diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernelSyscall.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernelSyscall.js
index 135856eb46c..2de6b226b40 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernelSyscall.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/kernelSyscall.js
@@ -119,6 +119,18 @@ export function makeKernelSyscallHandler(tools) {
     return OKNULL;
   }
 
+  function retireImports(koids) {
+    assert(Array.isArray(koids), X`retireImports given non-Array ${koids}`);
+    console.log(`-- kernel ignoring retireImports ${koids.join(',')}`);
+    return OKNULL;
+  }
+
+  function retireExports(koids) {
+    assert(Array.isArray(koids), X`retireExports given non-Array ${koids}`);
+    console.log(`-- kernel ignoring retireExports ${koids.join(',')}`);
+    return OKNULL;
+  }
+
   function doKernelSyscall(ksc) {
     const [type, ...args] = ksc;
     switch (type) {
@@ -140,6 +152,10 @@ export function makeKernelSyscallHandler(tools) {
         return vatstoreDelete(...args);
       case 'dropImports':
         return dropImports(...args);
+      case 'retireImports':
+        return retireImports(...args);
+      case 'retireExports':
+        return retireExports(...args);
       default:
         assert.fail(X`unknown vatSyscall type ${type}`);
     }
@@ -147,9 +163,6 @@ export function makeKernelSyscallHandler(tools) {
 
   const kernelSyscallHandler = harden({
     send, // TODO remove these individual ones
-    invoke,
-    subscribe,
-    resolve,
     doKernelSyscall,
   });
   return kernelSyscallHandler;
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/liveSlots.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/liveSlots.js
index 2aa4e9e8d33..9e69ff81b53 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/liveSlots.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/liveSlots.js
@@ -742,6 +742,20 @@ function build(
     console.log(`-- liveslots ignoring dropExports`);
   }
 
+  function retireExports(vrefs) {
+    assert(Array.isArray(vrefs));
+    vrefs.map(vref => insistVatType('object', vref));
+    vrefs.map(vref => assert(parseVatSlot(vref).allocatedByVat));
+    console.log(`-- liveslots ignoring retireExports`);
+  }
+
+  function retireImports(vrefs) {
+    assert(Array.isArray(vrefs));
+    vrefs.map(vref => insistVatType('object', vref));
+    vrefs.map(vref => assert(!parseVatSlot(vref).allocatedByVat));
+    console.log(`-- liveslots ignoring retireImports`);
+  }
+
   // TODO: when we add notifyForward, guard against cycles
 
   function exitVat(completion) {
@@ -821,6 +835,16 @@ function build(
         dropExports(vrefs);
         break;
       }
+      case 'retireExports': {
+        const [vrefs] = args;
+        retireExports(vrefs);
+        break;
+      }
+      case 'retireImports': {
+        const [vrefs] = args;
+        retireImports(vrefs);
+        break;
+      }
       default:
         assert.fail(X`unknown delivery type ${type}`);
     }
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/supervisor-helper.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/supervisor-helper.js
index ea4b9aae40d..aacad4c2c83 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/supervisor-helper.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatManager/supervisor-helper.js
@@ -158,6 +158,8 @@ function makeSupervisorSyscall(syscallToManager, workerCanBlock) {
     resolve: resolutions => doSyscall(['resolve', resolutions]),
     exit: (isFailure, data) => doSyscall(['exit', isFailure, data]),
     dropImports: vrefs => doSyscall(['dropImports', vrefs]),
+    retireImports: vrefs => doSyscall(['retireImports', vrefs]),
+    retireExports: vrefs => doSyscall(['retireExports', vrefs]),
 
     // These syscalls should be omitted if the worker cannot get a
     // synchronous return value back from the kernel, such as when the worker
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatTranslator.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatTranslator.js
index b9de1d21bb1..ec3f5e71272 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatTranslator.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/kernel/vatTranslator.js
@@ -185,20 +185,43 @@ function makeTranslateVatSyscallToKernelSyscall(vatID, kernelKeeper) {
   }
 
