diff --git a/library/alloc/src/bdwgc.rs b/library/alloc/src/bdwgc.rs
index c0253731f4bff..24584a8e86c0d 100644
--- a/library/alloc/src/bdwgc.rs
+++ b/library/alloc/src/bdwgc.rs
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ use crate::alloc::{AllocError, Allocator, GlobalAlloc, Layout};
 pub fn init(finalizer_thread: extern "C" fn()) {
     unsafe {
         api::GC_set_finalize_on_demand(1);
+        api::GC_set_warn_proc(Some(api::GC_ignore_warn_proc));
         api::GC_set_finalizer_notifier(Some(finalizer_thread));
-        #[cfg(feature = "gc-disable")]
         api::GC_disable();
         metrics::init();
         // The final initialization must come last.
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ unsafe impl GlobalAlloc for GcAllocator {
 }
 
 #[inline]
-unsafe fn gc_malloc(layout: Layout) -> *mut u8 {
+pub unsafe fn gc_malloc(layout: Layout) -> *mut u8 {
     if layout.align() <= MIN_ALIGN && layout.align() <= layout.size() {
         unsafe { api::GC_malloc(layout.size()) as *mut u8 }
     } else {
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ unsafe fn gc_malloc(layout: Layout) -> *mut u8 {
 }
 
 #[inline]
-unsafe fn gc_realloc(ptr: *mut u8, old_layout: Layout, new_size: usize) -> *mut u8 {
+pub unsafe fn gc_realloc(ptr: *mut u8, old_layout: Layout, new_size: usize) -> *mut u8 {
     if old_layout.align() <= MIN_ALIGN && old_layout.align() <= new_size {
         unsafe { api::GC_realloc(ptr as *mut c_void, new_size) as *mut u8 }
     } else {
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ unsafe fn gc_realloc(ptr: *mut u8, old_layout: Layout, new_size: usize) -> *mut
 }
 
 #[inline]
-unsafe fn gc_free(ptr: *mut u8, _: Layout) {
+pub unsafe fn gc_free(ptr: *mut u8, _: Layout) {
     unsafe {
         api::GC_free(ptr as *mut c_void);
     }
@@ -130,12 +130,15 @@ pub mod metrics {
     }
 
     #[cfg(feature = "gc-metrics")]
-    mod active {
+    pub mod active {
+        #![allow(dead_code)]
         use core::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering};
 
         use super::{Metric, MetricsImpl};
+        use crate::bdwgc::api;
 
-        pub(super) struct Metrics {
+        #[derive(Debug)]
+        pub struct Metrics {
             finalizers_registered: AtomicU64,
             finalizers_elidable: AtomicU64,
             finalizers_completed: AtomicU64,
@@ -161,8 +164,9 @@ pub mod metrics {
             }
         }
 
-        pub extern "C" fn record_post_collection(event: crate::GC_EventType) {
-            if event == crate::GC_EventType_GC_EVENT_END {
+        #[no_mangle]
+        pub extern "C" fn record_post_collection(event: api::GC_EventType) {
+            if event == api::GC_EventType_GC_EVENT_END {
                 super::METRICS.capture(false);
             }
         }
@@ -170,8 +174,8 @@ pub mod metrics {
         impl MetricsImpl for Metrics {
             fn init(&self) {
                 unsafe {
-                    crate::GC_enable_benchmark_stats();
-                    crate::GC_set_on_collection_event(Some(record_post_collection));
+                    api::GC_enable_benchmark_stats();
+                    api::GC_set_on_collection_event(Some(record_post_collection));
                 }
             }
 
@@ -207,7 +211,7 @@ pub mod metrics {
                 // Must preserve this ordering as it's hardcoded inside BDWGC.
                 // See src/bdwgc/misc.c:2812
                 unsafe {
-                    crate::GC_log_metrics(
+                    api::GC_log_metrics(
                         self.finalizers_completed.load(Ordering::Relaxed),
                         self.finalizers_registered.load(Ordering::Relaxed),
                         self.allocated_gc.load(Ordering::Relaxed),
diff --git a/library/std/Cargo.toml b/library/std/Cargo.toml
index c4f8e1f8a2a41..c42f033d0d757 100644
--- a/library/std/Cargo.toml
+++ b/library/std/Cargo.toml
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ premature-finalizer-prevention = []
 premature-finalizer-prevention-optimize = []
 finalizer-elision = []
 gc-disable = ["alloc/gc-disable"]
+gc-default-allocator = []
 
