diff --git a/build.lua b/build.lua
index 18a6e9f..a07e965 100755
--- a/build.lua
+++ b/build.lua
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ local files = {
 	'src/parser.c',
 	'src/compiler.c',
 	'src/vm.c',
+	'src/gc.c',
 	'src/main.c',
 }
 
diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index a43cdb6..1a9e0d6 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
 			"src/parser.c",
 			"src/compiler.c",
 			"src/vm.c",
+			"src/gc.c",
 			"src/error.c",
 			"src/main.c",
 		}
diff --git a/src/gc.c b/src/gc.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb0165c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gc.c
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+#include "noom.h"
+#include "vm.h"
+
+static void noomG_grayObj(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Object *obj);
+
+static void noomG_grayValue(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Value value) {
+	if(value.tag != NOOMV_VOBJ) return;
+	noomG_grayObj(vm, value.obj);
+}
+
+static void noomG_grayObj(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Object *obj) {
+	if(obj == 0) return;
+	if(obj->marked) return;
+	obj->marked = 1;
+	obj->nextGray = vm->graySet;
+	vm->graySet = obj;
+}
+
+void noomG_markObj(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Object *obj) {
+	if(obj->tag == NOOMV_OPOINTER) {
+		noomV_Pointer *p = (noomV_Pointer *)obj;
+		noomG_grayValue(vm, p->value);
+		return;
+	}
+	if(obj->tag == NOOMV_OFUNC) {
+		noomV_Function *f = (noomV_Function *)obj;
+		noomG_grayObj(vm, &f->chunkname->obj);
+		noomG_grayObj(vm, &f->env->obj);
+		for(noom_uint_t i = 0; i < f->constsize; i++) {
+			noomG_grayValue(vm, f->consts[i]);
+		}
+		for(noom_uint_t i = 0; i < f->protosize; i++) {
+			noomG_grayObj(vm, (noomV_Object *)f->protos[i]);
+		}
+		return;
+	}
+	if(obj->tag == NOOMV_OTABLE) {
+		noomV_Table *t = (noomV_Table *)obj;
+		noomG_grayObj(vm, (noomV_Object *)t->meta);
+		for(noom_uint_t i = 0; i < t->entries*2; i++) {
+			noomG_grayValue(vm, t->entrydata[i]);
+		}
+		return;
+	}
+	if(obj->tag == NOOMV_OTHREAD) {
+		noomV_Thread *thrd = (noomV_Thread *)obj;
+		for(noom_uint_t i = 0; i < thrd->stacklen; i++) {
+			noomG_grayValue(vm, thrd->stack[i]);
+		}
+		for(noom_uint_t i = 0; i < thrd->calldepth; i++) {
+			noomV_CallFrame cf = thrd->calls[i];
+			noomG_grayValue(vm, cf.errhandler);
+		}
+		noomG_grayValue(vm, thrd->errObj);
+		noomG_grayObj(vm, (noomV_Object *)thrd->resuming);
+		noomG_grayObj(vm, (noomV_Object *)thrd->resumedBy);
+		return;
+	}
+}
+
+void noom_gc(noom_LuaVM* vm) {
+	vm->graySet = 0;
+
+	noomG_grayObj(vm, (noomV_Object *)vm->mainThread);
+	noomG_grayObj(vm, (noomV_Object *)vm->globals);
+	noomG_grayObj(vm, (noomV_Object *)vm->registry);
+
+	while(vm->graySet) {
+		noomG_markObj(vm, vm->graySet);
+		vm->graySet = vm->graySet->nextGray;
+	}
+
+	noomV_Object **sweep = &vm->heap;
+	while(*sweep) {
+		noomV_Object *current = *sweep;
+		if(current->marked) {
+			sweep = &current->next;
+		} else {
+			*sweep = current->next;
+			noomV_freeObj(vm, current);
+		}
+	}
+
+	vm->gcTarget = vm->objCount * vm->gcRatio;
+}
+
+void noom_trygc(noom_LuaVM* vm) {
+	if(vm->objCount >= vm->gcTarget) noom_gc(vm);
+}
diff --git a/src/noom.h b/src/noom.h
index 055929c..4c6e8ed 100644
--- a/src/noom.h
+++ b/src/noom.h
@@ -299,6 +299,11 @@ noom_Exit noom_cast2str(noom_LuaVM* vm, noom_slot_t x);
 // DO NOT RUN IN THE ALLOCATOR IF ANY IS SUPPLIED, OR YOU WILL GET THE WORST POSSIBLE ERRORS.
 void noom_gc(noom_LuaVM* vm);
 
