+	#		self.parent.xml.remove(self.xml)
 
 class StanzaBase(ElementBase):
 	name = 'stanza'