 # Make panics and failed asserts immediately abort without formatting any message
 panic_immediate_abort = [
diff --git a/library/std/src/gc.rs b/library/std/src/gc.rs
index f8b6c7b29fabf..a61997051e777 100644
--- a/library/std/src/gc.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/gc.rs
@@ -427,6 +427,10 @@ impl<T> Gc<T> {
     #[inline(always)]
     #[cfg(not(no_global_oom_handling))]
     unsafe fn new_internal(value: T) -> Self {
+        if !is_enabled() {
+            enable();
+        }
+
         #[cfg(not(bootstrap))]
         {
             #[cfg(feature = "finalizer-elision")]
diff --git a/library/std/src/sys/alloc/unix.rs b/library/std/src/sys/alloc/unix.rs
index 1af9d76629014..156b6895c61c1 100644
--- a/library/std/src/sys/alloc/unix.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/sys/alloc/unix.rs
@@ -1,63 +1,92 @@
-use super::{MIN_ALIGN, realloc_fallback};
 use crate::alloc::{GlobalAlloc, Layout, System};
+#[cfg(not(feature = "gc-default-allocator"))]
 use crate::ptr;
 
 #[stable(feature = "alloc_system_type", since = "1.28.0")]
 unsafe impl GlobalAlloc for System {
     #[inline]
     unsafe fn alloc(&self, layout: Layout) -> *mut u8 {
-        // jemalloc provides alignment less than MIN_ALIGN for small allocations.
-        // So only rely on MIN_ALIGN if size >= align.
-        // Also see <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/45955> and
-        // <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/62251#issuecomment-507580914>.
-        if layout.align() <= MIN_ALIGN && layout.align() <= layout.size() {
-            unsafe { libc::malloc(layout.size()) as *mut u8 }
-        } else {
-            // `posix_memalign` returns a non-aligned value if supplied a very
-            // large alignment on older versions of Apple's platforms (unknown
-            // exactly which version range, but the issue is definitely
-            // present in macOS 10.14 and iOS 13.3).
-            //
-            // <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/30170>
-            #[cfg(target_vendor = "apple")]
-            {
-                if layout.align() > (1 << 31) {
-                    return ptr::null_mut();
+        #[cfg(feature = "gc-default-allocator")]
+        unsafe {
+            alloc::bdwgc::gc_malloc(layout)
+        }
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "gc-default-allocator"))]
+        {
+            // jemalloc provides alignment less than MIN_ALIGN for small allocations.
+            // So only rely on MIN_ALIGN if size >= align.
+            // Also see <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/45955> and
+            // <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/62251#issuecomment-507580914>.
+            if layout.align() <= super::MIN_ALIGN && layout.align() <= layout.size() {
+                unsafe { libc::malloc(layout.size()) as *mut u8 }
+            } else {
+                // `posix_memalign` returns a non-aligned value if supplied a very
+                // large alignment on older versions of Apple's platforms (unknown
+                // exactly which version range, but the issue is definitely
+                // present in macOS 10.14 and iOS 13.3).
+                //
+                // <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/30170>
+                #[cfg(target_vendor = "apple")]
+                {
+                    if layout.align() > (1 << 31) {
+                        return ptr::null_mut();
+                    }
                 }
+                unsafe { aligned_malloc(&layout) }
             }
-            unsafe { aligned_malloc(&layout) }
         }
     }
 
     #[inline]
     unsafe fn alloc_zeroed(&self, layout: Layout) -> *mut u8 {
-        // See the comment above in `alloc` for why this check looks the way it does.
-        if layout.align() <= MIN_ALIGN && layout.align() <= layout.size() {
-            unsafe { libc::calloc(layout.size(), 1) as *mut u8 }
-        } else {
-            let ptr = unsafe { self.alloc(layout) };
-            if !ptr.is_null() {
-                unsafe { ptr::write_bytes(ptr, 0, layout.size()) };
+        #[cfg(feature = "gc-default-allocator")]
+        unsafe {
+            alloc::bdwgc::gc_malloc(layout)
+        }
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "gc-default-allocator"))]
+        {
+            // See the comment above in `alloc` for why this check looks the way it does.
+            if layout.align() <= super::MIN_ALIGN && layout.align() <= layout.size() {
+                unsafe { libc::calloc(layout.size(), 1) as *mut u8 }
+            } else {
+                let ptr = unsafe { self.alloc(layout) };
+                if !ptr.is_null() {
+                    unsafe { ptr::write_bytes(ptr, 0, layout.size()) };
+                }
+                ptr
             }
-            ptr
         }
     }
 
     #[inline]
     unsafe fn dealloc(&self, ptr: *mut u8, _layout: Layout) {
-        unsafe { libc::free(ptr as *mut libc::c_void) }
+        #[cfg(feature = "gc-default-allocator")]
+        unsafe {
+            alloc::bdwgc::gc_free(ptr, _layout)
+        }
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "gc-default-allocator"))]
+        unsafe {
+            libc::free(ptr as *mut libc::c_void)
+        }
     }
 
