diff --git a/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/steps/MainClassBuildStep.java b/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/steps/MainClassBuildStep.java
index dd3074298b934..d821d43a49f22 100644
--- a/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/steps/MainClassBuildStep.java
+++ b/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/steps/MainClassBuildStep.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 import io.quarkus.bootstrap.logging.InitialConfigurator;
 import io.quarkus.bootstrap.logging.QuarkusDelayedHandler;
+import io.quarkus.bootstrap.naming.DisabledInitialContextManager;
 import io.quarkus.bootstrap.runner.Timing;
 import io.quarkus.builder.Version;
 import io.quarkus.deployment.GeneratedClassGizmoAdaptor;
@@ -83,7 +84,6 @@
 import io.quarkus.runtime.appcds.AppCDSUtil;
 import io.quarkus.runtime.configuration.ConfigUtils;
 import io.quarkus.runtime.configuration.ProfileManager;
-import io.quarkus.runtime.naming.DisabledInitialContextManager;
 import io.quarkus.runtime.util.StepTiming;
 
 public class MainClassBuildStep {
diff --git a/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/app/CuratedApplication.java b/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/app/CuratedApplication.java
index 9b5d41d029b33..d51837e39e399 100644
--- a/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/app/CuratedApplication.java
+++ b/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/app/CuratedApplication.java
@@ -405,9 +405,11 @@ public boolean hasReloadableArtifacts() {
     public void close() {
         if (augmentClassLoader != null) {
             augmentClassLoader.close();
+            augmentClassLoader = null;
         }
         if (baseRuntimeClassLoader != null) {
             baseRuntimeClassLoader.close();
+            baseRuntimeClassLoader = null;
         }
         augmentationElements.clear();
     }
diff --git a/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/naming/DisabledInitialContext.java b/independent-projects/bootstrap/runner/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/naming/DisabledInitialContext.java
similarity index 99%
rename from core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/naming/DisabledInitialContext.java
rename to independent-projects/bootstrap/runner/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/naming/DisabledInitialContext.java
index e047ae2841496..f17307093deff 100644
--- a/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/naming/DisabledInitialContext.java
+++ b/independent-projects/bootstrap/runner/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/naming/DisabledInitialContext.java
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package io.quarkus.runtime.naming;
+package io.quarkus.bootstrap.naming;
 
 import java.util.Hashtable;
 
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@
 
 /**
  * Initial context that won't allow you to actually do anything.
- *
- * As most Quarkus applications don't let you
+ * <p>
+ * Used by Quarkus to disable JNDI.
  */
 public class DisabledInitialContext extends InitialLdapContext {
 
diff --git a/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/naming/DisabledInitialContextManager.java b/independent-projects/bootstrap/runner/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/naming/DisabledInitialContextManager.java
similarity index 70%
rename from core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/naming/DisabledInitialContextManager.java
rename to independent-projects/bootstrap/runner/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/naming/DisabledInitialContextManager.java
index 464d8c5ced4e8..c192099f11508 100644
--- a/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/naming/DisabledInitialContextManager.java
+++ b/independent-projects/bootstrap/runner/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/naming/DisabledInitialContextManager.java
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package io.quarkus.runtime.naming;
+package io.quarkus.bootstrap.naming;
 
 import java.util.Hashtable;
 
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@
 import javax.naming.spi.InitialContextFactoryBuilder;
 import javax.naming.spi.NamingManager;
 
+/**
+ * Delegate used by Quarkus to disable JNDI.
+ * <p>
+ * This must be in a parent-first artifact as the initial context manager
+ * {@link NamingManager#setInitialContextFactoryBuilder(InitialContextFactoryBuilder) cannot be replaced}
+ * and will never get garbage-collected due to being referenced from a sticky class ({@link NamingManager}),
+ * so its classloader will never get garbage-collected either.
+ */
 public class DisabledInitialContextManager implements InitialContextFactoryBuilder {
 
     public static synchronized void register() {
diff --git a/test-framework/junit5-internal/src/main/java/io/quarkus/test/QuarkusUnitTest.java b/test-framework/junit5-internal/src/main/java/io/quarkus/test/QuarkusUnitTest.java
index e7369ea65cee0..42d878b481e0a 100644
--- a/test-framework/junit5-internal/src/main/java/io/quarkus/test/QuarkusUnitTest.java
+++ b/test-framework/junit5-internal/src/main/java/io/quarkus/test/QuarkusUnitTest.java
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ public class QuarkusUnitTest
     private Runnable afterAllCustomizer;
     private CuratedApplication curatedApplication;
     private RunningQuarkusApplication runningQuarkusApplication;
+    private QuarkusClassLoader quarkusUnitTestClassLoader;
     private ClassLoader originalClassLoader;
     private List<Dependency> forcedDependencies = Collections.emptyList();
 
@@ -633,12 +634,11 @@ public boolean test(String s) {
                     builder.setDisableClasspathCache(true);
                 }
                 if (!allowTestClassOutsideDeployment) {
-                    builder
-                            .setBaseClassLoader(
-                                    QuarkusClassLoader
-                                            .builder("QuarkusUnitTest ClassLoader", getClass().getClassLoader(), false)
-                                            .addClassLoaderEventListeners(this.classLoadListeners)
-                                            .addBannedElement(ClassPathElement.fromPath(testLocation, true)).build());
+                    quarkusUnitTestClassLoader = QuarkusClassLoader
+                            .builder("QuarkusUnitTest ClassLoader", getClass().getClassLoader(), false)
+                            .addClassLoaderEventListeners(this.classLoadListeners)
+                            .addBannedElement(ClassPathElement.fromPath(testLocation, true)).build();
+                    builder.setBaseClassLoader(quarkusUnitTestClassLoader);
                 }
                 builder.addClassLoaderEventListeners(this.classLoadListeners);
 
@@ -748,6 +748,10 @@ public void afterAll(ExtensionContext extensionContext) throws Exception {
             System.clearProperty("test.url");
             Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(originalClassLoader);
             originalClassLoader = null;
+            if (quarkusUnitTestClassLoader != null) {
+                quarkusUnitTestClassLoader.close();
+                quarkusUnitTestClassLoader = null;
+            }
             timeoutTask.cancel();
             timeoutTask = null;
             timeoutTimer.cancel();