diff --git a/Containers.Test/SlotClearingTests.cs b/Containers.Test/SlotClearingTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9e29535
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Containers.Test/SlotClearingTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2023-2026 ktsu-dev contributors
+
+namespace ktsu.Containers.Tests;
+
+using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
+using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Guards that removed and cleared slots stop keeping their contents alive, including for structs that
+/// hold references, which a plain value-type check misses on the netstandard builds (issue #79).
+/// </summary>
+[TestClass]
+public partial class SlotClearingTests
+{
+	[GeneratedRegex(@"if\s*\(\s*!\s*typeof\([^)]*\)\.IsValueType\s*\)")]
+	private static partial Regex ValueTypeGuard();
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void IsNeeded_IsTrueForReferencesAndStructsHoldingThem()
+	{
+		Assert.IsTrue(SlotClearing.IsNeeded<object>());
+		Assert.IsTrue(SlotClearing.IsNeeded<KeyValuePair<int, object>>());
+		Assert.IsTrue(SlotClearing.IsNeeded<(string, int)>());
+	}
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void IsNeeded_IsFalseForUnmanagedTypesWhereTheRuntimeCanTell() =>
+		Assert.IsFalse(SlotClearing.IsNeeded<int>());
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void ContiguousMap_Clear_ReleasesValues()
+	{
+		ContiguousMap<int, object> map = [];
+		WeakReference[] references = FillMap(map, 3);
+
+		map.Clear();
+
+		AssertAllCollected(references);
+	}
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void ContiguousMap_RemovingEveryKey_ReleasesValues()
+	{
+		ContiguousMap<int, object> map = [];
+		WeakReference[] references = FillMap(map, 3);
+
+		for (int i = 0; i < references.Length; i++)
+		{
+			Assert.IsTrue(map.Remove(i));
+		}
+
+		AssertAllCollected(references);
+	}
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void ContiguousCollection_OfReferenceHoldingStructs_Clear_ReleasesValues()
+	{
+		ContiguousCollection<KeyValuePair<int, object>> collection = [];
+		WeakReference[] references = FillCollection(collection, 3);
+
+		collection.Clear();
+
+		AssertAllCollected(references);
+	}
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void ContiguousCollection_OfReferenceHoldingStructs_Remove_ReleasesValue()
+	{
+		ContiguousCollection<KeyValuePair<int, object>> collection = [];
+		WeakReference[] references = FillCollection(collection, 1);
+
+		collection.RemoveAt(0);
+
+		AssertAllCollected(references);
+	}
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void ContiguousSet_OfReferenceHoldingStructs_Clear_ReleasesValues()
+	{
+		ContiguousSet<KeyValuePair<int, object>> set = [];
+		WeakReference[] references = FillSet(set, 3);
+
+		set.Clear();
+
+		AssertAllCollected(references);
+	}
+
+	/// <summary>
+	/// The test project only runs on net10, where the runtime check is always available, so this guards
+	/// the netstandard fallback at the source: every container must go through
+	/// <see cref="SlotClearing.IsNeeded{T}"/> rather than test <c>IsValueType</c> itself.
+	/// </summary>
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void Containers_DoNotDecideSlotClearingWithAValueTypeCheck()
+	{
+		DirectoryInfo? directory = new(AppContext.BaseDirectory);
+		while (directory is not null && !File.Exists(Path.Combine(directory.FullName, "Containers.sln")))
+		{
+			directory = directory.Parent;
+		}
+
+		Assert.IsNotNull(directory, $"Could not locate Containers.sln above '{AppContext.BaseDirectory}'.");
+
+		string[] offenders =
+		[
+			.. Directory.EnumerateFiles(Path.Combine(directory.FullName, "Containers"), "*.cs")
+				.Where(file => ValueTypeGuard().IsMatch(File.ReadAllText(file)))
+				.Select(Path.GetFileName)
+				.OfType<string>()
+		];
+
+		Assert.IsEmpty(offenders, $"Use SlotClearing.IsNeeded<T>() instead of an IsValueType check in: {string.Join(", ", offenders)}");
+	}
+
+	private static void AssertAllCollected(WeakReference[] references)
+	{
+		GC.Collect();
+		GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
+		GC.Collect();
+
+		Assert.IsFalse(references.Any(r => r.IsAlive));
+	}
+
+	[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.NoInlining)]
+	private static WeakReference[] FillMap(ContiguousMap<int, object> map, int count)
+	{
+		WeakReference[] references = new WeakReference[count];
+		for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
+		{
+			object value = new();
+			map.Add(i, value);
+			references[i] = new WeakReference(value);
+		}
+
+		return references;
+	}
+
+	[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.NoInlining)]
+	private static WeakReference[] FillCollection(ContiguousCollection<KeyValuePair<int, object>> collection, int count)
+	{
+		WeakReference[] references = new WeakReference[count];
+		for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
+		{
+			object value = new();
+			collection.Add(new KeyValuePair<int, object>(i, value));
+			references[i] = new WeakReference(value);
+		}
+
+		return references;
+	}
+
+	[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.NoInlining)]
+	private static WeakReference[] FillSet(ContiguousSet<KeyValuePair<int, object>> set, int count)
+	{
+		WeakReference[] references = new WeakReference[count];
+		for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
+		{
+			object value = new();
+			set.Add(new KeyValuePair<int, object>(i, value));
+			references[i] = new WeakReference(value);
+		}
+
+		return references;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/Containers/ContiguousCollection.cs b/Containers/ContiguousCollection.cs
index b315cf8..be6f72f 100644
--- a/Containers/ContiguousCollection.cs
+++ b/Containers/ContiguousCollection.cs
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@ namespace ktsu.Containers;
 
