diff --git a/vm/collector.hpp b/vm/collector.hpp
index ece4926c28..0b8b473e8b 100644
--- a/vm/collector.hpp
+++ b/vm/collector.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 namespace factor
 {
 
+struct must_start_gc_again {};
+
 template<typename TargetGeneration, typename Policy> struct data_workhorse {
 	factor_vm *parent;
 	TargetGeneration *target;
@@ -27,8 +29,7 @@ template<typename TargetGeneration, typename Policy> struct data_workhorse {
 	{
 		cell size = untagged->size();
 		object *newpointer = target->allot(size);
-		/* XXX not exception-safe */
-		if(!newpointer) longjmp(parent->current_gc->gc_unwind,1);
+		if(!newpointer) throw must_start_gc_again();
 
 		memcpy(newpointer,untagged,size);
 		untagged->forward_to(newpointer);
diff --git a/vm/gc.cpp b/vm/gc.cpp
index a57f338c44..e01a05aa5b 100755
--- a/vm/gc.cpp
+++ b/vm/gc.cpp
@@ -135,49 +135,57 @@ void factor_vm::gc(gc_op op, cell requested_bytes, bool trace_contexts_p)
 
 	/* Keep trying to GC higher and higher generations until we don't run out
 	of space */
-	if(setjmp(current_gc->gc_unwind))
+	for(;;)
 	{
-		/* We come back here if a generation is full */
-		start_gc_again();
-	}
-
-	current_gc->event->op = current_gc->op;
-
-	switch(current_gc->op)
-	{
-	case collect_nursery_op:
-		collect_nursery();
-		break;
-	case collect_aging_op:
-		collect_aging();
-		if(data->high_fragmentation_p())
+		try
 		{
-			current_gc->op = collect_full_op;
-			current_gc->event->op = collect_full_op;
-			collect_full(trace_contexts_p);
+			current_gc->event->op = current_gc->op;
+
+			switch(current_gc->op)
+			{
+			case collect_nursery_op:
+				collect_nursery();
+				break;
+			case collect_aging_op:
+				collect_aging();
+				if(data->high_fragmentation_p())
+				{
+					current_gc->op = collect_full_op;
+					current_gc->event->op = collect_full_op;
+					collect_full(trace_contexts_p);
+				}
+				break;
+			case collect_to_tenured_op:
+				collect_to_tenured();
+				if(data->high_fragmentation_p())
+				{
+					current_gc->op = collect_full_op;
+					current_gc->event->op = collect_full_op;
+					collect_full(trace_contexts_p);
+				}
+				break;
+			case collect_full_op:
+				collect_full(trace_contexts_p);
+				break;
+			case collect_compact_op:
+				collect_compact(trace_contexts_p);
+				break;
+			case collect_growing_heap_op:
+				collect_growing_heap(requested_bytes,trace_contexts_p);
+				break;
+			default:
+				critical_error("Bad GC op",current_gc->op);
+				break;
+			}
+
+			break;
 		}
-		break;
-	case collect_to_tenured_op:
-		collect_to_tenured();
-		if(data->high_fragmentation_p())
+		catch(const must_start_gc_again e)
 		{
-			current_gc->op = collect_full_op;
-			current_gc->event->op = collect_full_op;
-			collect_full(trace_contexts_p);
+			/* We come back here if a generation is full */
+			start_gc_again();
+			continue;
 		}
-		break;
-	case collect_full_op:
-		collect_full(trace_contexts_p);
-		break;
-	case collect_compact_op:
-		collect_compact(trace_contexts_p);
-		break;
-	case collect_growing_heap_op:
-		collect_growing_heap(requested_bytes,trace_contexts_p);
-		break;
-	default:
-		critical_error("Bad GC op",current_gc->op);
-		break;
 	}
 
 	end_gc();
diff --git a/vm/gc.hpp b/vm/gc.hpp
index 5224dec3e2..5129ced909 100755
--- a/vm/gc.hpp
+++ b/vm/gc.hpp
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ struct gc_event {
 struct gc_state {
 	gc_op op;
 	u64 start_time;
-	jmp_buf gc_unwind;
 	gc_event *event;
 
 	explicit gc_state(gc_op op_, factor_vm *parent);
diff --git a/vm/master.hpp b/vm/master.hpp
index 9879fa607a..a111a86b69 100755
--- a/vm/master.hpp
+++ b/vm/master.hpp
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <math.h>
-#include <setjmp.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>