diff --git a/glib/gvarianttypeinfo.c b/glib/gvarianttypeinfo.c
index ca4e96de6..02aadb5a0 100644
--- a/glib/gvarianttypeinfo.c
+++ b/glib/gvarianttypeinfo.c
@@ -740,6 +740,36 @@ g_variant_type_info_member_info (GVariantTypeInfo *info,
 /* == new/ref/unref == */
 static GRecMutex g_variant_type_info_lock;
 static GHashTable *g_variant_type_info_table;
+static GPtrArray *g_variant_type_info_gc;
+
+#define GC_THRESHOLD 32
+
+static void
+gc_while_locked (void)
+{
+  while (g_variant_type_info_gc->len > 0)
+    {
+      GVariantTypeInfo *info = g_ptr_array_steal_index_fast (g_variant_type_info_gc, 0);
+      ContainerInfo *container = (ContainerInfo *)info;
+
+      if (g_atomic_ref_count_dec (&container->ref_count))
+        {
+          TRACE(GLIB_VARIANT_TYPE_INFO_FREE(info));
+
+          g_hash_table_remove (g_variant_type_info_table,
+                               container->type_string);
+
+          g_free (container->type_string);
+
+          if (info->container_class == GV_ARRAY_INFO_CLASS)
+            array_info_free (info);
+          else if (info->container_class == GV_TUPLE_INFO_CLASS)
+            tuple_info_free (info);
+          else
+            g_assert_not_reached ();
+        }
+    }
+}
 
 /* < private >
  * g_variant_type_info_get:
@@ -864,36 +894,33 @@ g_variant_type_info_unref (GVariantTypeInfo *info)
       g_rec_mutex_lock (&g_variant_type_info_lock);
       if (g_atomic_ref_count_dec (&container->ref_count))
         {
+          if (g_variant_type_info_gc == NULL)
+            g_variant_type_info_gc = g_ptr_array_new ();
 
-          TRACE(GLIB_VARIANT_TYPE_INFO_FREE(info));
+          /* Steal this instance and place it onto the GC queue.
+           * We may bring it back to life before the next GC.
+           */
+          g_atomic_ref_count_init (&container->ref_count);
+          g_ptr_array_add (g_variant_type_info_gc, info);
 
-          g_hash_table_remove (g_variant_type_info_table,
-                               container->type_string);
-          if (g_hash_table_size (g_variant_type_info_table) == 0)
-            {
-              g_hash_table_unref (g_variant_type_info_table);
-              g_variant_type_info_table = NULL;
-            }
-          g_rec_mutex_unlock (&g_variant_type_info_lock);
-
-          g_free (container->type_string);
-
-          if (info->container_class == GV_ARRAY_INFO_CLASS)
-            array_info_free (info);
-
-          else if (info->container_class == GV_TUPLE_INFO_CLASS)
-            tuple_info_free (info);
-
-          else
-            g_assert_not_reached ();
+          if (g_variant_type_info_gc->len > GC_THRESHOLD)
+            gc_while_locked ();
         }
-      else
-        g_rec_mutex_unlock (&g_variant_type_info_lock);
+      g_rec_mutex_unlock (&g_variant_type_info_lock);
     }
 }
 
 void
 g_variant_type_info_assert_no_infos (void)
 {
-  g_assert (g_variant_type_info_table == NULL);
+  G_GNUC_UNUSED gboolean empty;
+
+  g_rec_mutex_lock (&g_variant_type_info_lock);
+  if (g_variant_type_info_table != NULL)
+    gc_while_locked ();
+  empty = (g_variant_type_info_table == NULL ||
+           g_hash_table_size (g_variant_type_info_table) == 0);
+  g_rec_mutex_unlock (&g_variant_type_info_lock);
+
+  g_assert (empty);
 }