diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/initializeSwingset.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/initializeSwingset.js
index f26d54e2385..27986eca753 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/initializeSwingset.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/initializeSwingset.js
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ export async function initializeSwingset(
     case 'nodeWorker':
     case 'node-subprocess':
     case 'xs-worker':
+    case 'xs-worker-no-gc':
       config.defaultManagerType = defaultManagerType;
       break;
     case undefined:
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/factory.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/factory.js
index ced44e8d328..9922d5fdc72 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/factory.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/factory.js
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export function makeVatManagerFactory({
     assertKnownOptions(managerOptions, [
       'enablePipelining',
       'managerType',
+      'gcEveryCrank',
       'setup',
       'bundle',
       'metered',
@@ -89,15 +90,16 @@ export function makeVatManagerFactory({
       enableSetup,
     } = managerOptions;
 
-    if (metered && managerType !== 'local' && managerType !== 'xs-worker') {
-      console.warn(
-        `TODO: support metered with ${managerType}; using local as work-around`,
-      );
+    if (
+      metered &&
+      managerType !== 'local' &&
+      managerType !== 'xs-worker' &&
+      managerType !== 'xs-worker-no-gc'
+    ) {
+      console.warn(`TODO: support metered with ${managerType}`);
     }
     if (setup && managerType !== 'local') {
-      console.warn(
-        `TODO: stop using setup() with ${managerType}; using local as work-around`,
-      );
+      console.warn(`TODO: stop using setup() with ${managerType}`);
     }
     if (managerType === 'local' || enableSetup) {
       if (setup) {
@@ -134,11 +136,19 @@ export function makeVatManagerFactory({
       );
     }
 
-    if (managerType === 'xs-worker') {
+    if (managerType === 'xs-worker' || managerType === 'xs-worker-no-gc') {
+      const transformedOptions = {
+        ...managerOptions,
+        managerType: 'xs-worker',
+      };
+      if (managerOptions.gcEveryCrank === undefined) {
+        // Explicitly enable/disable gcEveryCrank.
+        transformedOptions.gcEveryCrank = managerType !== 'xs-worker-no-gc';
+      }
       return xsWorkerFactory.createFromBundle(
         vatID,
         bundle,
-        managerOptions,
+        transformedOptions,
         vatSyscallHandler,
       );
     }
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/manager-subprocess-xsnap.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/manager-subprocess-xsnap.js
index e2908e0138b..8099cd1413c 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/manager-subprocess-xsnap.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/manager-subprocess-xsnap.js
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ export function makeXsSubprocessFactory({
       virtualObjectCacheSize,
       enableDisavow,
       enableVatstore,
+      gcEveryCrank = true,
       name,
       metered,
       compareSyscalls,
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ export function makeXsSubprocessFactory({
       virtualObjectCacheSize,
       enableDisavow,
       enableVatstore,
+      gcEveryCrank,
     ]);
     if (bundleReply[0] === 'dispatchReady') {
       parentLog(vatID, `bundle loaded. dispatch ready.`);
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/supervisor-subprocess-xsnap.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/supervisor-subprocess-xsnap.js
index 55db8c6101b..36784cb2858 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/supervisor-subprocess-xsnap.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/supervisor-subprocess-xsnap.js
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ function makeWorker(port) {
    * @param {unknown} virtualObjectCacheSize
    * @param {boolean} enableDisavow
    * @param {boolean} enableVatstore
+   * @param {boolean} [gcEveryCrank]
    * @returns { Promise<Tagged> }
    */
   async function setBundle(
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ function makeWorker(port) {
     virtualObjectCacheSize,
     enableDisavow,
     enableVatstore,
+    gcEveryCrank,
   ) {
     /** @type { (vso: VatSyscallObject) => VatSyscallResult } */
     function syscallToManager(vatSyscallObject) {
@@ -192,7 +194,7 @@ function makeWorker(port) {
       waitUntilQuiescent,
       // FIXME(mfig): Here is where GC-per-crank is silently disabled.
       // We need to do a better analysis of the tradeoffs.
-      gcAndFinalize: makeGcAndFinalize(false && globalThis.gc),
+      gcAndFinalize: makeGcAndFinalize(gcEveryCrank && globalThis.gc),
     });
 
     const ls = makeLiveSlots(
@@ -236,6 +238,7 @@ function makeWorker(port) {
         assert(!dispatch, 'cannot setBundle again');
         const enableDisavow = !!args[4];
         const enableVatstore = !!args[5];
+        const gcEveryCrank = args[6] === undefined ? true : !!args[6];
         return setBundle(
           args[0],
           args[1],
@@ -243,6 +246,7 @@ function makeWorker(port) {
           args[3],
           enableDisavow,
           enableVatstore,
+          gcEveryCrank,
         );
       }
       case 'deliver': {
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js
index 823bfa531c6..1c7f7c67b1c 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js
@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@
  * TODO: liveSlotsConsole...
  * See validateManagerOptions() in factory.js
  *
- * @typedef { 'local' | 'nodeWorker' | 'node-subprocess' | 'xs-worker' } ManagerType
+ * @typedef { 'local' | 'nodeWorker' | 'node-subprocess' | 'xs-worker' | 'xs-worker-no-gc' } ManagerType
  * @typedef {{
  *   enablePipelining?: boolean,
  *   managerType: ManagerType,
+ *   gcEveryCrank?: boolean,
  *   metered?: boolean,
  *   enableDisavow?: boolean,
  *   useTranscript?: boolean,
diff --git a/packages/solo/solo-config.json b/packages/solo/solo-config.json
index 1f9dc10fafc..5669faeb52b 100644
--- a/packages/solo/solo-config.json
+++ b/packages/solo/solo-config.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "bootstrap": "bootstrap",
-  "defaultManagerType": "xs-worker",
+  "defaultManagerType": "xs-worker-no-gc",
   "vats": {
     "spawner": {
       "sourceSpec": "./src/vat-spawner.js"
diff --git a/packages/vats/decentral-config.json b/packages/vats/decentral-config.json
index f0582b2db85..76f4b9843fc 100644
--- a/packages/vats/decentral-config.json
+++ b/packages/vats/decentral-config.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
       "sourceSpec": "@agoric/zoe/contractFacet"
     }
   },
-  "defaultManagerType": "xs-worker",
+  "defaultManagerType": "xs-worker-no-gc",
   "vats": {
     "bank": {
       "sourceSpec": "./src/vat-bank.js"