+// Like [noom_gc], except it will only do things if the GC feels like it.
+// You can sneak this in your long-running C functions to reduce memory usage
+// without destroying this CPU.
+void noom_trygc(noom_LuaVM* vm);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/vm.c b/src/vm.c
index 5964771..f166823 100644
--- a/src/vm.c
+++ b/src/vm.c
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ noomV_Object* noomV_allocObj(noom_LuaVM* vm, noomV_ObjTag tag, noom_uint_t size)
 	o->next = vm->heap;
 	o->nextGray = 0;
 	vm->heap = o;
+	vm->objCount++;
 	return o;
 }
 
@@ -444,7 +445,7 @@ noom_Exit noomV_setErrorFromExit(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Thread *coro, noom_Exit e
 	return exit;
 }
 
-void noomV_freeObj(noomV_Object* obj) {
+void noomV_freeObj(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Object* obj) {
 	if(obj->tag == NOOMV_OFUNC) {
 		noomV_Function *f = (noomV_Function *)obj;
 		noom_free(f->consts);
@@ -462,6 +463,7 @@ void noomV_freeObj(noomV_Object* obj) {
 		noom_free(thrd->calls);
 	}
 	noom_free(obj);
+	vm->objCount--;
 }
 
 noom_Exit noomV_pushCallFrame(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Thread *coro, noomV_CallFrame cf);
@@ -513,6 +515,9 @@ noom_LuaVM* noom_createVM(noom_LuaVersion version) {
 	vm->mainThread = 0;
 	vm->currentThread = 0;
 	vm->version = version;
+	vm->objCount = 0;
+	vm->gcTarget = 100;
+	vm->gcRatio = 2;
 
 	const char *oomStr = "out of memory";
 	vm->oomVal.obj = (noomV_Object *)noomV_allocStr(vm, oomStr, noom_strlen(oomStr));
@@ -539,6 +544,8 @@ noom_LuaVM* noom_createVM(noom_LuaVersion version) {
 
 	assert(noomV_rawequalValue(noomV_rawgetTable(vm->registry, _GKey), _GVal));
 
+	noom_gc(vm);
+
 	return vm;
 rip:
 	noom_destroyVM(vm);
@@ -550,7 +557,7 @@ void noom_destroyVM(noom_LuaVM* vm) {
 	while (iter) {
 		noomV_Object* cur = iter;
 		iter = iter->next;
-		noomV_freeObj(cur);
+		noomV_freeObj(vm, cur);
 	}
 	noom_free(vm);
 }
diff --git a/src/vm.h b/src/vm.h
index 09a23d0..f9e7d9c 100644
--- a/src/vm.h
+++ b/src/vm.h
@@ -352,6 +352,9 @@ struct noom_LuaVM {
 	noomV_Thread* mainThread;
 	noomV_Thread* currentThread;
 	noom_LuaVersion version;
+	noom_uint_t objCount;
+	noom_uint_t gcTarget;
+	double gcRatio;
 };
 
 // for conveniently passing around nil
@@ -379,7 +382,7 @@ void noomV_setErrorStr(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Thread *coro, const char *str);
 // Returns the exit for convenience
 noom_Exit noomV_setErrorFromExit(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Thread *coro, noom_Exit exit);
 
-void noomV_freeObj(noomV_Object* obj);
+void noomV_freeObj(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Object* obj);
 
 noom_Exit noomV_pushCallFrame(noom_LuaVM *vm, noomV_Thread *coro, noomV_CallFrame cf);