diff --git a/src/cchunk.c b/src/cchunk.c
index 4ef4ad6..04db498 100644
--- a/src/cchunk.c
+++ b/src/cchunk.c
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ void initChunk(CState *state, CChunk *chunk, size_t startCapacity)
 void cleanChunk(CState *state, CChunk *chunk)
 {
     // first, free the chunk buffer
-    cosmoM_freearray(state, INSTRUCTION, chunk->buf, chunk->capacity);
+    cosmoM_freeArray(state, INSTRUCTION, chunk->buf, chunk->capacity);
     // then the line info
-    cosmoM_freearray(state, int, chunk->lineInfo, chunk->capacity);
+    cosmoM_freeArray(state, int, chunk->lineInfo, chunk->capacity);
     // free the constants
     cleanValArray(state, &chunk->constants);
 }
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ int addConstant(CState *state, CChunk *chunk, CValue value)
 void writeu8Chunk(CState *state, CChunk *chunk, INSTRUCTION i, int line)
 {
     // does the buffer need to be reallocated?
-    cosmoM_growarray(state, INSTRUCTION, chunk->buf, chunk->count, chunk->capacity);
-    cosmoM_growarray(state, int, chunk->lineInfo, chunk->count, chunk->lineCapacity);
+    cosmoM_growArray(state, INSTRUCTION, chunk->buf, chunk->count, chunk->capacity);
+    cosmoM_growArray(state, int, chunk->lineInfo, chunk->count, chunk->lineCapacity);
 
     // write data to the chunk :)
     chunk->lineInfo[chunk->count] = line;
diff --git a/src/clex.c b/src/clex.c
index 811d48e..e2993df 100644
--- a/src/clex.c
+++ b/src/clex.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static void resetBuffer(CLexState *state)
 // cancels the token heap buffer and frees it
 static void freeBuffer(CLexState *state)
 {
-    cosmoM_freearray(state->cstate, char, state->buffer, state->bufCap);
+    cosmoM_freeArray(state->cstate, char, state->buffer, state->bufCap);
 
     resetBuffer(state);
 }
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ static void freeBuffer(CLexState *state)
 // adds character to buffer
 static void appendBuffer(CLexState *state, char c)
 {
-    cosmoM_growarray(state->cstate, char, state->buffer, state->bufCount, state->bufCap);
+    cosmoM_growArray(state->cstate, char, state->buffer, state->bufCount, state->bufCap);
 
     state->buffer[state->bufCount++] = c;
 }
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ static char *cutBuffer(CLexState *state, int *length)
     resetBuffer(state);
 
     // shrink the buffer to only use what we need
-    return cosmoM_reallocate(state->cstate, buf, cap, count);
+    return cosmoM_reallocate(state->cstate, buf, cap, count, true);
 }
 
 static CToken makeToken(CLexState *state, CTokenType type)
diff --git a/src/cmem.c b/src/cmem.c
index c7a6665..71b8514 100644
--- a/src/cmem.c
+++ b/src/cmem.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include "cvalue.h"
 
 // realloc wrapper
-void *cosmoM_reallocate(CState *state, void *buf, size_t oldSize, size_t newSize)
+void *cosmoM_reallocate(CState *state, void *buf, size_t oldSize, size_t newSize, bool isGC)
 {
     if (buf == NULL)
         oldSize = 0;
@@ -34,18 +34,20 @@ void *cosmoM_reallocate(CState *state, void *buf, size_t oldSize, size_t newSize
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    if (isGC) {
 #ifdef GC_STRESS
-    if (!(cosmoM_isFrozen(state)) && newSize > oldSize) {
-        cosmoM_collectGarbage(state);
-    }
+        if (!(cosmoM_isFrozen(state)) && newSize > oldSize) {
+            cosmoM_collectGarbage(state);
+        }
 #    ifdef GC_DEBUG
-    else {
-        printf("GC event ignored! state frozen! [%d]\n", state->freezeGC);
-    }
+        else {
+            printf("GC event ignored! state frozen! [%d]\n", state->freezeGC);
+        }
 #    endif
 #else
-    cosmoM_checkGarbage(state, 0);
+        cosmoM_checkGarbage(state, 0);
 #endif
+    }
 
     // if NULL is passed, realloc() acts like malloc()
     void *newBuf = realloc(buf, newSize);
@@ -206,8 +208,8 @@ static void markObject(CState *state, CObj *obj)
         return;
 
     // we can use cosmoM_growarray because we lock the GC when we entered in cosmoM_collectGarbage
-    cosmoM_growarray(state, CObj *, state->grayStack.array, state->grayStack.count,
-                     state->grayStack.capacity);
+    cosmoM_growArrayNonGC(state, CObj *, state->grayStack.array, state->grayStack.count,
+                          state->grayStack.capacity);
 
     state->grayStack.array[state->grayStack.count++] = obj;
 }
diff --git a/src/cmem.h b/src/cmem.h
index c00aa30..ba38087 100644
--- a/src/cmem.h
+++ b/src/cmem.h
@@ -12,28 +12,37 @@
 #define ARRAY_START      8
 
