diff --git a/boxtree/area_query.py b/boxtree/area_query.py
index 6799ce237e60106297c08e19f01430cd2ee6d096..7782231c2ec277695c7aaab87bff5aa1fabbf547 100644
--- a/boxtree/area_query.py
+++ b/boxtree/area_query.py
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ class AreaQueryBuilder(object):
     """
     def __init__(self, context):
         self.context = context
+        self.peer_list_finder = PeerListFinder(self.context)
 
     # {{{ Kernel generation
 
@@ -405,10 +406,6 @@ class AreaQueryBuilder(object):
 
     # }}}
 
-    @memoize_method
-    def get_peer_list_finder(self):
-        return PeerListFinder(self.context)
-
     def __call__(self, queue, tree, ball_centers, ball_radii, peer_lists=None,
                  wait_for=None):
         """
@@ -446,8 +443,7 @@ class AreaQueryBuilder(object):
         max_levels = div_ceil(tree.nlevels, 10) * 10
 
         if peer_lists is None:
-            peer_list_finder = self.get_peer_list_finder()
-            peer_lists, evt = peer_list_finder(queue, tree, wait_for=wait_for)
+            peer_lists, evt = self.peer_list_finder(queue, tree, wait_for=wait_for)
             wait_for = [evt]
 
         if len(peer_lists.peer_list_starts) != tree.nboxes + 1: