diff --git a/gc.c b/gc.c
index 4a96171e..848df0e5 100644
--- a/gc.c
+++ b/gc.c
@@ -2534,14 +2534,6 @@ void gc_collector()
   ck_pr_cas_int(&gc_stage, STAGE_SWEEPING, STAGE_RESTING);
 }
 
-void gc_force(void)
-{
- /* try to force the collector to run */
- ck_pr_cas_int(&gc_stage, STAGE_RESTING, STAGE_FORCING);
- /* if the collector thread was idle, then begin collecting */
- ck_pr_cas_int(&gc_stage, STAGE_FORCING, STAGE_CLEAR_OR_MARKING);
-}
-
 void *collector_main(void *arg)
 {
   int stage;
diff --git a/include/cyclone/runtime.h b/include/cyclone/runtime.h
index 860c2dbb..432be667 100644
--- a/include/cyclone/runtime.h
+++ b/include/cyclone/runtime.h
@@ -52,11 +52,6 @@ void GC(void *, closure, object *, int);
  */
 void gc_init_heap(long heap_size);
 
-/**
- * \ingroup gc_force
- */
-void gc_force(void);
-
 /**
  * \defgroup prim Primitives
  * @brief Built-in Scheme functions provided by the runtime library
diff --git a/include/cyclone/types.h b/include/cyclone/types.h
index 32abdaee..c37ae282 100644
--- a/include/cyclone/types.h
+++ b/include/cyclone/types.h
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ typedef enum { STATUS_ASYNC, STATUS_SYNC1, STATUS_SYNC2
 /** Stages of the Major GC's collector thread */
 typedef enum { STAGE_CLEAR_OR_MARKING, STAGE_TRACING
       //, STAGE_REF_PROCESSING 
-  , STAGE_SWEEPING, STAGE_RESTING, STAGE_FORCING
+  , STAGE_SWEEPING, STAGE_RESTING
 } gc_stage_type;
 
 // Constant colors are defined here.
@@ -377,7 +377,6 @@ struct gc_thread_data_t {
 
 /* GC prototypes */
 void gc_initialize(void);
-void gc_force(void);
 void gc_add_new_unrunning_mutator(gc_thread_data * thd);
 void gc_add_mutator(gc_thread_data * thd);
 void gc_remove_mutator(gc_thread_data * thd);
diff --git a/runtime.c b/runtime.c
index 2af2ce43..d0404fb0 100644
--- a/runtime.c
+++ b/runtime.c
@@ -7181,7 +7181,7 @@ void Cyc_exit_thread(void *data, object _, int argc, object * args)
   gc_remove_mutator(thd);
   ck_pr_cas_int((int *)&(thd->thread_state), CYC_THREAD_STATE_RUNNABLE,
                 CYC_THREAD_STATE_TERMINATED);
-  gc_force();
+  gc_start_major_collection(thd);
   pthread_exit(NULL);
 }