 #ifdef GC_DEBUG
-#    define cosmoM_freearray(state, type, buf, capacity)                                           \
+#    define cosmoM_freeArray(state, type, buf, capacity)                                           \
         printf("freeing array %p [size %lu] at %s:%d\n", buf, sizeof(type) * capacity, __FILE__,   \
                __LINE__);                                                                          \
-        cosmoM_reallocate(state, buf, sizeof(type) * capacity, 0)
+        cosmoM_reallocate(state, buf, sizeof(type) * capacity, 0, true)
 #else
-#    define cosmoM_freearray(state, type, buf, capacity)                                           \
-        cosmoM_reallocate(state, buf, sizeof(type) * capacity, 0)
+#    define cosmoM_freeArray(state, type, buf, capacity)                                           \
+        cosmoM_reallocate(state, buf, sizeof(type) * capacity, 0, true)
 #endif
 
-#define cosmoM_growarray(state, type, buf, count, capacity)                                        \
+#define cosmoM_growArray(state, type, buf, count, capacity)                                        \
     if (count >= capacity || buf == NULL) {                                                        \
         int old = capacity;                                                                        \
         capacity = old * GROW_FACTOR;                                                              \
-        buf = (type *)cosmoM_reallocate(state, buf, sizeof(type) * old, sizeof(type) * capacity);  \
+        buf = (type *)cosmoM_reallocate(state, buf, sizeof(type) * old, sizeof(type) * capacity,   \
+                                        true);                                                     \
+    }
+
+#define cosmoM_growArrayNonGC(state, type, buf, count, capacity)                                   \
+    if (count >= capacity || buf == NULL) {                                                        \
+        int old = capacity;                                                                        \
+        capacity = old * GROW_FACTOR;                                                              \
+        buf = (type *)cosmoM_reallocate(state, buf, sizeof(type) * old, sizeof(type) * capacity,   \
+                                        false);                                                    \
     }
 
 #ifdef GC_DEBUG
 #    define cosmoM_free(state, type, x)                                                            \
         printf("freeing %p [size %lu] at %s:%d\n", x, sizeof(type), __FILE__, __LINE__);           \
-        cosmoM_reallocate(state, x, sizeof(type), 0)
+        cosmoM_reallocate(state, x, sizeof(type), 0, true)
 #else
-#    define cosmoM_free(state, type, x) cosmoM_reallocate(state, x, sizeof(type), 0)
+#    define cosmoM_free(state, type, x) cosmoM_reallocate(state, x, sizeof(type), 0, true)
 #endif
 
 #define cosmoM_isFrozen(state) (state->freezeGC > 0)
@@ -60,7 +69,8 @@
 
 #endif
 
-COSMO_API void *cosmoM_reallocate(CState *state, void *buf, size_t oldSize, size_t newSize);
+COSMO_API void *cosmoM_reallocate(CState *state, void *buf, size_t oldSize, size_t newSize,
+                                  bool isGC);
 COSMO_API bool cosmoM_checkGarbage(CState *state,
                                    size_t needed); // returns true if GC event was triggered
 COSMO_API void cosmoM_collectGarbage(CState *state);
@@ -76,10 +86,7 @@ COSMO_API void cosmoM_removeRoot(CState *state, CObj *oldRoot);
 // wrapper for cosmoM_reallocate so we can track our memory usage
 static inline void *cosmoM_xmalloc(CState *state, size_t sz)
 {
-    return cosmoM_reallocate(state, NULL, 0, sz);
+    return cosmoM_reallocate(state, NULL, 0, sz, true);
 }
 
-// #define cosmoM_xmalloc(state, sz) \
-//         (printf("allocating new buffer at %s:%d of size %ld\n", __FILE__, __LINE__, sz), cosmoM_reallocate(state, NULL, 0, sz))
-
 #endif
diff --git a/src/cobj.c b/src/cobj.c
index 6badbdb..81bead8 100644
--- a/src/cobj.c
+++ b/src/cobj.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ void cosmoO_free(CState *state, CObj *obj)
     switch (obj->type) {
     case COBJ_STRING: {
         CObjString *objStr = (CObjString *)obj;
-        cosmoM_freearray(state, char, objStr->str, objStr->length + 1);
+        cosmoM_freeArray(state, char, objStr->str, objStr->length + 1);
         cosmoM_free(state, CObjString, objStr);
         break;
     }
@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@ void cosmoO_free(CState *state, CObj *obj)
     }
     case COBJ_ERROR: {
         CObjError *err = (CObjError *)obj;
-        cosmoM_freearray(state, CCallFrame, err->frames, err->frameCount);
+        cosmoM_freeArray(state, CCallFrame, err->frames, err->frameCount);
         cosmoM_free(state, CObjError, obj);
         break;
     }
     case COBJ_CLOSURE: {
         CObjClosure *closure = (CObjClosure *)obj;
-        cosmoM_freearray(state, CObjUpval *, closure->upvalues, closure->upvalueCount);
+        cosmoM_freeArray(state, CObjUpval *, closure->upvalues, closure->upvalueCount);
         cosmoM_free(state, CObjClosure, closure);
         break;
     }
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ CObjString *cosmoO_takeString(CState *state, char *str, size_t length)
 