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
-#endif
 
 /// <summary>
 /// Represents a generic collection that guarantees contiguous memory allocation for optimal cache performance.
@@ -172,11 +169,7 @@ public void Add(T item)
 	/// </summary>
 	public void Clear()
 	{
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-		if (RuntimeHelpers.IsReferenceOrContainsReferences<T>())
-#else
-		if (!typeof(T).IsValueType)
-#endif
+		if (SlotClearing.IsNeeded<T>())
 		{
 			// Clear references to help GC
 			Array.Clear(items, 0, Count);
@@ -255,11 +248,7 @@ public void RemoveAt(int index)
 			Array.Copy(items, index + 1, items, index, Count - index);
 		}
 
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-		if (RuntimeHelpers.IsReferenceOrContainsReferences<T>())
-#else
-		if (!typeof(T).IsValueType)
-#endif
+		if (SlotClearing.IsNeeded<T>())
 		{
 			items[Count] = default!;
 		}
diff --git a/Containers/ContiguousMap.cs b/Containers/ContiguousMap.cs
index 7266412..3f3a0d4 100644
--- a/Containers/ContiguousMap.cs
+++ b/Containers/ContiguousMap.cs
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@ namespace ktsu.Containers;
 
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
-#endif
 
 /// <summary>
 /// Represents a generic map/dictionary that maintains key-value pairs in contiguous memory for optimal cache performance.
@@ -389,11 +386,7 @@ public bool Remove(TKey key)
 			Array.Copy(items, index + 1, items, index, Count - index);
 		}
 
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-		if (RuntimeHelpers.IsReferenceOrContainsReferences<Entry>())
-#else
-		if (!typeof(Entry).IsValueType)
-#endif
+		if (SlotClearing.IsNeeded<Entry>())
 		{
 			items[Count] = default;
 		}
@@ -462,11 +455,7 @@ public bool TryGetValue(TKey key, out TValue value)
 	public void Clear()
 	{
 		version++;
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-		if (RuntimeHelpers.IsReferenceOrContainsReferences<Entry>())
-#else
-		if (!typeof(Entry).IsValueType)
-#endif
+		if (SlotClearing.IsNeeded<Entry>())
 		{
 			// Clear references to help GC
 			Array.Clear(items, 0, Count);
diff --git a/Containers/ContiguousSet.cs b/Containers/ContiguousSet.cs
index 947f6f5..cffdd28 100644
--- a/Containers/ContiguousSet.cs
+++ b/Containers/ContiguousSet.cs
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@ namespace ktsu.Containers;
 
