diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 07d5e7f..777b362 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ pm_to_blib
 Test-MockFile-*
 Test-MockFile-*.tar.gz
 .DS_Store
+.claude/
 
 # VIM - https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/main/Global/Vim.gitignore
 # Swap
diff --git a/Makefile.PL b/Makefile.PL
index e6935d5..e4433c0 100644
--- a/Makefile.PL
+++ b/Makefile.PL
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ WriteMakefile(
         'Test::MockModule'          => 0,
     },
     PREREQ_PM => {
-        'Overload::FileCheck' => '0.013',
+        'Overload::FileCheck' => '0.014',
         'Text::Glob'          => 0,
     },
     dist       => { COMPRESS => 'gzip -9f', SUFFIX => 'gz', },
diff --git a/cpanfile b/cpanfile
index 5a9ec29..4e19f2a 100644
--- a/cpanfile
+++ b/cpanfile
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ on 'test' => sub {
     requires 'Test2::Tools::Explain'     => 0;
     requires 'Test2::Plugin::NoWarnings' => 0;
     requires 'File::Slurper'             => 0;
-    requires 'Overload::FileCheck'       => '0.013';
+    requires 'Overload::FileCheck'       => '0.014';
     requires 'Test::Pod::Coverage'       => 0;
     requires 'Test::Pod'                 => 0;
     requires 'Test2::API'                => 0;
diff --git a/t/fh-ref-leak.t b/t/fh-ref-leak.t
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a32310c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/fh-ref-leak.t
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl -w
+
+# Test for GitHub issue #179: "Spooky action-at-a-distance"
+#
+# File check operators (-S, -f, etc.) on real (unmocked) filehandles should
+# not retain references that prevent garbage collection. A leaked reference
+# to a socket filehandle can keep the fd open, causing reads on the other
+# end of a socketpair to hang waiting for EOF.
+#
+# Root cause: $_last_call_for in Overload::FileCheck stored filehandle refs.
+# Fix: Only cache string filenames, not refs (Overload::FileCheck PR #25).
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+use Test2::Bundle::Extended;
+use Test2::Tools::Explain;
+
+use Scalar::Util qw(weaken);
+use Socket;
+
+use Test::MockFile qw< nostrict >;
+
+# Test 1: Filehandle passed to -f is not retained
+{
+    my $weak_ref;
+
+    {
+        open my $fh, '<', '/dev/null' or die "Cannot open /dev/null: $!";
+        $weak_ref = $fh;
+        weaken($weak_ref);
+
+        ok( defined $weak_ref, "weak ref is defined before scope exit" );
+
+        no warnings;
+        -f $fh;
+    }
+
+    ok( !defined $weak_ref, "filehandle is garbage collected after -f (GH #179)" );
+}
+
+# Test 2: Socket filehandle passed to -S is not retained
+{
+    my $weak_ref;
+
+    {
+        open my $fh, '<', '/dev/null' or die "Cannot open /dev/null: $!";
+        $weak_ref = $fh;
+        weaken($weak_ref);
+
+        no warnings;
+        -S $fh;
+    }
+
+    ok( !defined $weak_ref, "filehandle is garbage collected after -S (GH #179)" );
+}
+
+# Test 3: The exact scenario from GH #179 — socketpair with dup'd fd
+# This would hang without the fix because the dup'd write handle stays open.
+{
+    socketpair my $r, my $w, AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0
+        or die "socketpair: $!";
+
+    my $pid = fork();
+    die "fork: $!" unless defined $pid;
+
+    if ( $pid == 0 ) {
+        # Child: reproduce the bug scenario with a timeout
+        $SIG{ALRM} = sub { exit 1 };    # exit 1 = hung (bug present)
+        alarm(5);
+
+        my $fd = fileno $w;
+        do {
+            open my $w2, "<&=", $fd;
+            -S $w2;
+        };
+
+        close $w;
+        my $line = <$r>;    # Should get EOF immediately if $w2 was freed
+        exit 0;             # exit 0 = success (no hang)
+    }
+
+    close $w;
+    waitpid $pid, 0;
+    my $exit = $? >> 8;
+
+    is( $exit, 0, "socketpair read does not hang after -S on dup'd filehandle (GH #179)" );
+}
+
+done_testing;