   function translateDropImports(vrefs) {
-    assert(Array.isArray(vrefs), X`dropImport() given non-Array ${vrefs}`);
-    // We delete clist entries as we translate, which will (TODO) decref the
-    // krefs. When we're done with that loop, we hand the set of krefs to
-    // kernelSyscall so it can (TODO) check newly-decremented refcounts
-    // against zero, and maybe delete even more.
+    assert(Array.isArray(vrefs), X`dropImports() given non-Array ${vrefs}`);
+    // TODO: dropImports does not affect the c-list, but makes the kernel
+    // calculate the refcount of a kref, possibly causing further action.
     const krefs = vrefs.map(vref => {
-      insistVatType('object', vref);
+      insistVatType('object', vref); // TODO: probably device nodes too
       const kref = mapVatSlotToKernelSlot(vref);
-      vatKeeper.deleteCListEntry(kref, vref);
       return kref;
     });
     return harden(['dropImports', krefs]);
   }
 
+  function translateRetireImports(vrefs) {
+    assert(Array.isArray(vrefs), X`retireImports() given non-Array ${vrefs}`);
+    // TODO: retireImports will delete clist entries as we translate, which
+    // will (TODO) decref the krefs. When we're done with that loop, we hand
+    // the set of krefs to kernelSyscall so it can (TODO) check
+    // newly-decremented refcounts against zero, and maybe delete even more.
+    const krefs = vrefs.map(vref => {
+      insistVatType('object', vref); // TODO: probably device nodes too
+      const kref = mapVatSlotToKernelSlot(vref);
+      // vatKeeper.deleteCListEntry(kref, vref);
+      return kref;
+    });
+    return harden(['retireImports', krefs]);
+  }
+
+  function translateRetireExports(vrefs) {
+    assert(Array.isArray(vrefs), X`retireExports() given non-Array ${vrefs}`);
+    // TODO: not sure how the kernel should react to this yet
+    const krefs = vrefs.map(vref => {
+      insistVatType('object', vref); // TODO: probably device nodes too
+      const kref = mapVatSlotToKernelSlot(vref);
+      return kref;
+    });
+    return harden(['retireExports', krefs]);
+  }
+
   function translateCallNow(target, method, args) {
     insistCapData(args);
     const dev = mapVatSlotToKernelSlot(target);
@@ -276,6 +299,10 @@ function makeTranslateVatSyscallToKernelSyscall(vatID, kernelKeeper) {
         return translateVatstoreDelete(...args);
       case 'dropImports':
         return translateDropImports(...args);
+      case 'retireImports':
+        return translateRetireImports(...args);
+      case 'retireExports':
+        return translateRetireExports(...args);
       default:
         assert.fail(X`unknown vatSyscall type ${type}`);
     }
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/message.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/message.js
index dc9cba7a48c..654613e5dbf 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/message.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/message.js
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ export function insistVatDeliveryObject(vdo) {
       }
       break;
     }
-    case 'dropExports': {
+    case 'dropExports':
+    case 'retireExports':
+    case 'retireImports': {
       const [slots] = rest;
       assert(Array.isArray(slots));
       for (const slot of slots) {
@@ -150,7 +152,9 @@ export function insistVatSyscallObject(vso) {
       assert.typeof(key, 'string');
       break;
     }
-    case 'dropImports': {
+    case 'dropImports':
+    case 'retireImports':
+    case 'retireExports': {
       const [slots] = rest;
       assert(Array.isArray(slots));
       for (const slot of slots) {
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js
index 73f03277578..411ee9df088 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/types.js
@@ -70,7 +70,11 @@
  * @typedef { [tag: 'message', target: string, msg: Message]} VatDeliveryMessage
  * @typedef { [tag: 'notify', resolutions: string[] ]} VatDeliveryNotify
  * @typedef { [tag: 'dropExports', vrefs: string[] ]} VatDeliveryDropExports
- * @typedef { VatDeliveryMessage | VatDeliveryNotify | VatDeliveryDropExports } VatDeliveryObject
+ * @typedef { [tag: 'retireExports', vrefs: string[] ]} VatDeliveryRetireExports
+ * @typedef { [tag: 'retireImports', vrefs: string[] ]} VatDeliveryRetireImports
+ * @typedef { VatDeliveryMessage | VatDeliveryNotify | VatDeliveryDropExports
+ *            | VatDeliveryRetireExports | VatDeliveryRetireImports
+ *          } VatDeliveryObject
  * @typedef { [tag: 'ok', message: null, usage: unknown] | [tag: 'error', message: string, usage: unknown | null] } VatDeliveryResult
  *
  * @typedef { [tag: 'send', target: string, msg: Message] } VatSyscallSend
@@ -82,10 +86,13 @@
  * @typedef { [tag: 'vatstoreSet', key: string, data: string ]} VatSyscallVatstoreSet
  * @typedef { [tag: 'vatstoreDelete', key: string ]} VatSyscallVatstoreDelete
  * @typedef { [tag: 'dropImports', slots: string[] ]} VatSyscallDropImports
+ * @typedef { [tag: 'retireImports', slots: string[] ]} VatSyscallRetireImports
+ * @typedef { [tag: 'retireExports', slots: string[] ]} VatSyscallRetireExports
  *
  * @typedef { VatSyscallSend | VatSyscallCallNow | VatSyscallSubscribe
  *    | VatSyscallResolve | VatSyscallVatstoreGet | VatSyscallVatstoreSet
  *    | VatSyscallVatstoreDelete | VatSyscallDropImports
+ *    | VatSyscallRetireImports | VatSyscallRetireExports
  * } VatSyscallObject
  *
  * @typedef { [tag: 'ok', data: SwingSetCapData | string | null ]} VatSyscallResultOk
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/src/vats/comms/dispatch.js b/packages/SwingSet/src/vats/comms/dispatch.js
index b653b00781c..bace1d64a5b 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/src/vats/comms/dispatch.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/src/vats/comms/dispatch.js
@@ -128,6 +128,20 @@ export function buildCommsDispatch(
     console.log(`-- comms ignoring dropExports`);
   }
 