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
-#endif
 
 /// <summary>
 /// Represents a generic set that maintains unique elements in contiguous memory for optimal cache performance.
@@ -228,11 +225,7 @@ public bool Add(T item)
 	/// </summary>
 	public void Clear()
 	{
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-		if (RuntimeHelpers.IsReferenceOrContainsReferences<T>())
-#else
-		if (!typeof(T).IsValueType)
-#endif
+		if (SlotClearing.IsNeeded<T>())
 		{
 			// Clear references to help GC
 			Array.Clear(items, 0, Count);
@@ -310,11 +303,7 @@ public bool Remove(T item)
 				Array.Copy(items, index + 1, items, index, Count - index);
 			}
 
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-			if (RuntimeHelpers.IsReferenceOrContainsReferences<T>())
-#else
-			if (!typeof(T).IsValueType)
-#endif
+			if (SlotClearing.IsNeeded<T>())
 			{
 				items[Count] = default!;
 			}
diff --git a/Containers/RingBuffer.cs b/Containers/RingBuffer.cs
index 635a0ea..6a705ea 100644
--- a/Containers/RingBuffer.cs
+++ b/Containers/RingBuffer.cs
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ namespace ktsu.Containers;
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 using System.Linq;
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
-#endif
 
 /// <summary>
 /// Represents a fixed-size circular buffer (ring buffer) for storing elements of type <typeparamref name="T"/>.
@@ -307,11 +304,7 @@ public IEnumerator<T> GetEnumerator()
 	/// </remarks>
 	public void Clear()
 	{
-#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
-		if (RuntimeHelpers.IsReferenceOrContainsReferences<T>())
-#else
-		if (!typeof(T).IsValueType)
-#endif
+		if (SlotClearing.IsNeeded<T>())
 		{
 			// Clear references so cleared elements can be collected
 			Array.Clear(Buffer, 0, Buffer.Length);
diff --git a/Containers/SlotClearing.cs b/Containers/SlotClearing.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..782f331
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Containers/SlotClearing.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2023-2026 ktsu-dev contributors
+
+namespace ktsu.Containers;
+
+#if NETSTANDARD2_1_OR_GREATER || NETCOREAPP2_0_OR_GREATER
+using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
+#endif
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Decides whether a vacated array slot has to be reset so the garbage collector can reclaim what it held.
+/// </summary>
+internal static class SlotClearing
+{
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Returns whether a slot of type <typeparamref name="T"/> can keep an object alive, and so must be
+	/// cleared when an element is removed or the container is cleared.
+	/// </summary>
+	/// <remarks>
+	/// <c>RuntimeHelpers.IsReferenceOrContainsReferences</c> exists from netstandard2.1 and netcoreapp2.0.
+	/// On netstandard2.0 there is no cheap equivalent, so the answer is always true: clearing a slot that
+	/// holds no references costs little, while skipping one that does leaks. A plain value-type check is
+	/// not enough there, because a struct such as <c>KeyValuePair&lt;int, object&gt;</c> holds a reference.
+	/// </remarks>
+	/// <typeparam name="T">The slot's element type.</typeparam>
+	/// <returns>True when the slot must be cleared.</returns>
+	internal static bool IsNeeded<T>() =>
+#if NETSTANDARD2_1_OR_GREATER || NETCOREAPP2_0_OR_GREATER
+		RuntimeHelpers.IsReferenceOrContainsReferences<T>();
+#else
+		true;
+#endif
+}