diff --git a/gc/gc.go b/gc/gc.go
index 47421a822..70838a762 100644
--- a/gc/gc.go
+++ b/gc/gc.go
@@ -145,10 +145,10 @@ func ConcurrentMark(ctx context.Context, root <-chan Node, refs func(context.Con
 
 // Sweep removes all nodes returned through the channel which are not in
 // the reachable set by calling the provided remove function.
-func Sweep(reachable map[Node]struct{}, all <-chan Node, remove func(Node) error) error {
+func Sweep(reachable map[Node]struct{}, all []Node, remove func(Node) error) error {
 	// All black objects are now reachable, and all white objects are
 	// unreachable. Free those that are white!
-	for node := range all {
+	for _, node := range all {
 		if _, ok := reachable[node]; !ok {
 			if err := remove(node); err != nil {
 				return err
diff --git a/metadata/db.go b/metadata/db.go
index 18eba909e..8e9944876 100644
--- a/metadata/db.go
+++ b/metadata/db.go
@@ -199,42 +199,10 @@ func (m *DB) GarbageCollect(ctx context.Context) error {
 		log.G(ctx).WithField("d", time.Now().Sub(lt1)).Debug("metadata garbage collected")
 	}()
 
-	var marked map[gc.Node]struct{}
-
-	if err := m.db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
-		defer cancel()
-
-		roots := make(chan gc.Node)
-		errChan := make(chan error)
-		go func() {
-			defer close(errChan)
-			defer close(roots)
-
-			// Call roots
-			if err := scanRoots(ctx, tx, roots); err != nil {
-				cancel()
-				errChan <- err
-			}
-		}()
-
-		refs := func(ctx context.Context, n gc.Node, fn func(gc.Node)) error {
-			return references(ctx, tx, n, fn)
-		}
-
-		reachable, err := gc.ConcurrentMark(ctx, roots, refs)
-		if rerr := <-errChan; rerr != nil {
-			return rerr
-		}
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		marked = reachable
-		return nil
-	}); err != nil {
+	marked, err := m.getMarked(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
 	m.dirtyL.Lock()
 	defer m.dirtyL.Unlock()
 
@@ -242,15 +210,25 @@ func (m *DB) GarbageCollect(ctx context.Context) error {
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 		defer cancel()
 
-		nodeC := make(chan gc.Node)
-		var scanErr error
-
+		var (
+			nodes []gc.Node
+			wg    sync.WaitGroup
+			nodeC = make(chan gc.Node)
+		)
+		wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
-			defer close(nodeC)
-			scanErr = scanAll(ctx, tx, nodeC)
+			defer wg.Done()
+			for n := range nodeC {
+				nodes = append(nodes, n)
+			}
 		}()
+		if err := scanAll(ctx, tx, nodeC); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to scan all")
+		}
+		close(nodeC)
+		wg.Wait()
 
-		rm := func(n gc.Node) error {
+		return gc.Sweep(marked, nodes, func(n gc.Node) error {
 			if n.Type == ResourceSnapshot {
 				if idx := strings.IndexRune(n.Key, '/'); idx > 0 {
 					m.dirtySS[n.Key[:idx]] = struct{}{}
@@ -259,17 +237,7 @@ func (m *DB) GarbageCollect(ctx context.Context) error {
 				m.dirtyCS = true
 			}
 			return remove(ctx, tx, n)
-		}
-
-		if err := gc.Sweep(marked, nodeC, rm); err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to sweep")
-		}
-
-		if scanErr != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(scanErr, "failed to scan all")
-		}
-
-		return nil
+		})
 	}); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -293,6 +261,54 @@ func (m *DB) GarbageCollect(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (m *DB) getMarked(ctx context.Context) (map[gc.Node]struct{}, error) {
+	var marked map[gc.Node]struct{}
+	if err := m.db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+		defer cancel()
+
+		var (
+			nodes []gc.Node
+			wg    sync.WaitGroup
+			roots = make(chan gc.Node)
+		)
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			for n := range roots {
+				nodes = append(nodes, n)
+			}
+		}()
+		// Call roots
+		if err := scanRoots(ctx, tx, roots); err != nil {
+			cancel()
+			return err
+		}
+		close(roots)
+		wg.Wait()
+
+		refs := func(n gc.Node) ([]gc.Node, error) {
+			var sn []gc.Node
+			if err := references(ctx, tx, n, func(nn gc.Node) {
+				sn = append(sn, nn)
+			}); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			return sn, nil
+		}
+
+		reachable, err := gc.Tricolor(nodes, refs)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		marked = reachable
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return marked, nil
+}
+
 func (m *DB) cleanupSnapshotter(name string) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	sn, ok := m.ss[name]