diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f0abc72e..2d285843 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -45,10 +45,11 @@ libcyclone.so.1: runtime.c include/cyclone/runtime.h
 	gcc -g -c -fPIC runtime.c -o runtime.o
 	gcc -shared -Wl,-soname,libcyclone.so.1 -o libcyclone.so.1.0.1 runtime.o
 
-libcyclone.a: runtime.c include/cyclone/runtime.h include/cyclone/types.h dispatch.c
+libcyclone.a: runtime.c include/cyclone/runtime.h include/cyclone/types.h gc.c dispatch.c
 	$(CC) -g -c -Iinclude dispatch.c -o dispatch.o
+	$(CC) -g -c -Iinclude gc.c -o gc.o
 	$(CC) -g -c -Iinclude -DCYC_INSTALL_DIR=\"$(PREFIX)\" -DCYC_INSTALL_LIB=\"$(LIBDIR)\" -DCYC_INSTALL_INC=\"$(INCDIR)\" -DCYC_INSTALL_SLD=\"$(DATADIR)\" runtime.c -o runtime.o
-	$(AR) rcs libcyclone.a runtime.o dispatch.o
+	$(AR) rcs libcyclone.a runtime.o gc.o dispatch.o
 # Instructions from: http://www.adp-gmbh.ch/cpp/gcc/create_lib.html
 # Note compiler will have to link to this, eg:
 #Linking against static library
diff --git a/gc.c b/gc.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..14f84d3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gc.c
@@ -0,0 +1,323 @@
+/* TODO: a basic mark-sweep GC
+   As of now, the GC code is based off the implementation from chibi scheme
+
+ Goals of this project:
+ - write algorithms
+ - add test cases
+ - integrate with types
+ - integrate with cyclone
+ - extend to tri-color marking an on-the-fly collection
+ - etc...
+ */
+
+#include "cyclone/types.h"
+
+gc_heap *gc_heap_create(size_t size, size_t max_size, size_t chunk_size)
+{
+  gc_free_list *free, *next;
+  gc_heap *h;
+  // TODO: mmap?
+  h = malloc(size);
+  if (!h) return NULL;
+  h->size = size;
+  h->chunk_size = chunk_size;
+  h->max_size = max_size;
+printf("DEBUG h->data addr: %p\n", &(h->data));
+  h->data = (char *) gc_heap_align(sizeof(h->data) + (uint)&(h->data)); 
+printf("DEBUG h->data addr: %p\n", h->data);
+  h->next = NULL;
+  free = h->free_list = (gc_free_list *)h->data;
+  next = (gc_free_list *)(((char *) free) + gc_heap_align(gc_free_chunk_size));
+  free->size = 0; // First one is just a dummy record
+  free->next = next;
+  next->size = size - gc_heap_align(gc_free_chunk_size);
+  next->next = NULL;
+  return h;
+}
+
+int gc_grow_heap(gc_heap *h, size_t size, size_t chunk_size)
+{
+  size_t cur_size, new_size;
+  gc_heap *h_last = gc_heap_last(h);
+  cur_size = h_last->size;
+  new_size = gc_heap_align(((cur_size > size) ? cur_size : size) * 2);
+  h->next = gc_heap_create(new_size, h->max_size, chunk_size);
+  return (h->next != NULL);
+}
+
+void *gc_try_alloc(gc_heap *h, size_t size) 
+{
+  gc_free_list *f1, *f2, *f3;
+  for (; h; h = h->next) { // All heaps
+    // TODO: chunk size (ignoring for now)
+
+    for (f1 = h->free_list, f2 = f1->next; f2; f1 = f2, f2 = f2->next) { // all free in this heap
+      if (f2->size > size) { // Big enough for request
+        // TODO: take whole chunk or divide up f2 (using f3)?
+        if (f2->size >= (size + gc_heap_align(1) /* min obj size */)) {
+          f3 = (gc_free_list *) (((char *)f2) + size);
+          f3->size = f2->size - size;
+          f3->next = f2->next;
+          f1->next = f3;
+        } else { /* Take the whole chunk */
+          f1->next = f2->next;
+        }
+        // zero-out the header
+        memset((object)f2, 0, sizeof(gc_header_type));
+        return f2;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return NULL; 
+}
+
+void *gc_alloc(gc_heap *h, size_t size) 
+{
+  void *result = NULL;
+  size_t max_freed, sum_freed, total_size;
+  // TODO: check return value, if null (could not alloc) then 
+  // run a collection and check how much free space there is. if less
+  // the allowed ratio, try growing heap.
