diff --git a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/place-channel-limits.rkt b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/place-channel-limits.rkt
index 7bbe38e714..4c87d94c8f 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/place-channel-limits.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/place-channel-limits.rkt
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@
 ;;  * allocating shared arrays, and 
 ;;  * putting messages into an channel with no receiver
 
-(define (check shared?)
+(define (check mode)
   (for ([i 20])
     (printf "iter ~a\n" i)
+    (collect-garbage)
     (let ([c (make-custodian)])
       (custodian-limit-memory c (* 1024 1024 10) c)
       (parameterize ([current-custodian c])
@@ -15,10 +16,21 @@
          (thread
           (lambda ()
             (define-values (a b) (place-channel))
-            (for/fold ([v 0]) ([i (in-range 999999999)]) 
-              (if shared?
-                  (cons (make-shared-bytes 1024) v)
-                  (place-channel-put b (list 1 2 3 4)))))))))))
+            (list
+             (for/fold ([v 0]) ([i (in-range 999999999)])
+               (case mode
+                 [(bytes)
+                  ;; Not really about places or channels, but worth checking, too
+                  (cons (make-bytes 1024) v)]
+                 [(shared-bytes)
+                  (cons (make-shared-bytes 1024) v)]
+                 [(messages)
+                  (place-channel-put b (list 1 2 3 4 (make-vector 500)))]))
+             (log-error "shouldn't get done")
+             ;; Remember `a`, just in case the runtime system is smart
+             ;; enough to discard messages that have no destination
+             a))))))))
 
-(check #t)
-(check #t)
+(check 'bytes)
+(check 'shared-bytes)
+(check 'messages)
diff --git a/racket/src/racket/src/thread.c b/racket/src/racket/src/thread.c
index c605116bcb..500e49132c 100644
--- a/racket/src/racket/src/thread.c
+++ b/racket/src/racket/src/thread.c
@@ -2039,6 +2039,8 @@ void scheme_schedule_custodian_close(Scheme_Custodian *c)
 
 static void check_scheduled_kills()
 {
+  int force_gc = 0;
+
   if (scheme_no_stack_overflow) {
     /* don't shutdown something that may be in an atomic callback */
     return;
@@ -2049,6 +2051,16 @@ static void check_scheduled_kills()
     k = SCHEME_CAR(scheduled_kills);
     scheduled_kills = SCHEME_CDR(scheduled_kills);
     do_close_managed((Scheme_Custodian *)k);
+    force_gc = 1;
+  }
+
+  if (force_gc) {
+    /* A shutdown in response to a memory limit merits another major
+       GC to clean up and reset the expected heap size. Otherwise, if
+       another limit is put in place, it will be checked (on a major
+       GC) even later, which will set the major-GC trigger even
+       higher, and so on. */
+    scheme_collect_garbage();
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/racket/src/thread/custodian.rkt b/racket/src/thread/custodian.rkt
index ed31f76af5..ed68a49f3e 100644
--- a/racket/src/thread/custodian.rkt
+++ b/racket/src/thread/custodian.rkt
@@ -256,6 +256,12 @@
      (for ([c (in-list queued)]
            #:when (custodian-this-place? c))
        (do-custodian-shutdown-all c))
+     ;; A shutdown in response to a memory limit merits another
+     ;; major GC to clean up and reset the expected heap size.
+     ;; Otherwise, if another limit is put in place, it will be
+     ;; checked (on a major GC) even later, which will set the
+     ;; major-GC trigger even higher, and so on.
+     (collect-garbage)
      #t]))
 
 (define place-ensure-wakeup! (lambda () #f)) ; call before enabling shutdowns