diff --git a/deeprvat/annotations/annotations.py b/deeprvat/annotations/annotations.py
index 4a6abec3..3e72a13d 100644
--- a/deeprvat/annotations/annotations.py
+++ b/deeprvat/annotations/annotations.py
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ def filter_annotations_by_exon_distance(
     logger.info("adding exons to annotations (1:M merge)")
 
     merged = anno_df.merge(gtf, how="left", on="gene_id")
-    del anno_df
+    del anno_df, gtf
 
     logger.info(
         "adding positons of start and end of each exon relative to variant position to df"
diff --git a/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_filteroutall/input/gencode.v44.annotation.gtf.gz b/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_filteroutall/input/gencode.v44.annotation.gtf.gz
index f1796e6a..e5502afc 100644
Binary files a/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_filteroutall/input/gencode.v44.annotation.gtf.gz and b/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_filteroutall/input/gencode.v44.annotation.gtf.gz differ
diff --git a/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_filteroutall/input/protein_coding_genes.parquet b/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_filteroutall/input/protein_coding_genes.parquet
index b693bbc4..f4a71a0b 100644
Binary files a/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_filteroutall/input/protein_coding_genes.parquet and b/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_filteroutall/input/protein_coding_genes.parquet differ
diff --git a/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_small/input/gencode.v44.annotation.gtf.gz b/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_small/input/gencode.v44.annotation.gtf.gz
index f1796e6a..e5502afc 100644
Binary files a/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_small/input/gencode.v44.annotation.gtf.gz and b/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_small/input/gencode.v44.annotation.gtf.gz differ
diff --git a/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_small/input/protein_coding_genes.parquet b/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_small/input/protein_coding_genes.parquet
index b693bbc4..f4a71a0b 100644
Binary files a/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_small/input/protein_coding_genes.parquet and b/tests/annotations/test_data/filter_by_exon_distance/filter_by_exon_distance_small/input/protein_coding_genes.parquet differ