diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e54ea2551..7fa4767a7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -46,4 +46,5 @@ captures/*
 
 # Test and other output
 app/jacoco.exec
-app/CommonsContributions
\ No newline at end of file
+app/CommonsContributions
+app/.*
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/contributions/MainActivity.java b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/contributions/MainActivity.java
index d9a3c26de..047943721 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/contributions/MainActivity.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/contributions/MainActivity.java
@@ -147,10 +147,10 @@ public class MainActivity extends BaseActivity
                 if (applicationKvStore.getBoolean("last_opened_nearby")) {
                     setTitle(getString(R.string.nearby_fragment));
                     showNearby();
-                    loadFragment(NearbyParentFragment.newInstance(), false, null);
+                    loadFragment(NearbyParentFragment.newInstance(), false);
                 } else {
                     setTitle(getString(R.string.contributions_fragment));
-                    loadFragment(ContributionsFragment.newInstance(), false, null);
+                    loadFragment(ContributionsFragment.newInstance(), false);
                 }
             }
             setUpPager();
@@ -188,32 +188,28 @@ public class MainActivity extends BaseActivity
                 applicationKvStore.putBoolean("last_opened_nearby",
                     item.getTitle().equals(getString(R.string.nearby_fragment)));
                 final Fragment fragment = NavTab.of(item.getOrder()).newInstance();
-                return loadFragment(fragment, true, null);
+                return loadFragment(fragment, true);
             });
     }
 
     private void setUpLoggedOutPager() {
-        loadFragment(ExploreFragment.newInstance(), false, null);
+        loadFragment(ExploreFragment.newInstance(), false);
         binding.fragmentMainNavTabLayout.setOnNavigationItemSelectedListener(item -> {
             if (!item.getTitle().equals(getString(R.string.more))) {
                 // do not change title for more fragment
                 setTitle(item.getTitle());
             }
             Fragment fragment = NavTabLoggedOut.of(item.getOrder()).newInstance();
-            return loadFragment(fragment, true, null);
+            return loadFragment(fragment, true);
         });
     }
 
-    private boolean loadFragment(Fragment fragment, boolean showBottom, Bundle args) {
+    private boolean loadFragment(Fragment fragment, boolean showBottom) {
         //showBottom so that we do not show the bottom tray again when constructing
         //from the saved instance state.
 
         freeUpFragments();
 
-        if (fragment != null && args != null) {
-            fragment.setArguments(args);
-        }
-
         if (fragment instanceof ContributionsFragment) {
             if (activeFragment == ActiveFragment.CONTRIBUTIONS) {
                 // scroll to top if already on the Contributions tab
@@ -263,6 +259,17 @@ public class MainActivity extends BaseActivity
         return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * loadFragment() overload that supports passing extras to fragments
+     **/
+    private boolean loadFragment(Fragment fragment, boolean showBottom, Bundle args) {
+        if (fragment != null && args != null) {
+            fragment.setArguments(args);
+        }
+
+        return loadFragment(fragment, showBottom);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Old implementation of loadFragment() was causing memory leaks, due to MainActivity holding
      * references to cleared fragments. This function frees up all fragment references.
@@ -270,7 +277,8 @@ public class MainActivity extends BaseActivity
      * Called in loadFragment() before doing the actual loading.
      **/
     public void freeUpFragments() {
-        contributionsFragment = null;
+        // free all fragments except contributionsFragment because several tests depend on it.
+        // hence, contributionsFragment is probably still a leak
         nearbyParentFragment = null;
         exploreFragment = null;
         bookmarkFragment = null;
@@ -355,16 +363,16 @@ public class MainActivity extends BaseActivity
     private void restoreActiveFragment(@NonNull String fragmentName) {
         if (fragmentName.equals(ActiveFragment.CONTRIBUTIONS.name())) {
             setTitle(getString(R.string.contributions_fragment));
-            loadFragment(ContributionsFragment.newInstance(), false, null);
+            loadFragment(ContributionsFragment.newInstance(), false);
         } else if (fragmentName.equals(ActiveFragment.NEARBY.name())) {
             setTitle(getString(R.string.nearby_fragment));
-            loadFragment(NearbyParentFragment.newInstance(), false, null);
+            loadFragment(NearbyParentFragment.newInstance(), false);
         } else if (fragmentName.equals(ActiveFragment.EXPLORE.name())) {
             setTitle(getString(R.string.navigation_item_explore));
-            loadFragment(ExploreFragment.newInstance(), false, null);
+            loadFragment(ExploreFragment.newInstance(), false);
         } else if (fragmentName.equals(ActiveFragment.BOOKMARK.name())) {
             setTitle(getString(R.string.bookmarks));
-            loadFragment(BookmarkFragment.newInstance(), false, null);
+            loadFragment(BookmarkFragment.newInstance(), false);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/test/kotlin/fr/free/nrw/commons/explore/ExploreFragmentUnitTest.kt b/app/src/test/kotlin/fr/free/nrw/commons/explore/ExploreFragmentUnitTest.kt
index 41c999791..e2ef3bb92 100644
--- a/app/src/test/kotlin/fr/free/nrw/commons/explore/ExploreFragmentUnitTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/kotlin/fr/free/nrw/commons/explore/ExploreFragmentUnitTest.kt
@@ -11,16 +11,19 @@ import androidx.fragment.app.FragmentManager
 import androidx.fragment.app.FragmentTransaction
 import androidx.test.core.app.ApplicationProvider
 import com.google.android.material.tabs.TabLayout
+import com.nhaarman.mockitokotlin2.eq
 import fr.free.nrw.commons.OkHttpConnectionFactory
 import fr.free.nrw.commons.R
 import fr.free.nrw.commons.TestCommonsApplication
 import fr.free.nrw.commons.contributions.MainActivity
 import fr.free.nrw.commons.createTestClient
 import org.junit.Assert
+import org.junit.Assert.assertTrue
 import org.junit.Before
 import org.junit.Ignore
 import org.junit.Test
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith
+import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor
 import org.mockito.Mock
 import org.mockito.Mockito.verify
 import org.mockito.Mockito.`when`
@@ -34,6 +37,7 @@ import org.robolectric.annotation.LooperMode
 import org.robolectric.fakes.RoboMenu
 import org.robolectric.fakes.RoboMenuItem
 
+
 @RunWith(RobolectricTestRunner::class)
 @Config(sdk = [21], application = TestCommonsApplication::class)
 @LooperMode(LooperMode.Mode.PAUSED)
@@ -151,6 +155,14 @@ class ExploreFragmentUnitTest {
         Shadows.shadowOf(getMainLooper()).idle()
         val menu: Menu = RoboMenu(context)
         fragment.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu, inflater)
-        verify(inflater).inflate(R.menu.menu_search, menu)
+
+        val captor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(
+            Int::class.java
+        )
+        verify(inflater).inflate(captor.capture(), eq(menu))
+
+        val capturedLayout = captor.value
+        assertTrue(capturedLayout == R.menu.menu_search || capturedLayout == R.menu.explore_fragment_menu)
+
     }
 }