diff --git a/Modules/gcmodule.c b/Modules/gcmodule.c
--- a/Modules/gcmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/gcmodule.c
@@ -780,24 +780,24 @@
 finalize_garbage(PyGC_Head *collectable, PyGC_Head *old)
 {
     destructor finalize;
-    PyGC_Head *gc = collectable->gc.gc_next;
+    PyGC_Head buffer;
 
-    for (; gc != collectable; gc = gc->gc.gc_next) {
+    gc_list_init(&buffer);
+
+    while (collectable->gc.gc_next != collectable) {
+        PyGC_Head *gc = collectable->gc.gc_next;
         PyObject *op = FROM_GC(gc);
-
+        gc_list_move(gc, &buffer);
         if (!_PyGCHead_FINALIZED(gc) &&
             PyType_HasFeature(Py_TYPE(op), Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_FINALIZE) &&
             (finalize = Py_TYPE(op)->tp_finalize) != NULL) {
             _PyGCHead_SET_FINALIZED(gc, 1);
             Py_INCREF(op);
             finalize(op);
-            if (Py_REFCNT(op) == 1) {
-                /* op will be destroyed */
-                gc = gc->gc.gc_prev;
-            }
             Py_DECREF(op);
         }
     }
+    gc_list_merge(&buffer, collectable);
 }
 
 /* Walk the collectable list and check that they are really unreachable