+  // then try realloc. if cannot alloc now, then throw out of memory error
+  size = gc_heap_align(size);
+  //return gc_try_alloc(h, size);
+  result = gc_try_alloc(h, size);
+  if (!result) {
+    // TODO: may want to consider not doing this now, and implementing gc_collect as
+    // part of the runtime, since we would have all of the roots, stack args, 
+    // etc available there.
+//    max_freed = gc_collect(h); TODO: this does not work yet!
+max_freed = 0;
+
+    total_size = gc_heap_total_size(h);
+    if (((max_freed < size) ||
+         ((total_size > sum_freed) &&
+          (total_size - sum_freed) > (total_size * 0.75))) // Grow ratio
+        && ((!h->max_size) || (total_size < h->max_size))) {
+      gc_grow_heap(h, size, 0);
+    }
+    result = gc_try_alloc(h, size);
+    if (!result) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "out of memory error allocating %d bytes\n", size);
+      exit(1); // TODO: throw error???
+    }
+  }
+#if GC_DEBUG_PRINTFS
+  fprintf(stdout, "alloc %p\n", result);
+#endif
+  return result;
+}
+
+size_t gc_allocated_bytes(object obj)
+{
+  tag_type t;
+  if (is_value_type(obj))
+    return gc_heap_align(1);
+  t = type_of(obj); 
+  if (t == cons_tag) return gc_heap_align(sizeof(cons_type));
+  if (t == integer_tag) return gc_heap_align(sizeof(integer_type));
+  
+#if GC_DEBUG_PRINTFS
+  fprintf(stderr, "cannot get size of object %ld\n", t);
+#endif
+  return 0;
+}
+
+gc_heap *gc_heap_last(gc_heap *h)
+{
+  while (h->next)
+    h = h->next;
+  return h;
+}
+
+size_t gc_heap_total_size(gc_heap *h)
+{
+  size_t total_size = 0;
+  while(h) {
+    total_size += h->size;
+    h = h->next;
+  }
+  return total_size;
+}
+
+void gc_mark(gc_heap *h, object obj)
+{
+  if (!obj || is_marked(obj))
+    return;
+
+#if GC_DEBUG_PRINTFS
+ fprintf(stdout, "gc_mark %p\n", obj);
+#endif
+ ((list)obj)->hdr.mark = 1;
+ // TODO: mark heap saves (??) 
+ // could this be a write barrier?
+ 
+ // Mark objects this one references
+ if (type_of(obj) == cons_tag) {
+   gc_mark(h, car(obj)); 
+   gc_mark(h, cdr(obj)); 
+ }
+ // TODO: will be more work in here the "real" implementation
+}
+
+size_t gc_sweep(gc_heap *h, size_t *sum_freed_ptr)
+{
+  // TODO: scan entire heap, freeing objects that have not been marked
+  size_t freed, max_freed=0, sum_freed=0, size;
+  object p, end;
+  gc_free_list *q, *r, *s;
+  for (; h; h = h->next) { // All heaps
+    p = gc_heap_first_block(h);
+    q = h->free_list;
+    end = gc_heap_end(h);
+    while (p < end) {
+      // find preceding/succeeding free list pointers for p
+      for (r = q->next; r && ((char *)r < (char *)p); q=r, r=r->next);
+
+      if ((char *)r == (char *)p) { // this is a free block, skip it
+        p = (object) (((char *)p) + r->size);
+        continue;
+      }
+      size = gc_heap_align(gc_allocated_bytes(p));
+      
+#if GC_DEBUG_PRINTFS
+      // DEBUG
+      if (!is_object_type(p))
+        fprintf(stderr, "sweep: invalid object at %p", p);
+      if ((char *)q + q->size > (char *)p)
+        fprintf(stderr, "bad size at %p < %p + %u", p, q, q->size);
+      if (r && ((char *)p) + size > (char *)r)
+        fprintf(stderr, "sweep: bad size at %p + %d > %p", p, size, r);
+      // END DEBUG
+#endif
+
+      if (!is_marked(p)) {
+#if GC_DEBUG_PRINTFS
+        fprintf(stdout, "sweep: object is not marked %p\n", p);
+#endif
+        // free p
+        sum_freed += size;
+        if (((((char *)q) + q->size) == (char *)p) && (q != h->free_list)) {
+          /* merge q with p */
+          if (r && r->size && ((((char *)p)+size) == (char *)r)) {