+  function retireExports(vrefs) {
+    assert(Array.isArray(vrefs));
+    vrefs.map(vref => insistVatType('object', vref));
+    vrefs.map(vref => assert(parseVatSlot(vref).allocatedByVat));
+    console.log(`-- comms ignoring retireExports`);
+  }
+
+  function retireImports(vrefs) {
+    assert(Array.isArray(vrefs));
+    vrefs.map(vref => insistVatType('object', vref));
+    vrefs.map(vref => assert(!parseVatSlot(vref).allocatedByVat));
+    console.log(`-- comms ignoring retireImports`);
+  }
+
   function dispatch(vatDeliveryObject) {
     const [type, ...args] = vatDeliveryObject;
     switch (type) {
@@ -147,6 +161,16 @@ export function buildCommsDispatch(
         dropExports(vrefs);
         return;
       }
+      case 'retireExports': {
+        const [vrefs] = args;
+        retireExports(vrefs);
+        break;
+      }
+      case 'retireImports': {
+        const [vrefs] = args;
+        retireImports(vrefs);
+        break;
+      }
       default:
         assert.fail(X`unknown delivery type ${type}`);
     }
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/test/liveslots-helpers.js b/packages/SwingSet/test/liveslots-helpers.js
index 99d32403d07..a2092274559 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/test/liveslots-helpers.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/test/liveslots-helpers.js
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ export function buildSyscall() {
     dropImports(slots) {
       log.push({ type: 'dropImports', slots });
     },
+    retireImports(slots) {
+      log.push({ type: 'retireImports', slots });
+    },
+    retireExports(slots) {
+      log.push({ type: 'retireExports', slots });
+    },
     exit(isFailure, info) {
       log.push({ type: 'exit', isFailure, info });
     },
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/test/test-comms.js b/packages/SwingSet/test/test-comms.js
index 92a31fecb00..4f0c642b50b 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/test/test-comms.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/test/test-comms.js
@@ -5,7 +5,12 @@ import { flipRemoteSlot } from '../src/vats/comms/parseRemoteSlot';
 import { makeState } from '../src/vats/comms/state';
 import { makeCListKit } from '../src/vats/comms/clist';
 import { debugState } from '../src/vats/comms/dispatch';
-import { makeMessage, makeDropExports } from './util';
+import {
+  makeMessage,
+  makeDropExports,
+  makeRetireExports,
+  makeRetireImports,
+} from './util';
 import { commsVatDriver } from './commsVatDriver';
 
 test('provideRemoteForLocal', t => {
@@ -229,8 +234,18 @@ test('receive', t => {
     { message: /unexpected recv seqNum .*/ },
   );
 
