--- xml/core/src/org/netbeans/modules/xml/core/wizard/XMLWizardIterator.java	
+++ xml/core/src/org/netbeans/modules/xml/core/wizard/XMLWizardIterator.java	
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.ref.Reference;
+import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.text.DateFormat;
 import java.util.Date;
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ 
     
     /** Singleton instance of JavaWizardIterator, should it be ever needed.
      */
-    private static XMLWizardIterator instance;
+    private static Reference<XMLWizardIterator> instance;
 
     private transient Map listenersMap = new HashMap(2);
     private transient String[] beforeSteps;
@@ -121,10 +123,12 @@ 
      * for constructing the instance from filesystem.attributes.
      */
     public static synchronized XMLWizardIterator singleton() {
-        if (instance == null) {
-            instance = new XMLWizardIterator();
+        XMLWizardIterator it = instance == null ? null : instance.get();
+        if (it == null) {
+            it = new XMLWizardIterator();
+            instance = new WeakReference<XMLWizardIterator>(it);
         }
-        return instance;
+        return it;
     }
 
     public void initialize(TemplateWizard templateWizard) {