     #[inline]
     unsafe fn realloc(&self, ptr: *mut u8, layout: Layout, new_size: usize) -> *mut u8 {
-        if layout.align() <= MIN_ALIGN && layout.align() <= new_size {
-            unsafe { libc::realloc(ptr as *mut libc::c_void, new_size) as *mut u8 }
-        } else {
-            unsafe { realloc_fallback(self, ptr, layout, new_size) }
+        #[cfg(feature = "gc-default-allocator")]
+        unsafe {
+            alloc::bdwgc::gc_realloc(ptr, layout, new_size)
+        }
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "gc-default-allocator"))]
+        {
+            if layout.align() <= super::MIN_ALIGN && layout.align() <= new_size {
+                unsafe { libc::realloc(ptr as *mut libc::c_void, new_size) as *mut u8 }
+            } else {
+                unsafe { super::realloc_fallback(self, ptr, layout, new_size) }
+            }
         }
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(not(feature = "gc-default-allocator"))]
 cfg_if::cfg_if! {
     // We use posix_memalign wherever possible, but some targets have very incomplete POSIX coverage
     // so we need a fallback for those.
diff --git a/library/sysroot/Cargo.toml b/library/sysroot/Cargo.toml
index eede7e1bbd4a2..8be6dcb42c7a9 100644
--- a/library/sysroot/Cargo.toml
+++ b/library/sysroot/Cargo.toml
@@ -39,3 +39,4 @@ premature-finalizer-prevention = ["std/premature-finalizer-prevention"]
 premature-finalizer-prevention-optimize = ["std/premature-finalizer-prevention-optimize"]
 gc-disable = ["std/gc-disable"]
 gc-metrics = ["std/gc-metrics"]
+gc-default-allocator = ["std/gc-default-allocator"]
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/dist.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/dist.rs
index e0ad6856dc72c..08d55684002ad 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/dist.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/dist.rs
@@ -378,7 +378,9 @@ impl Step for Rustc {
         let compiler = self.compiler;
         let host = self.compiler.host;
 
-        let tarball = Tarball::new(builder, "rustc", &host.triple);
+        let mut tarball = Tarball::new(builder, "rustc", &host.triple);
+
+        tarball.permit_symlinks(true);
 
         // Prepare the rustc "image", what will actually end up getting installed
         prepare_image(builder, compiler, tarball.image_dir());
@@ -678,6 +680,7 @@ impl Step for Std {
 
         let mut tarball = Tarball::new(builder, "rust-std", &target.triple);
         tarball.include_target_in_component_name(true);
+        tarball.permit_symlinks(true);
 
         let compiler_to_use = builder.compiler_for(compiler.stage, compiler.host, target);
         let stamp = build_stamp::libstd_stamp(builder, compiler_to_use, target);
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/core/config/config.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/core/config/config.rs
index 26ace66239fe0..f18e49f897c88 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/core/config/config.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/core/config/config.rs
@@ -354,6 +354,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub gc_assertions: bool,
     pub gc_debug: bool,
     pub gc_disable: bool,
+    pub gc_default_allocator: bool,
 
     // misc
     pub low_priority: bool,
@@ -1240,6 +1241,7 @@ define_config! {
         gc_assertions: Option<bool> = "gc-assertions",
         gc_debug: Option<bool> = "gc-debug",
         gc_disable: Option<bool> = "gc-disable",
+        gc_default_allocator: Option<bool> = "gc-default-allocator",
     }
 }
 
@@ -1331,6 +1333,7 @@ impl Config {
             gc_assertions: false,
             gc_debug: false,
             gc_disable: false,
+            gc_default_allocator: true,
 
             ..Default::default()
         }
@@ -2067,6 +2070,7 @@ impl Config {
                 gc_assertions,
                 gc_debug,
                 gc_disable,
+                gc_default_allocator,
             } = alloy;
 
             set(&mut config.gc_metrics, gc_metrics);
@@ -2080,6 +2084,7 @@ impl Config {
             set(&mut config.gc_assertions, gc_assertions);
             set(&mut config.gc_debug, gc_debug);
             set(&mut config.gc_disable, gc_disable);
+            set(&mut config.gc_default_allocator, gc_default_allocator);
         }
 
         if let Some(llvm) = toml.llvm {
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
index d33999ec0aec3..f3cbf6a295f82 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
@@ -695,6 +695,9 @@ impl Build {
         if self.config.gc_disable {
             features.insert("gc-disable");
         }
+        if self.config.gc_default_allocator {
+            features.insert("gc-default-allocator");
+        }
         features.into_iter().collect::<Vec<_>>().join(" ")
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/ui/runtime/gc/disable.rs b/tests/ui/runtime/gc/disable.rs
index 5bd33e6b56afd..dccb69411ba0d 100644
--- a/tests/ui/runtime/gc/disable.rs
+++ b/tests/ui/runtime/gc/disable.rs
@@ -4,9 +4,12 @@
 #![allow(unused_variables)]
 #![allow(unused_imports)]
 
-use std::gc::{disable, enable, is_enabled, try_enable};
+use std::gc::{Gc, disable, enable, is_enabled, try_enable};
 
 fn main() {
+    assert!(!is_enabled());
+    // First allocation needed to enable the GC
+    let gc = Gc::new(123);
     assert!(is_enabled());
     disable();
     disable();