-  // make sure comms can tolerate dropExports, even if it's a no-op
+  // make sure comms can tolerate GC operations, even if they're a no-op
   dispatch(makeDropExports(expectedAliceKernel, expectedAyanaKernel));
+  dispatch(makeRetireExports(expectedAliceKernel, expectedAyanaKernel));
+  // Sending retireImport into a vat that hasn't yet emitted dropImport is
+  // rude, and would only happen if the exporter unilaterally revoked the
+  // object's identity. Normally the kernel would only send retireImport
+  // after receiving dropImport (and sending a dropExport into the exporter,
+  // and getting a retireExport from the exporter, gracefully terminating the
+  // object's identity). We do it the rude way because it's good enough to
+  // test the comms vat can tolerate it, but we may have to update this when
+  // we implement retireImport for real.
+  dispatch(makeRetireImports(bobKernel));
 });
 
 // This tests the various pathways through the comms vat driver.  This has the
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/test/test-liveslots.js b/packages/SwingSet/test/test-liveslots.js
index 3dba1eb4172..ec5c93641f2 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/test/test-liveslots.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/test/test-liveslots.js
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import {
   makeResolve,
   makeReject,
   makeDropExports,
+  makeRetireExports,
+  makeRetireImports,
 } from './util';
 
 test('calls', async t => {
@@ -630,13 +632,13 @@ test('disavow', async t => {
   t.deepEqual(log, []);
 });
 
-test('dropExports', async t => {
+test('GC operations', async t => {
   const { log, syscall } = buildSyscall();
 
   function build(_vatPowers) {
     const ex1 = Far('export', {});
     const root = Far('root', {
-      one() {
+      one(_arg) {
         return ex1;
       },
     });
@@ -645,11 +647,12 @@ test('dropExports', async t => {
   const dispatch = makeDispatch(syscall, build, 'vatA', true);
   t.deepEqual(log, []);
   const rootA = 'o+0';
+  const arg = 'o-1';
 
-  // rp1 = root~.one()
+  // rp1 = root~.one(arg)
   // ex1 = await rp1
   const rp1 = 'p-1';
-  dispatch(makeMessage(rootA, 'one', capargs([]), rp1));
+  dispatch(makeMessage(rootA, 'one', capargsOneSlot(arg), rp1));
   await waitUntilQuiescent();
   const l1 = log.shift();
   const ex1 = l1.resolutions[0][2].slots[0];
@@ -659,9 +662,22 @@ test('dropExports', async t => {
   });
   t.deepEqual(log, []);
 
-  // now tell the vat to drop that export
-  dispatch(makeDropExports(ex1));
+  // now tell the vat we don't need a strong reference to that export
   // for now, all that we care about is that liveslots doesn't crash
+  dispatch(makeDropExports(ex1));
+
+  // and release its identity too
+  dispatch(makeRetireExports(ex1));
+
+  // Sending retireImport into a vat that hasn't yet emitted dropImport is
+  // rude, and would only happen if the exporter unilaterally revoked the
+  // object's identity. Normally the kernel would only send retireImport
+  // after receiving dropImport (and sending a dropExport into the exporter,
+  // and getting a retireExport from the exporter, gracefully terminating the
+  // object's identity). We do it the rude way because it's good enough to
+  // test that liveslots can tolerate it, but we may have to update this when
+  // we implement retireImport for real.
+  dispatch(makeRetireImports(arg));
 });
 
 // Create a WeakRef/FinalizationRegistry pair that can be manipulated for
diff --git a/packages/SwingSet/test/util.js b/packages/SwingSet/test/util.js
index fbb59b9ca8a..190ec8610c2 100644
--- a/packages/SwingSet/test/util.js
+++ b/packages/SwingSet/test/util.js
@@ -131,3 +131,13 @@ export function makeDropExports(...vrefs) {
   const vatDeliverObject = harden(['dropExports', vrefs]);
   return vatDeliverObject;
 }
+
+export function makeRetireExports(...vrefs) {
+  const vatDeliverObject = harden(['retireExports', vrefs]);
+  return vatDeliverObject;
+}
+
+export function makeRetireImports(...vrefs) {
+  const vatDeliverObject = harden(['retireImports', vrefs]);
+  return vatDeliverObject;
+}