diff --git a/lib/wibox/widget/base.lua b/lib/wibox/widget/base.lua
index 26203581f..6dbd05da9 100644
--- a/lib/wibox/widget/base.lua
+++ b/lib/wibox/widget/base.lua
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ local base = {}
 -- {{{ Caches
 
 -- Indexes are widgets, allow them to be garbage-collected
-local widget_dependencies = setmetatable({}, { __mode = "k" })
+local widget_dependencies = setmetatable({}, { __mode = "kv" })
 
 -- Get the cache of the given kind for this widget. This returns a gears.cache
 -- that calls the callback of kind `kind` on the widget.
diff --git a/tests/test-leaks.lua b/tests/test-leaks.lua
index dd36ab9a7..e91727a80 100644
--- a/tests/test-leaks.lua
+++ b/tests/test-leaks.lua
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ local errors = {}
 
 local prepare_for_collect = nil
 
+-- Make the layoutbox in the default config GC'able
+mywibox[1].visible = false
+mywibox = nil
+mylayoutbox = nil
+awesome.emit_signal("refresh")
+
 -- Test if some objects can be garbage collected
 local function collectable(a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, last)
     assert(last == nil, "got more arguments than supported")