diff --git a/packages/opal-server/opal_server/git_fetcher.py b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/git_fetcher.py
index e52083c98..8daee2a8e 100644
--- a/packages/opal-server/opal_server/git_fetcher.py
+++ b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/git_fetcher.py
@@ -366,6 +366,26 @@ def base_dir(base_dir: Path) -> Path:
     def repo_clone_path(base_dir: Path, source: GitPolicyScopeSource) -> Path:
         return GitPolicyFetcher.base_dir(base_dir) / GitPolicyFetcher.source_id(source)
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def forget_repo(path: str) -> None:
+        """Drop the cached repository for a clone path and release its handles.
+
+        The cached ``pygit2.Repository`` keeps OS file descriptors and mmapped
+        pack indexes open; without this, a deleted scope's repo pins memory and
+        inodes for the lifetime of the process even after the clone is removed.
+        ``Repository.free()`` is called only when available (it is not part of
+        every pygit2 release); otherwise the dropped reference is reclaimed by GC.
+        """
+        repo = GitPolicyFetcher.repos.pop(path, None)
+        if repo is None:
+            return
+        free = getattr(repo, "free", None)
+        if callable(free):
+            try:
+                free()
+            except Exception:
+                logger.debug("pygit2 Repository.free() failed; relying on GC")
+
 
 class GitCallback(RemoteCallbacks):
     def __init__(self, source: GitPolicyScopeSource):
diff --git a/packages/opal-server/opal_server/policy/watcher/task.py b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/policy/watcher/task.py
index d420d183c..1afba7ef2 100644
--- a/packages/opal-server/opal_server/policy/watcher/task.py
+++ b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/policy/watcher/task.py
@@ -28,11 +28,10 @@ async def __aexit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb):
 
     async def _on_webhook(self, topic: Topic, data: Any):
         logger.info(f"Webhook listener triggered ({len(self._webhook_tasks)})")
-        for task in self._webhook_tasks:
-            if task.done():
-                # Clean references to finished tasks
-                self._webhook_tasks.remove(task)
-
+        # Rebuild rather than remove-while-iterating: list.remove() inside a
+        # `for t in self._webhook_tasks` loop skips the element after each removal,
+        # so finished tasks accumulate.
+        self._webhook_tasks = [t for t in self._webhook_tasks if not t.done()]
         self._webhook_tasks.append(asyncio.create_task(self.trigger(topic, data)))
 
     async def _listen_to_webhook_notifications(self):
diff --git a/packages/opal-server/opal_server/scopes/service.py b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/scopes/service.py
index d3df4972f..64cf3b8a5 100644
--- a/packages/opal-server/opal_server/scopes/service.py
+++ b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/scopes/service.py
@@ -162,24 +162,34 @@ async def delete_scope(self, scope_id: str):
         with tracer.trace("scopes_service.delete_scope", resource=scope_id):
             logger.info(f"Delete scope: {scope_id}")
             scope = await self._scopes.get(scope_id)
-            url = scope.policy.url
-
-            scopes = await self._scopes.all()
-            remove_repo_clone = True
-
-            for scope in scopes:
-                if scope.scope_id != scope_id and scope.policy.url == url:
-                    logger.info(
-                        f"found another scope with same remote url ({scope.scope_id}), skipping clone deletion"
-                    )
-                    remove_repo_clone = False
-                    break
+            deleted_source = cast(GitPolicyScopeSource, scope.policy)
+            deleted_source_id = GitPolicyFetcher.source_id(deleted_source)
+            scope_dir = GitPolicyFetcher.repo_clone_path(self._base_dir, deleted_source)
+
+            # Clone dir, the `repos` handle cache, and `repos_last_fetched` are
+            # all keyed by source_id (= the clone path). A sibling only shares
+            # storage when it resolves to the same source_id; same url with a
+            # different branch can shard to a different source_id (and a
+            # different clone dir) when SCOPES_REPO_CLONES_SHARDS > 1, so gate on
+            # source_id, not url — otherwise the deleted scope's clone + pygit2
+            # handle leak.
+            other_scopes = [
+                s for s in await self._scopes.all() if s.scope_id != scope_id
+            ]
+            source_id_shared = any(
+                isinstance(s.policy, GitPolicyScopeSource)
+                and GitPolicyFetcher.source_id(s.policy) == deleted_source_id
+                for s in other_scopes
+            )
 
