diff --git a/archaius2-api/src/main/java/com/netflix/archaius/api/ArchaiusType.java b/archaius2-api/src/main/java/com/netflix/archaius/api/ArchaiusType.java
index b2223600..18c041d7 100644
--- a/archaius2-api/src/main/java/com/netflix/archaius/api/ArchaiusType.java
+++ b/archaius2-api/src/main/java/com/netflix/archaius/api/ArchaiusType.java
@@ -92,4 +92,38 @@ public String toString() {
         String typeArgumentNames = Arrays.stream(typeArguments).map(Class::getSimpleName).collect(Collectors.joining(","));
         return String.format("parameterizedType for %s<%s>", rawType.getSimpleName(), typeArgumentNames);
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public int hashCode() {
+        int result = 1;
+        result = 31 * result + (this.rawType == null ? 0 : this.rawType.hashCode());
+        result = 31 * result + Arrays.hashCode(this.typeArguments);
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean equals(Object obj) {
+        if (this == obj) {
+            return true;
+        } else if (obj == null) {
+            return false;
+        } else if (this.getClass() != obj.getClass()) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        ArchaiusType other = (ArchaiusType) obj;
+        if ((this.rawType == null) && (other.rawType != null)) {
+            return false;
+        } else if (this.rawType != null && !this.rawType.equals(other.rawType)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if ((this.typeArguments == null) && (other.typeArguments != null)) {
+            return false;
+        } else if (this.typeArguments != null && !Arrays.equals(this.typeArguments, other.typeArguments)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/archaius2-core/src/test/java/com/netflix/archaius/property/PropertyTest.java b/archaius2-core/src/test/java/com/netflix/archaius/property/PropertyTest.java
index 1c331ffc..282a97e9 100644
--- a/archaius2-core/src/test/java/com/netflix/archaius/property/PropertyTest.java
+++ b/archaius2-core/src/test/java/com/netflix/archaius/property/PropertyTest.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package com.netflix.archaius.property;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.math.BigInteger;
 import java.time.Duration;
@@ -45,6 +46,10 @@
 import com.netflix.archaius.config.DefaultSettableConfig;
 import com.netflix.archaius.config.MapConfig;
 
+import static junit.framework.TestCase.assertEquals;
+import static junit.framework.TestCase.fail;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotEquals;
+
 @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
 public class PropertyTest {
     static class MyService {
@@ -534,4 +539,101 @@ public void customMappingWithError() {
         Integer value = factory.getProperty("a").asType(Integer::parseInt, "1").get();
         Assert.assertEquals(1, value.intValue());
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void getListShouldReuseKey() {
+        SettableConfig config = new DefaultSettableConfig();
+        DefaultPropertyFactory factory = DefaultPropertyFactory.from(config);
+        config.setProperty("geralt", "of,rivia");
+
+        List<String> expectedList = Arrays.asList("of", "rivia");
+
+        Property<List<String>> firstReference = factory.getList("geralt", String.class);
+        assertEquals(expectedList, firstReference.get());
+
+        Property<List<String>> secondReference = factory.getList("geralt", String.class);
+        assertEquals(expectedList, secondReference.get());
+
+        ensureReferencesMatch(firstReference, secondReference);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void getSetShouldReuseKey() {
+        SettableConfig config = new DefaultSettableConfig();
+        DefaultPropertyFactory factory = DefaultPropertyFactory.from(config);
+        config.setProperty("geralt", "of,rivia");
+
+        Set<String> expectedSet = new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("of", "rivia"));
+
+        Property<Set<String>> firstReference = factory.getSet("geralt", String.class);
+        assertEquals(expectedSet, firstReference.get());
+
+        Property<Set<String>> secondReference = factory.getSet("geralt", String.class);
+        assertEquals(expectedSet, secondReference.get());
+
+        ensureReferencesMatch(firstReference, secondReference);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void getMapShouldReuseKey() {
+        SettableConfig config = new DefaultSettableConfig();
+        DefaultPropertyFactory factory = DefaultPropertyFactory.from(config);
+        config.setProperty("geralt", "of=rivia");
+
+        Map<String, String> expectedMap = new HashMap<>();
+        expectedMap.put("of", "rivia");
+
+        Property<Map<String, String>> firstReference = factory.getMap("geralt", String.class, String.class);
+        assertEquals(expectedMap, firstReference.get());
+
+        Property<Map<String, String>> secondReference = factory.getMap("geralt", String.class, String.class);
+        assertEquals(expectedMap, secondReference.get());
+
+        ensureReferencesMatch(firstReference, secondReference);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void getCollectionShouldNotReuseKeyWithDifferentTypes() {
+        SettableConfig config = new DefaultSettableConfig();
+        DefaultPropertyFactory factory = DefaultPropertyFactory.from(config);
+        config.setProperty("geralt", "of,rivia");
+
+        Property<List<String>> firstReference = factory.getList("geralt", String.class);
+        assertEquals(Arrays.asList("of", "rivia"), firstReference.get());
+
+        Property<Set<String>> secondReference = factory.getSet("geralt", String.class);
+        assertEquals(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("of", "rivia")), secondReference.get());
+
+        ensureReferencesDoNotMatch(firstReference, secondReference);
+    }
+
+    private void ensureReferencesMatch(Property<?> firstReference, Property<?> secondReference) {
+        ensureReferencesMatch(firstReference, secondReference, true);
+    }
+
+    private void ensureReferencesDoNotMatch(Property<?> firstReference, Property<?> secondReference) {
+        ensureReferencesMatch(firstReference, secondReference, false);
+    }
+
+    private void ensureReferencesMatch(Property<?> firstReference, Property<?> secondReference, boolean shouldMatch) {
+        try {
+            // inspect the keyAndType private field within DefaultPropertyFactory
+            // to validate that we hold the same reference to the key when caching keys
+            // this ensures that we don't leak references to keys where the key and types match
+            Field keyAndType = firstReference.getClass().getDeclaredField("keyAndType");
+            keyAndType.setAccessible(true);
+            Object firstReferenceValue = keyAndType.get(firstReference);
+            Object secondReferenceValue = keyAndType.get(secondReference);
+            if (shouldMatch) {
+                assertEquals(firstReferenceValue, secondReferenceValue);
+            } else {
+                assertNotEquals(firstReferenceValue, secondReferenceValue);
+            }
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            fail(String.format(
+                    "Expect references [%s] and [%s] keyAndType to be %s "
+                            + "- this can cause memory leaks and inefficient allocations: %s",
+                    firstReference, secondReference, shouldMatch ? "equal" : "not equal", e.getMessage()));
+        }
+    }
 }