diff --git a/persistence/nosql/persistence/metastore/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/metastore/NoSqlMetaStoreManagerFactory.java b/persistence/nosql/persistence/metastore/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/metastore/NoSqlMetaStoreManagerFactory.java
index 749e0f7dcc..6fffd8faa9 100644
--- a/persistence/nosql/persistence/metastore/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/metastore/NoSqlMetaStoreManagerFactory.java
+++ b/persistence/nosql/persistence/metastore/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/metastore/NoSqlMetaStoreManagerFactory.java
@@ -198,20 +198,28 @@ BaseResult purgeRealm(String realmId) {
 
       var nextStatus =
           switch (existing.status()) {
-            case CREATED, LOADING, INITIALIZING, INACTIVE -> PURGING;
+            case CREATED, LOADING, INITIALIZING, INACTIVE, PURGING ->
+                // PURGING is the state telling the maintenance service to delete the realm data.
+                PURGING;
             case ACTIVE -> INACTIVE;
-            case PURGING ->
-                // TODO this state should really happen during maintenance!!
+            case PURGED ->
+                // The PURGED state is also handled by the maintenance service.
                 PURGED;
-            case PURGED -> PURGED;
           };
 
+      if (nextStatus == existing.status()) {
+        // No status change (PURGING/PURGED), stop here.
+        // Maintenance service will handle the actual deletion of the realm data.
+        break;
+      }
+
       var update = RealmDefinition.builder().from(existing).status(nextStatus).build();
 
       var updated = realmManagement.update(existing, update);
 
-      if (updated.status() == PURGED) {
-        realmManagement.delete(updated);
+      if (updated.status() == PURGING || updated.status() == PURGED) {
+        // Final status (PURGING/PURGED), stop here.
+        // Maintenance service will handle the actual deletion of the realm data.
         break;
       }
     }
diff --git a/persistence/nosql/realms/store-nosql/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/realms/store/RealmStoreImpl.java b/persistence/nosql/realms/store-nosql/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/realms/store/RealmStoreImpl.java
index 534233ca95..17aa298a55 100644
--- a/persistence/nosql/realms/store-nosql/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/realms/store/RealmStoreImpl.java
+++ b/persistence/nosql/realms/store-nosql/src/main/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/realms/store/RealmStoreImpl.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import static org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.Realms.SYSTEM_REALM_ID;
 import static org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.obj.ObjRef.OBJ_REF_SERIALIZER;
 import static org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.obj.ObjRef.objRef;
+import static org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.realms.api.RealmDefinition.RealmStatus.PURGING;
 import static org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.realms.store.RealmsStateObj.REALMS_REF_NAME;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Streams;
@@ -35,12 +36,14 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.Persistence;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.StreamUtil;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.SystemPersistence;
+import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.backend.Backend;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.commit.Committer;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.index.IndexContainer;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.index.IndexKey;
@@ -54,15 +57,17 @@
 class RealmStoreImpl implements RealmStore {
   private final Persistence systemPersistence;
   private final Committer<RealmsStateObj, RealmObj> committer;
+  private final Backend backend;
 
   @SuppressWarnings("CdiInjectionPointsInspection")
   @Inject
-  RealmStoreImpl(@Nonnull @SystemPersistence Persistence systemPersistence) {
+  RealmStoreImpl(@Nonnull @SystemPersistence Persistence systemPersistence, Backend backend) {
     checkArgument(
         SYSTEM_REALM_ID.equals(systemPersistence.realmId()),
         "Realms management must happen in the %s realm",
         SYSTEM_REALM_ID);
 
+    this.backend = backend;
     this.systemPersistence = systemPersistence;
 
     this.committer =
@@ -206,7 +211,18 @@ public RealmDefinition update(
               return state.commitResult(obj, newRealms, refObj);
             });
 
-    return objToDefinition(realmId, realm.orElseThrow());
+    var result = realm.orElseThrow();
+    if (result.status() == PURGING && "InMemory".equals(backend.type())) {
+      // Handle the test/development case when using the in-memory backend:
+      // In this case there is no chance to run the maintenance service. To remove no longer
+      // necessary data from the Java heap, call the in-memory backend directly.
+      // This is "nice behavior" when running tests.
+      // The only "cost" is that the state PURGING may never be pushed to PURGED, but that is
+      // acceptable.
+      backend.deleteRealms(Set.of(realmId));
+    }
+
+    return objToDefinition(realmId, result);
   }
 
   @SuppressWarnings("DuplicatedCode") // looks similar, but extracting isn't worth it
diff --git a/persistence/nosql/realms/store-nosql/src/test/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/realms/store/TestRealmStoreIntegration.java b/persistence/nosql/realms/store-nosql/src/test/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/realms/store/TestRealmStoreIntegration.java
index 69cf472618..e0d25efc9f 100644
--- a/persistence/nosql/realms/store-nosql/src/test/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/realms/store/TestRealmStoreIntegration.java
+++ b/persistence/nosql/realms/store-nosql/src/test/java/org/apache/polaris/persistence/nosql/realms/store/TestRealmStoreIntegration.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import java.util.stream.IntStream;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.Persistence;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.PersistenceParams;
+import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.api.backend.Backend;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.realms.api.RealmAlreadyExistsException;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.realms.api.RealmDefinition;
 import org.apache.polaris.persistence.nosql.realms.api.RealmExpectedStateMismatchException;
@@ -62,12 +63,14 @@ public class TestRealmStoreIntegration {
 
   @Test
   public void nonSystemPersistence() {
+    @SuppressWarnings("resource")
+    var backend = mock(Backend.class);
     var nonSystemPersistence = mock(Persistence.class);
     var params = mock(PersistenceParams.class);
     when(nonSystemPersistence.realmId()).thenReturn("nonSystemPersistence");
     when(nonSystemPersistence.params()).thenReturn(params);
     soft.assertThatIllegalArgumentException()
-        .isThrownBy(() -> new RealmStoreImpl(nonSystemPersistence))
+        .isThrownBy(() -> new RealmStoreImpl(nonSystemPersistence, backend))
         .withMessage("Realms management must happen in the ::system:: realm");
   }