diff --git a/gc.c b/gc.c
index 5ce440670c..1dadd38985 100644
--- a/gc.c
+++ b/gc.c
@@ -11267,6 +11267,7 @@ gc_set_initial_pages(void)
 void
 ruby_gc_set_params(void)
 {
+    rb_objspace_t *objspace = &rb_objspace;
     /* RUBY_GC_HEAP_FREE_SLOTS */
     if (get_envparam_size("RUBY_GC_HEAP_FREE_SLOTS", &gc_params.heap_free_slots, 0)) {
 	/* ok */
@@ -11287,7 +11288,9 @@ ruby_gc_set_params(void)
 			gc_params.heap_free_slots_min_ratio, gc_params.heap_free_slots_max_ratio, TRUE);
     get_envparam_double("RUBY_GC_HEAP_OLDOBJECT_LIMIT_FACTOR", &gc_params.oldobject_limit_factor, 0.0, 0.0, TRUE);
 
-    get_envparam_size  ("RUBY_GC_MALLOC_LIMIT", &gc_params.malloc_limit_min, 0);
+    if (get_envparam_size("RUBY_GC_MALLOC_LIMIT", &gc_params.malloc_limit_min, 0)) {
+	malloc_limit = gc_params.malloc_limit_min;
+    }
     get_envparam_size  ("RUBY_GC_MALLOC_LIMIT_MAX", &gc_params.malloc_limit_max, 0);
     if (!gc_params.malloc_limit_max) { /* ignore max-check if 0 */
         gc_params.malloc_limit_max = SIZE_MAX;
@@ -11296,7 +11299,6 @@ ruby_gc_set_params(void)
 
 #if RGENGC_ESTIMATE_OLDMALLOC
     if (get_envparam_size("RUBY_GC_OLDMALLOC_LIMIT", &gc_params.oldmalloc_limit_min, 0)) {
-	rb_objspace_t *objspace = &rb_objspace;
 	objspace->rgengc.oldmalloc_increase_limit = gc_params.oldmalloc_limit_min;
     }
     get_envparam_size  ("RUBY_GC_OLDMALLOC_LIMIT_MAX", &gc_params.oldmalloc_limit_max, 0);