diff --git a/py/gc.c b/py/gc.c
index e92b81ece7..0fc43ef495 100644
--- a/py/gc.c
+++ b/py/gc.c
@@ -362,6 +362,13 @@ void gc_collect_end(void) {
     GC_EXIT();
 }
 
+void gc_sweep_all(void) {
+    GC_ENTER();
+    MP_STATE_MEM(gc_lock_depth)++;
+    MP_STATE_MEM(gc_stack_overflow) = 0;
+    gc_collect_end();
+}
+
 void gc_info(gc_info_t *info) {
     GC_ENTER();
     info->total = MP_STATE_MEM(gc_pool_end) - MP_STATE_MEM(gc_pool_start);
diff --git a/py/gc.h b/py/gc.h
index 739349c1f5..73d86e6c31 100644
--- a/py/gc.h
+++ b/py/gc.h
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ void gc_collect_start(void);
 void gc_collect_root(void **ptrs, size_t len);
 void gc_collect_end(void);
 
+// Use this function to sweep the whole heap and run all finalisers
+void gc_sweep_all(void);
+
 void *gc_alloc(size_t n_bytes, bool has_finaliser);
 void gc_free(void *ptr); // does not call finaliser
 size_t gc_nbytes(const void *ptr);