diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 4e17394ce..a90f5c38f 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
 		<sonar.organization>chancesd</sonar.organization>
 		<sonar.host.url>https://sonarcloud.io</sonar.host.url>
-		<revision>4.0.9</revision>
+		<revision>4.0.10</revision>
 	</properties>
 
 	<distributionManagement>
diff --git a/pvpmanager/build.gradle b/pvpmanager/build.gradle
index 3ae76f063..55b5c33f3 100644
--- a/pvpmanager/build.gradle
+++ b/pvpmanager/build.gradle
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ plugins {
 }
 
 group = 'me.chancesd.pvpmanager'
-version = '4.0.3'
+version = '4.0.10'
 description = 'A powerful plugin to manage various PvP combat features'
 
 dependencies {
diff --git a/pvpmanager/src/main/java/me/chancesd/pvpmanager/command/Newbie.java b/pvpmanager/src/main/java/me/chancesd/pvpmanager/command/Newbie.java
index b9b819c0a..d185cb890 100644
--- a/pvpmanager/src/main/java/me/chancesd/pvpmanager/command/Newbie.java
+++ b/pvpmanager/src/main/java/me/chancesd/pvpmanager/command/Newbie.java
@@ -126,6 +126,12 @@ public AddNewbieCommand(final PlayerManager ph) {
 		public void execute(final CommandSender sender, final String label, final List<CommandArgument> args) {
 			final Player targetPlayer = getArgument(args, ARG_PLAYER).getAsPlayer();
 			final CombatPlayer target = ph.get(targetPlayer);
+			// FIX: Prevent orphaned NewbieTask accumulation — skip if already protected.
+			if (target.isNewbie()) {
+				sender.sendMessage(ChatUtils.colorize(
+						Lang.PREFIX + " &#FFFF55" + target.getName() + " &#FFAAAAalready has newbie protection"));
+				return;
+			}
 			target.setNewbie(true);
 			sender.sendMessage(ChatUtils.colorize(Lang.PREFIX + " Added newbie protection to &#FFFF55" + target.getName()));
 		}
diff --git a/pvpmanager/src/main/java/me/chancesd/pvpmanager/player/CombatPlayer.java b/pvpmanager/src/main/java/me/chancesd/pvpmanager/player/CombatPlayer.java
index 3794ffe6f..9a076c5dc 100644
--- a/pvpmanager/src/main/java/me/chancesd/pvpmanager/player/CombatPlayer.java
+++ b/pvpmanager/src/main/java/me/chancesd/pvpmanager/player/CombatPlayer.java
@@ -130,6 +130,14 @@ public final void setNewbie(final boolean newbie) {
 
 	public final void setNewbie(final boolean newbie, final long time) {
 		if (newbie) {
+			// FIX: Cancel existing newbieTask before overwriting the reference.
+			// Without this, the old task stays in the ScheduledThreadPoolExecutor queue
+			// (potentially for hours) while holding a strong CombatPlayer -> CraftPlayer
+			// reference, causing each orphaned task to retain ~4.85 GB of heap in aggregate.
+			// Triggered by repeated /newbie add on a player already under protection.
+			if (newbieTask != null) {
+				newbieTask.cancel();
+			}
 			this.newbieTask = new NewbieTask(this, time);
 		} else if (this.newbie && newbieTask != null) {
 			newbieTask.cancel();
@@ -480,6 +488,8 @@ public PlayerData exportPlayerData() {
 	public final void cleanForRemoval() {
 		if (newbieTask != null) {
 			newbieTask.cancel();
+			// FIX: Null out after cancel so the reference is released immediately.
+			newbieTask = null;
 		}
 		if (nametag != null) {
 			nametag.cleanup();