diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/model.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/model.ts
index e41f1fdbcba9428556d91edf347b01a824d2c1ec..98ce23d7b0e86a2c3a4c7832b5d193d67224b698 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/model.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/model.ts
@@ -1327,7 +1327,7 @@ export interface IReadonlyTextBuffer {
 /**
  * @internal
  */
-export interface ITextBuffer extends IReadonlyTextBuffer, IDisposable {
+export interface ITextBuffer extends IReadonlyTextBuffer {
 	setEOL(newEOL: '\r\n' | '\n'): void;
 	applyEdits(rawOperations: ValidAnnotatedEditOperation[], recordTrimAutoWhitespace: boolean, computeUndoEdits: boolean): ApplyEditsResult;
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/model/pieceTreeTextBuffer/pieceTreeTextBuffer.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/model/pieceTreeTextBuffer/pieceTreeTextBuffer.ts
index 2401eba3b3cd9f1f26bdf66c97724b287417e06f..2b73835b2f4e5fdb82ac04e8750f475b9aae01ec 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/model/pieceTreeTextBuffer/pieceTreeTextBuffer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/model/pieceTreeTextBuffer/pieceTreeTextBuffer.ts
@@ -51,12 +51,6 @@ export class PieceTreeTextBuffer extends Disposable implements ITextBuffer {
 		this._pieceTree = new PieceTreeBase(chunks, eol, eolNormalized);
 	}
 
-	dispose(): void {
-		super.dispose();
-		// Manually release reference to previous piece tree to avoid large leaks
-		this._pieceTree = new PieceTreeBase([], '\n', true);
-	}
-
 	// #region TextBuffer
 	public equals(other: ITextBuffer): boolean {
 		if (!(other instanceof PieceTreeTextBuffer)) {
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/model/textModel.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/model/textModel.ts
index 9b161cb202a655a20cbad7f759ad0c042fe92429..2ba7cb4ee89c818c1329cbec9375908355d37209 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/model/textModel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/model/textModel.ts
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ export class TextModel extends Disposable implements model.ITextModel {
 		this._undoRedoService = undoRedoService;
 		this._attachedEditorCount = 0;
 
-		this._buffer = this._register(createTextBuffer(source, creationOptions.defaultEOL));
+		this._buffer = createTextBuffer(source, creationOptions.defaultEOL);
 
 		this._options = TextModel.resolveOptions(this._buffer, creationOptions);
 
@@ -387,6 +387,9 @@ export class TextModel extends Disposable implements model.ITextModel {
 		this._isDisposed = true;
 		super.dispose();
 		this._isDisposing = false;
+		// Manually release reference to previous text buffer to avoid large leaks
+		// in case someone leaks a TextModel reference
+		this._buffer = createTextBuffer('', this._options.defaultEOL);
 	}
 
 	private _assertNotDisposed(): void {