diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 33fb96e84c4..0be338d5d4c 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ bz2 = ["stdlib", "rustpython-stdlib/bz2"]
 sqlite = ["rustpython-stdlib/sqlite"]
 ssl = ["rustpython-stdlib/ssl"]
 ssl-vendor = ["ssl", "rustpython-stdlib/ssl-vendor"]
+gc = ["rustpython-vm/gc"]
 
 [dependencies]
 rustpython-compiler = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/vm/Cargo.toml b/vm/Cargo.toml
index acc645bb74a..a4fc0acaf7a 100644
--- a/vm/Cargo.toml
+++ b/vm/Cargo.toml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ codegen = ["rustpython-codegen", "ast"]
 parser = ["rustpython-parser", "ast"]
 serde = ["dep:serde"]
 wasmbind = ["chrono/wasmbind", "getrandom/wasm_js", "wasm-bindgen"]
+gc = []
 
 [dependencies]
 rustpython-compiler = { workspace = true, optional = true }
diff --git a/vm/src/frame.rs b/vm/src/frame.rs
index 7cbe25909b6..16b38c1cf9f 100644
--- a/vm/src/frame.rs
+++ b/vm/src/frame.rs
@@ -351,7 +351,18 @@ impl ExecutingFrame<'_> {
         // Execute until return or exception:
         let instrs = &self.code.instructions;
         let mut arg_state = bytecode::OpArgState::default();
+        #[allow(unused_variables)]
+        #[allow(unused_mut)]
+        let mut gc_count = 0;
         loop {
+            #[cfg(feature = "gc")]
+            {
+                gc_count += 1;
+                if gc_count > 1000 {
+                    crate::object::gc::try_gc();
+                    gc_count = 0;
+                }
+            }
             let idx = self.lasti() as usize;
             // eprintln!(
             //     "location: {:?} {}",
diff --git a/vm/src/object/gc/mod.rs b/vm/src/object/gc/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ca21bde4654
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vm/src/object/gc/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+use std::collections::HashSet;
+use rustpython_common::lock::PyMutex;
+use rustpython_common::rc::PyRc;
+use crate::object::core::{Erased, PyInner};
+use crate::object::Traverse;
+use crate::PyObject;
+
+/// A very basic tracing, stop-the-world garbage collector.
+///
+/// It maintains a list of allocated objects and, when triggered,
+/// stops the world, marks all objects reachable from a set of root objects,
+/// and sweeps away the rest.
+pub struct GarbageCollector {
+    /// All objects allocated on the GC heap.
+    heap: Vec<*mut PyObject>,
+    /// Set of objects reached during the mark phase.
+    marked: HashSet<*mut PyObject>,
+}
+
+impl GarbageCollector {
+    /// Create a new GC instance.
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        GarbageCollector {
+            heap: Vec::new(),
+            marked: HashSet::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Register a newly allocated object with the GC.
+    ///
+    /// # Safety
+    ///
+    /// The caller must ensure that `obj` is a valid pointer to a PyObject.
+    pub unsafe fn add_object(&mut self, obj: *mut PyObject) {
+        self.heap.push(obj);
+    }
+
+    /// The mark phase: starting from the roots, mark all reachable objects.
+    ///
+    /// The `roots` slice should contain pointers to all the root objects.
+    pub unsafe fn mark(&mut self, roots: &[*mut PyObject]) {
+        for &root in roots {
+            unsafe {
+                self.mark_object(root);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Recursively mark an object and its children.
+    ///
+    /// If the object is null or already marked, the function returns immediately.
+    unsafe fn mark_object(&mut self, obj: *mut PyObject) {
+        if obj.is_null() || self.marked.contains(&obj) {
+            return;
+        }
+        self.marked.insert(obj);
+
+        // Define a tracer callback that recursively marks child objects.
+        // We assume that `traverse` is implemented to call this callback
+        // on each child.
+        let mut tracer = |child: &PyObject| {
+            // Safety: We assume that rust borrow checking rules are not violated.
+            let child = child as *const PyObject as *mut PyObject;
+            unsafe {
+                self.mark_object(child);
+            }
+        };
+
+        // Traverse the object’s children.
+        // Safety: We assume that `obj` is a valid pointer with a properly implemented traverse.
+        unsafe {
+            (*obj).traverse(&mut tracer);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// The sweep phase: deallocate any object not marked as reachable.
+    ///
+    /// Unmarked objects are freed using `drop_dealloc_obj`. After sweeping,
+    /// the `marked` set is cleared for the next GC cycle.
+    pub unsafe fn sweep(&mut self) {
+        self.heap.retain(|&obj| {
+            if self.marked.contains(&obj) {
+                // Object is reachable; keep it.
+                true
+            } else {
+                // Object is unreachable; deallocate it.
+                unsafe {
+                    drop(unsafe { Box::from_raw(obj as *mut PyInner<Erased>) });
+                }
+                false
+            }
+        });
+        self.marked.clear();
+    }
+
+    /// Perform a full garbage collection cycle.
+    ///
+    /// This stops the world, marks all objects reachable from `roots`,
+    /// and then sweeps away the unmarked objects.
+    ///
+    /// # Safety
+    ///
+    /// The caller must ensure that no new allocations or mutations occur during GC.
+    pub unsafe fn collect_garbage(&mut self) {
+        unsafe {
+            // TODO: Collect roots.
+            self.mark(roots);
+            self.sweep();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for GarbageCollector {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self::new()
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "threading")]
+pub static GLOBAL_COLLECTOR: once_cell::sync::Lazy<PyRc<PyMutex<GarbageCollector>>> =
+    once_cell::sync::Lazy::new(|| PyRc::new(PyMutex::new(Default::default())));
+
+#[cfg(not(feature = "threading"))]
+thread_local! {
+    pub static GLOBAL_COLLECTOR: PyRc<PyMutex<GarbageCollector>> = PyRc::new(PyMutex::new(Default::default()));
+}
+
+pub unsafe fn register_object(obj: *mut PyObject) {
+    GLOBAL_COLLECTOR.lock().add_object(obj);
+}
+
+pub unsafe fn try_gc() {
+    GLOBAL_COLLECTOR.lock().collect_garbage();
+}
diff --git a/vm/src/object/mod.rs b/vm/src/object/mod.rs
index 034523afe5a..02e99183a2a 100644
--- a/vm/src/object/mod.rs
+++ b/vm/src/object/mod.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ mod ext;
 mod payload;
 mod traverse;
 mod traverse_object;
+mod gc;
 
 pub use self::core::*;
 pub use self::ext::*;