tests/memory_mgmt_test.py | 4 +++-
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/tests/memory_mgmt_test.py b/tests/memory_mgmt_test.py
index 08636ae..a7b8a21 100644
--- a/tests/memory_mgmt_test.py
+++ b/tests/memory_mgmt_test.py
@@ -258,4 +258,6 @@ class MemoryMgmtTest(unittest.TestCase):
         
         gc.collect()
         new_object_count = len(gc.get_objects())
-        self.assertEqual(new_object_count, object_count)
+        # it seems that GC sometimes collects something that existed
+        # before this test ran, GH issues #273/#274
+        self.assertTrue(new_object_count in (object_count, object_count-1))