diff --git a/Robust.Client/GameController/GameController.cs b/Robust.Client/GameController/GameController.cs
index 20ec6bd67..5e17d9313 100644
--- a/Robust.Client/GameController/GameController.cs
+++ b/Robust.Client/GameController/GameController.cs
@@ -160,8 +160,11 @@ namespace Robust.Client
 
             _authManager.LoadFromEnv();
 
-            GCSettings.LargeObjectHeapCompactionMode = GCLargeObjectHeapCompactionMode.CompactOnce;
-            GC.Collect();
+            if (_configurationManager.GetCVar(CVars.SysGCCollectStart))
+            {
+                GCSettings.LargeObjectHeapCompactionMode = GCLargeObjectHeapCompactionMode.CompactOnce;
+                GC.Collect();
+            }
 
             // Setup main loop
             if (_mainLoop == null)
diff --git a/Robust.Server/BaseServer.cs b/Robust.Server/BaseServer.cs
index 145914933..6269c8161 100644
--- a/Robust.Server/BaseServer.cs
+++ b/Robust.Server/BaseServer.cs
@@ -377,7 +377,10 @@ namespace Robust.Server
                 WindowsTickPeriod.TimeBeginPeriod((uint) _config.GetCVar(CVars.SysWinTickPeriod));
             }
 
-            GC.Collect();
+            if (_config.GetCVar(CVars.SysGCCollectStart))
+            {
+                GC.Collect();
+            }
 
             ProgramShared.RunExecCommands(_consoleHost, _commandLineArgs?.ExecCommands);
 
diff --git a/Robust.Shared/CVars.cs b/Robust.Shared/CVars.cs
index 195401311..a42dca4e4 100644
--- a/Robust.Shared/CVars.cs
+++ b/Robust.Shared/CVars.cs
@@ -317,6 +317,12 @@ namespace Robust.Shared
         public static readonly CVarDef<int> SysGameThreadPriority =
             CVarDef.Create("sys.game_thread_priority", (int) ThreadPriority.AboveNormal);
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Whether to run a <see cref="GC.Collect()"/> operation after the engine is finished initializing.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static readonly CVarDef<bool> SysGCCollectStart =
+            CVarDef.Create("sys.gc_collect_start", true);
+
         /*
          * METRICS
          */
diff --git a/Robust.UnitTesting/RobustIntegrationTest.cs b/Robust.UnitTesting/RobustIntegrationTest.cs
index 5f0e87c6d..fa47c5137 100644
--- a/Robust.UnitTesting/RobustIntegrationTest.cs
+++ b/Robust.UnitTesting/RobustIntegrationTest.cs
@@ -650,6 +650,7 @@ namespace Robust.UnitTesting
                 {
                     ("log.runtimelog", "false"),
                     (CVars.SysWinTickPeriod.Name, "-1"),
+                    (CVars.SysGCCollectStart.Name, "false"),
                     (RTCVars.FailureLogLevel.Name, (Options?.FailureLogLevel ?? RTCVars.FailureLogLevel.DefaultValue).ToString())
                 });
 
@@ -817,6 +818,8 @@ namespace Robust.UnitTesting
                     // Avoid preloading textures.
                     (CVars.ResTexturePreloadingEnabled.Name, "false"),
 
+                    (CVars.SysGCCollectStart.Name, "false"),
+
                     (RTCVars.FailureLogLevel.Name, (Options?.FailureLogLevel ?? RTCVars.FailureLogLevel.DefaultValue).ToString())
                 });