diff --git a/cmake/RuntimeConfig.cmake b/cmake/RuntimeConfig.cmake
index 0322459fa..46bd00fda 100644
--- a/cmake/RuntimeConfig.cmake
+++ b/cmake/RuntimeConfig.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-set(GC_THRESHOLD          2097152
+set(GC_THRESHOLD          3
     CACHE STRING "Initial Young Generation Size")
 
 set(NOT_YOUNG_OBJECT_BIT  0x10000000000000)
diff --git a/config/llvm_header.inc b/config/llvm_header.inc
index 0e1e7a2a3..377a0d68d 100644
--- a/config/llvm_header.inc
+++ b/config/llvm_header.inc
@@ -204,11 +204,6 @@ declare void @write_configuration_to_proof_trace(ptr, ptr)
 
 @gc_roots = global [256 x ptr] zeroinitializer
 
-define void @set_gc_threshold(i64 %threshold) {
-  store i64 %threshold, ptr @GC_THRESHOLD
-  ret void
-}
-
 define i64 @get_gc_threshold() {
   %threshold = load i64, ptr @GC_THRESHOLD
   ret i64 %threshold
diff --git a/include/runtime/arena.h b/include/runtime/arena.h
index a8eadf3cb..1c32a0fc5 100644
--- a/include/runtime/arena.h
+++ b/include/runtime/arena.h
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ using memory_block_header = struct {
 #define MEM_BLOCK_START(ptr)                                                   \
   ((char *)(((uintptr_t)(ptr)-1) & ~(BLOCK_SIZE - 1)))
 
+extern bool time_for_collection;
+
+size_t get_gc_threshold();
+
 // Resets the given arena.
 void arena_reset(struct arena *);
 
diff --git a/lib/codegen/Decision.cpp b/lib/codegen/Decision.cpp
index 2423f7749..3f2ae9171 100644
--- a/lib/codegen/Decision.cpp
+++ b/lib/codegen/Decision.cpp
@@ -1003,12 +1003,11 @@ std::pair<std::vector<llvm::Value *>, llvm::BasicBlock *> step_function_header(
       module->getContext(), "checkCollect", block->getParent());
   llvm::BranchInst::Create(stuck, check_collect, is_finished, block);
 
-  auto *collection = get_or_insert_function(
-      module, "is_collection",
-      llvm::FunctionType::get(
-          llvm::Type::getInt1Ty(module->getContext()), {}, false));
-  auto *is_collection
-      = llvm::CallInst::Create(collection, {}, "", check_collect);
+  auto *collection = module->getOrInsertGlobal(
+      "time_for_collection", llvm::Type::getInt1Ty(module->getContext()));
+  auto *is_collection = new llvm::LoadInst(
+      llvm::Type::getInt1Ty(module->getContext()), collection, "is_collection",
+      check_collect);
   set_debug_loc(is_collection);
   auto *collect = llvm::BasicBlock::Create(
       module->getContext(), "isCollect", block->getParent());
diff --git a/runtime/alloc/arena.cpp b/runtime/alloc/arena.cpp
index 3d8da2302..75a9fcf22 100644
--- a/runtime/alloc/arena.cpp
+++ b/runtime/alloc/arena.cpp
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ static void *megabyte_malloc() {
   return result;
 }
 
+bool time_for_collection;
+
 static void fresh_block(struct arena *arena) {
   char *next_block = nullptr;
   if (arena->block_start == nullptr) {
@@ -106,8 +108,12 @@ static void fresh_block(struct arena *arena) {
       next_header->next_block = nullptr;
       next_header->semispace = arena->allocation_semispace_id;
       arena->num_blocks++;
+      time_for_collection = true;
     }
   }
+  if (!*(char **)next_block && arena->num_blocks >= get_gc_threshold()) {
+    time_for_collection = true;
+  }
   arena->block = next_block + sizeof(memory_block_header);
   arena->block_start = next_block;
   arena->block_end = next_block + BLOCK_SIZE;
diff --git a/runtime/collect/collect.cpp b/runtime/collect/collect.cpp
index ee0386ff1..dc8ae3b48 100644
--- a/runtime/collect/collect.cpp
+++ b/runtime/collect/collect.cpp
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@ static char *last_alloc_ptr;
 #endif
 