+            // ... and with r
+            q->next = r->next;
+            freed = q->size + size + r->size;
+            p = (object) (((char *)p) + size + r->size);
+          } else {
+            freed = q->size + size;
+            p = (object) (((char *)p) + size);
+          }
+          q->size = freed;
+        } else {
+          s = (gc_free_list *)p;
+          if (r && r->size && ((((char *)p) + size) == (char *)r)) {
+            // merge p with r
+            s->size = size + r->size;
+            s->next = r->next;
+            q->next = s;
+            freed = size + r->size;
+          } else {
+            s->size = size;
+            s->next = r;
+            q->next = s;
+            freed = size;
+          }
+          p = (object) (((char *)p) + freed);
+        }
+        if (freed > max_freed)
+          max_freed = freed;
+      } else {
+#if GC_DEBUG_PRINTFS
+        fprintf(stdout, "sweep: object is marked %p\n", p);
+#endif
+        ((list)p)->hdr.mark = 0;
+        p = (object)(((char *)p) + size);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  if (sum_freed_ptr) *sum_freed_ptr = sum_freed;
+  return max_freed;
+}
+
+void gc_collect(gc_heap *h, size_t *sum_freed) 
+{
+  printf("(heap: %p size: %d)\n", h, (unsigned int)gc_heap_total_size(h));
+  // TODO: mark globals
+  // TODO: gc_mark(h, h);
+  // conservative mark?
+  // weak refs?
+  // finalize?
+  gc_sweep(h, sum_freed);
+  // debug print free stats
+  // return value from sweep??
+}
+
+// void gc_init()
+// {
+// }
+// END heap definitions
+
+/* tri-color GC stuff, we will care about this later...
+int colorWhite = 0;
+int colorGray  = 1;
+int colorBlack = 2;
+int colorBlue  = 3;
+
+typedef enum {STATUS_ASYNC, STATUS_SYNC1, STATUS_SYNC2} status_type;
+
+// DLG globals
+static void *swept;
+static int dirty;
+static void *scanned;
+
+// TODO: mutator actions
+// TODO: collector
+// TODO: extentions
+// TODO: proofs, etc
+// TODO: revist design using content from kolodner
+*/
+
+// int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+//   int i;
+//   size_t freed = 0, max_freed = 0;
+//   gc_heap *h = gc_heap_create(8 * 1024 * 1024, 0, 0);
+//   void *obj1 = gc_alloc(h, sizeof(cons_type));
+//   void *obj2 = gc_alloc(h, sizeof(cons_type));
+//   void *objI = gc_alloc(h, sizeof(integer_type));
+// 
+//   for (i = 0; i < 1000000; i++) {
+//     gc_alloc(h, sizeof(integer_type));
+//     gc_alloc(h, sizeof(integer_type));
+//   }
+// 
+//   // Build up an object graph to test collection...
+//   ((integer_type *)objI)->hdr.mark = 0;
+//   ((integer_type *)objI)->tag = integer_tag;
+//   ((integer_type *)objI)->value = 42;
+// 
+//   ((list)obj2)->hdr.mark = 0;
+//   ((list)obj2)->tag = cons_tag;
+//   ((list)obj2)->cons_car = objI;
+//   ((list)obj2)->cons_cdr = NULL;
+// 
+//   ((list)obj1)->hdr.mark = 0;
+//   ((list)obj1)->tag = cons_tag;
+//   ((list)obj1)->cons_car = obj2;
+//   ((list)obj1)->cons_cdr = NULL;
+// 
+//   printf("(heap: %p size: %d)", h, (unsigned int)gc_heap_total_size(h));
+//   gc_mark(h, obj1);
+//   max_freed = gc_sweep(h, &freed);
+//   printf("done, freed = %d, max_freed = %d\n", freed, max_freed);
+//   for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+//     gc_alloc(h, sizeof(integer_type));
+//     gc_alloc(h, sizeof(integer_type));
+//   }
+//   printf("(heap: %p size: %d)", h, (unsigned int)gc_heap_total_size(h));
+//   gc_mark(h, obj1);
+//   max_freed = gc_sweep(h, &freed);
+//   printf("done, freed = %d, max_freed = %d\n", freed, max_freed);
+// 
+//   return 0;
+// }