-            if remove_repo_clone:
-                scope_dir = GitPolicyFetcher.repo_clone_path(
-                    self._base_dir, cast(GitPolicyScopeSource, scope.policy)
+            if source_id_shared:
+                logger.info(
+                    "Another scope shares the same clone (source id), skipping clone deletion"
                 )
+            else:
                 shutil.rmtree(scope_dir, ignore_errors=True)
+                GitPolicyFetcher.forget_repo(str(scope_dir))
+                GitPolicyFetcher.repos_last_fetched.pop(deleted_source_id, None)
 
             await self._scopes.delete(scope_id)
 
diff --git a/packages/opal-server/opal_server/tests/delete_scope_cache_purge_test.py b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/tests/delete_scope_cache_purge_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a4e0a5e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/tests/delete_scope_cache_purge_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+import pytest
+from opal_common.schemas.policy_source import GitPolicyScopeSource, NoAuthData
+from opal_common.schemas.scopes import Scope
+from opal_server.git_fetcher import GitPolicyFetcher
+from opal_server.scopes.scope_repository import ScopeNotFoundError
+from opal_server.scopes.service import ScopesService
+
+
+class FakeScopeRepository:
+    def __init__(self, scopes):
+        self._scopes = {s.scope_id: s for s in scopes}
+
+    async def get(self, scope_id):
+        if scope_id not in self._scopes:
+            raise ScopeNotFoundError(scope_id)
+        return self._scopes[scope_id]
+
+    async def all(self):
+        return list(self._scopes.values())
+
+    async def delete(self, scope_id):
+        self._scopes.pop(scope_id, None)
+
+
+def _scope(scope_id, url, branch="main"):
+    return Scope(
+        scope_id=scope_id,
+        policy=GitPolicyScopeSource(
+            source_type="git",
+            url=url,
+            branch=branch,
+            auth=NoAuthData(auth_type="none"),
+        ),
+        data={"entries": []},
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def clear_caches():
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repos.clear()
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repos_last_fetched.clear()
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repo_locks.clear()
+    yield
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repos.clear()
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repos_last_fetched.clear()
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repo_locks.clear()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_delete_unique_scope_purges_caches(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    scope = _scope("only", "https://git/repo-a.git")
+    repo = FakeScopeRepository([scope])
+    svc = ScopesService(base_dir=tmp_path, scopes=repo, pubsub_endpoint=None)
+
+    src = scope.policy
+    sid = GitPolicyFetcher.source_id(src)
+    clone_path = str(GitPolicyFetcher.repo_clone_path(tmp_path, src))
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repos[clone_path] = object()
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repos_last_fetched[sid] = "ts"
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "opal_server.scopes.service.shutil.rmtree", lambda *a, **k: None
+    )
+
+    await svc.delete_scope("only")
+
+    assert clone_path not in GitPolicyFetcher.repos
+    assert sid not in GitPolicyFetcher.repos_last_fetched
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_delete_keeps_caches_when_sibling_shares_source(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    a = _scope("a", "https://git/shared.git")
+    b = _scope("b", "https://git/shared.git")  # same url+branch -> same source_id
+    repo = FakeScopeRepository([a, b])
+    svc = ScopesService(base_dir=tmp_path, scopes=repo, pubsub_endpoint=None)
+
+    sid = GitPolicyFetcher.source_id(a.policy)
+    clone_path = str(GitPolicyFetcher.repo_clone_path(tmp_path, a.policy))
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repos[clone_path] = object()
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repos_last_fetched[sid] = "ts"
+
+    rmtree_calls = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "opal_server.scopes.service.shutil.rmtree",
+        lambda p, **k: rmtree_calls.append(p),
+    )
+
+    await svc.delete_scope("a")
+
+    assert rmtree_calls == []  # sibling shares the source id; clone must survive
+    assert clone_path in GitPolicyFetcher.repos
+    assert sid in GitPolicyFetcher.repos_last_fetched