 size_t numBytesLiveAtCollection[1 << AGE_WIDTH];
-void set_gc_threshold(size_t);
-size_t get_gc_threshold(void);
-bool youngspace_almost_full(size_t);
 
 bool during_gc() {
   return is_gc;
@@ -285,6 +282,7 @@ void init_static_objects(void) {
 
 void kore_collect(void **roots, uint8_t nroots, layoutitem *type_info) {
   is_gc = true;
+  time_for_collection = false;
   collect_old = should_collect_old_gen();
   MEM_LOG("Starting garbage collection\n");
 #ifdef GC_DBG
@@ -349,16 +347,10 @@ void kore_collect(void **roots, uint8_t nroots, layoutitem *type_info) {
 #endif
   MEM_LOG("Finishing garbage collection\n");
   is_gc = false;
-  set_gc_threshold(youngspace_size());
 }
 
 void free_all_kore_mem() {
   kore_collect(nullptr, 0, nullptr);
   kore_clear();
 }
-
-bool is_collection() {
-  size_t threshold = get_gc_threshold();
-  return youngspace_almost_full(threshold);
-}
 }
diff --git a/runtime/lto/alloc.cpp b/runtime/lto/alloc.cpp
index 3e50a8699..86fa11dfc 100644
--- a/runtime/lto/alloc.cpp
+++ b/runtime/lto/alloc.cpp
@@ -45,15 +45,7 @@ size_t youngspace_size(void) {
 
 bool youngspace_almost_full(size_t threshold) {
   char *next_block = *(char **)youngspace.block_start;
-  if (next_block) {
-    // not on the last block, so short circuit and assume that we can keep
-    // allocating for now.
-    return false;
-  }
-  ptrdiff_t free_bytes = youngspace.block_end - youngspace.block;
-  size_t total_bytes
-      = youngspace.num_blocks * (BLOCK_SIZE - sizeof(memory_block_header));
-  return (total_bytes - free_bytes) * 100 > threshold * 95;
+  return !next_block;
 }
 
 void kore_alloc_swap(bool swap_old) {
diff --git a/unittests/runtime-collections/lists.cpp b/unittests/runtime-collections/lists.cpp
index 96dbdafcc..381b7d90e 100644
--- a/unittests/runtime-collections/lists.cpp
+++ b/unittests/runtime-collections/lists.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ block *DUMMY1 = &D1;
 }
 
 bool gc_enabled;
+size_t get_gc_threshold() {
+  return SIZE_MAX;
+}
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE(ListTest)
 
diff --git a/unittests/runtime-ffi/ffi.cpp b/unittests/runtime-ffi/ffi.cpp
index 5b6cbcf8f..32b9de6a4 100644
--- a/unittests/runtime-ffi/ffi.cpp
+++ b/unittests/runtime-ffi/ffi.cpp
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ bool during_gc() {
   return false;
 }
 
+size_t get_gc_threshold() {
+  return SIZE_MAX;
+}
+
 void print_configuration_internal(
     writer *file, block *subject, char const *sort, bool, void *) { }
 void sfprintf(writer *, char const *, ...) { }
diff --git a/unittests/runtime-io/io.cpp b/unittests/runtime-io/io.cpp
index a04a9682e..7a7ec2c80 100644
--- a/unittests/runtime-io/io.cpp
+++ b/unittests/runtime-io/io.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ bool during_gc() {
 
 void add_hash64(void *, uint64_t) { }
 
+size_t get_gc_threshold() {
+  return SIZE_MAX;
+}
+
 void flush_io_logs();
 string *make_string(const KCHAR *, int64_t len = -1);
 blockheader header_err();
diff --git a/unittests/runtime-strings/stringtest.cpp b/unittests/runtime-strings/stringtest.cpp
index 0c2b80cd3..b76da0ef8 100644
--- a/unittests/runtime-strings/stringtest.cpp
+++ b/unittests/runtime-strings/stringtest.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ floating *move_float(floating *i) {
 
 void add_hash64(void *, uint64_t) { }
 
+size_t get_gc_threshold() {
+  return SIZE_MAX;
+}
+
 struct blockheader get_block_header_for_symbol(uint32_t tag) {
   return blockheader{tag};
 }