diff --git a/packages/opal-common/opal_common/fetcher/engine/fetch_worker.py b/packages/opal-common/opal_common/fetcher/engine/fetch_worker.py
index 6db97b338..b2740a63f 100644
--- a/packages/opal-common/opal_common/fetcher/engine/fetch_worker.py
+++ b/packages/opal-common/opal_common/fetcher/engine/fetch_worker.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ async def fetch_worker(queue: asyncio.Queue, engine):
         # get a event from the queue
         event, callback = await queue.get()
         # take care of it
+        fetcher = res = data = None
         try:
             # get fetcher for the event
             fetcher = register.get_fetcher_for_event(event)
@@ -44,3 +45,10 @@ async def fetch_worker(queue: asyncio.Queue, engine):
         finally:
             # Notify the queue that the "work item" has been processed.
             queue.task_done()
+            # Drop references to the processed event and its (potentially large)
+            # fetched payload. Otherwise these locals stay bound in the worker's
+            # frame while it blocks on the next `queue.get()`, so every idle
+            # worker pins its last dataset + response in memory indefinitely
+            # (one retained copy per worker -> a memory high-water mark that only
+            # resets on process restart). See issues #770 / #844.
+            event = callback = fetcher = res = data = None
diff --git a/packages/opal-common/opal_common/fetcher/tests/fetch_worker_retention_test.py b/packages/opal-common/opal_common/fetcher/tests/fetch_worker_retention_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e2212e840
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/opal-common/opal_common/fetcher/tests/fetch_worker_retention_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+"""Regression test for fetch-worker frame retention (issues #770 / #844).
+
+A fetch worker loops `while True: event, callback = await queue.get(); ...`. Python
+keeps a frame's locals bound until they are reassigned or the frame exits, so an
+idle worker blocked on the next `queue.get()` used to keep the PREVIOUS fetch's
+locals (`event`, `fetcher`, `res`, `data`) alive — pinning the last fetched
+dataset (and its HTTP response) in memory, one retained copy per worker, until
+process restart. This test fails if that cleanup is removed.
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+import gc
+import weakref
+
+import pytest
+from opal_common.fetcher import FetchingEngine
+from opal_common.fetcher.fetch_provider import BaseFetchProvider
+
+
+class _Payload:
+    """A weakref-able stand-in for a large fetched dataset."""
+
+
+class _SentinelProvider(BaseFetchProvider):
+    async def _fetch_(self):
+        return _Payload()
+
+    async def _process_(self, data):
+        return data
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_idle_worker_does_not_retain_last_payload():
+    async with FetchingEngine(worker_count=1) as engine:
+        engine.register.register_fetcher("SentinelProvider", _SentinelProvider)
+
+        result = await engine.handle_url("sentinel://x", fetcher="SentinelProvider")
+        assert isinstance(result, _Payload)
+
+        ref = weakref.ref(result)
+        del result  # drop the caller's reference
+
+        # The single worker is now idle, blocked on the next queue.get(). Its frame
+        # must not still bind the payload from the fetch it just completed.
+        collected = False
+        for _ in range(20):
+            await asyncio.sleep(0.02)
+            gc.collect()
+            if ref() is None:
+                collected = True
+                break
+
+        assert collected, (
+            "fetch worker retained the last fetched payload in its frame while idle "
+            "-> per-worker memory high-water mark (regression of #770/#844 fix)"
+        )