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_delete_purges_when_sibling_shares_url_but_not_source(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """Same url, different branch, sharded clones (SCOPES_REPO_CLONES_SHARDS>1)
+    resolve to different source_ids -> different clone dirs.
+
+    Deleting one must still purge its own clone + caches; the url-
+    sharing sibling lives elsewhere.
+    """
+    # shards=4: branch "main" -> index 1, "dev" -> index 3 (distinct source_ids).
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "opal_server.git_fetcher.opal_server_config.SCOPES_REPO_CLONES_SHARDS", 4
+    )
+    a = _scope("a", "https://git/shared.git", branch="main")
+    b = _scope("b", "https://git/shared.git", branch="dev")  # same url, diff source_id
+    assert GitPolicyFetcher.source_id(a.policy) != GitPolicyFetcher.source_id(b.policy)
+
+    repo = FakeScopeRepository([a, b])
+    svc = ScopesService(base_dir=tmp_path, scopes=repo, pubsub_endpoint=None)
+
+    sid_a = GitPolicyFetcher.source_id(a.policy)
+    clone_path_a = str(GitPolicyFetcher.repo_clone_path(tmp_path, a.policy))
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repos[clone_path_a] = object()
+    GitPolicyFetcher.repos_last_fetched[sid_a] = "ts"
+
+    rmtree_calls = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "opal_server.scopes.service.shutil.rmtree",
+        lambda p, **k: rmtree_calls.append(str(p)),
+    )
+
+    await svc.delete_scope("a")
+
+    assert rmtree_calls == [clone_path_a]  # its own clone dir removed
+    assert clone_path_a not in GitPolicyFetcher.repos
+    assert sid_a not in GitPolicyFetcher.repos_last_fetched
diff --git a/packages/opal-server/opal_server/tests/forget_repo_test.py b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/tests/forget_repo_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b6e223cf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/tests/forget_repo_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+from opal_server.git_fetcher import GitPolicyFetcher
+
+
+class _FakeRepo:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.freed = False
+
+    def free(self):
+        self.freed = True
+
+
+def test_forget_repo_pops_and_frees(monkeypatch):
+    fake = _FakeRepo()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(GitPolicyFetcher, "repos", {"/clones/x": fake})
+
+    GitPolicyFetcher.forget_repo("/clones/x")
+
+    assert "/clones/x" not in GitPolicyFetcher.repos
+    assert fake.freed is True
+
+
+def test_forget_repo_unknown_path_is_noop(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(GitPolicyFetcher, "repos", {})
+    GitPolicyFetcher.forget_repo("/clones/missing")  # must not raise
+    assert GitPolicyFetcher.repos == {}
+
+
+def test_forget_repo_without_free_method(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(GitPolicyFetcher, "repos", {"/clones/y": object()})
+    GitPolicyFetcher.forget_repo("/clones/y")  # object() has no .free(); must not raise
+    assert "/clones/y" not in GitPolicyFetcher.repos
diff --git a/packages/opal-server/opal_server/tests/webhook_task_cleanup_test.py b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/tests/webhook_task_cleanup_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a576d924c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/opal-server/opal_server/tests/webhook_task_cleanup_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import asyncio
+
+import pytest
+from opal_server.policy.watcher.task import BasePolicyWatcherTask
+
+
+class _Watcher(BasePolicyWatcherTask):
+    async def trigger(self, topic, data):
+        return None  # fast no-op so the created task finishes quickly
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_done_tasks_are_all_removed():
+    w = _Watcher(pubsub_endpoint=None)
+
+    async def _done():
+        return None
+
+    # three already-finished tasks pre-loaded into the list
+    finished = [asyncio.create_task(_done()) for _ in range(3)]
+    await asyncio.gather(*finished)
+    w._webhook_tasks = list(finished)
+
+    await w._on_webhook("webhook", None)
+    await asyncio.sleep(0)  # let the newly created trigger task finish
+
+    # all 3 done ones removed...
+    remaining_done = [t for t in w._webhook_tasks if t in finished]
+    assert remaining_done == [], f"stale done tasks leaked: {remaining_done}"
+    # ...and exactly the one freshly scheduled trigger task survives.
+    survivors = [t for t in w._webhook_tasks if t not in finished]
+    assert len(w._webhook_tasks) == 1
+    assert len(survivors) == 1, f"new trigger task not scheduled: {w._webhook_tasks}"
+
+    await asyncio.gather(*survivors)  # drain the dangling task