     // have we already interned this string?
     if (lookup != NULL) {
-        cosmoM_freearray(state, char, str,
+        cosmoM_freeArray(state, char, str,
                          length + 1); // free our passed character array, it's unneeded!
         return lookup;
     }
diff --git a/src/cparse.c b/src/cparse.c
index 84e4d8b..7bc9cf8 100644
--- a/src/cparse.c
+++ b/src/cparse.c
@@ -64,9 +64,10 @@ typedef struct
     CCompilerState *compiler;
     CObjString *module; // name of the module
     CToken current;
-    CToken previous; // token right after the current token
-    int workingStackCount;  // we push CValues of objects we need onto the stack so the garbage collector can see them.
-                            // this is the count of those values so we'll know how many to pop off when we're done
+    CToken previous;       // token right after the current token
+    int workingStackCount; // we push CValues of objects we need onto the stack so the garbage
+                           // collector can see them. this is the count of those values so we'll
+                           // know how many to pop off when we're done
 } CParseState;
 
 typedef enum
@@ -1370,7 +1371,7 @@ static void endLoop(CParseState *pstate)
         patchJmp(pstate, pstate->compiler->loop.breaks[--pstate->compiler->loop.breakCount]);
     }
 
-    cosmoM_freearray(pstate->state, int, pstate->compiler->loop.breaks,
+    cosmoM_freeArray(pstate->state, int, pstate->compiler->loop.breaks,
                      pstate->compiler->loop.breakCapacity);
 }
 
@@ -1659,7 +1660,7 @@ static void breakStatement(CParseState *pstate)
     pstate->compiler->localCount = savedLocals;
 
     // add break to loop
-    cosmoM_growarray(pstate->state, int, pstate->compiler->loop.breaks,
+    cosmoM_growArray(pstate->state, int, pstate->compiler->loop.breaks,
                      pstate->compiler->loop.breakCount, pstate->compiler->loop.breakCapacity);
     pstate->compiler->loop.breaks[pstate->compiler->loop.breakCount++] = writeJmp(pstate, OP_JMP);
 }
diff --git a/src/cstate.c b/src/cstate.c
index 6233366..3ed618f 100644
--- a/src/cstate.c
+++ b/src/cstate.c
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ void cosmoV_freeState(CState *state)
     cosmoT_clearTable(state, &state->strings);
 
     // free our gray stack & finally free the state structure
-    cosmoM_freearray(state, CObj *, state->grayStack.array, state->grayStack.capacity);
+    cosmoM_freeArray(state, CObj *, state->grayStack.array, state->grayStack.capacity);
 
 #ifdef GC_DEBUG
     if (state->allocatedBytes != 0) {
diff --git a/src/cstate.h b/src/cstate.h
index df79a86..f895957 100644
--- a/src/cstate.h
+++ b/src/cstate.h
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ struct CState
     int frameCount;
     CPanic *panic;
 
-    CObj *objects;    // tracks all of our allocated objects
-    CObj *userRoots;  // user definable roots, this holds CObjs that should be considered "roots",
-                      // lets the VM know you are holding a reference to a CObj in your code
+    CObj *objects;   // tracks all of our allocated objects
+    CObj *userRoots; // user definable roots, this holds CObjs that should be considered "roots",
+                     // lets the VM know you are holding a reference to a CObj in your code
     ArrayCObj grayStack; // keeps track of which objects *haven't yet* been traversed in our GC, but
                          // *have been* found
     size_t allocatedBytes;
diff --git a/src/ctable.c b/src/ctable.c
index 8c9a0ff..46a3e6b 100644
--- a/src/ctable.c
+++ b/src/ctable.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void cosmoT_addTable(CState *state, CTable *from, CTable *to)
 
 void cosmoT_clearTable(CState *state, CTable *tbl)
 {
-    cosmoM_freearray(state, CTableEntry, tbl->table, cosmoT_getCapacity(tbl));
+    cosmoM_freeArray(state, CTableEntry, tbl->table, cosmoT_getCapacity(tbl));
 }
 
 static uint32_t getObjectHash(CObj *obj)
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ static void resizeTbl(CState *state, CTable *tbl, int newCapacity, bool canShrin
     }
 
     // free the old table
-    cosmoM_freearray(state, CTableEntry, tbl->table, oldCap);
+    cosmoM_freeArray(state, CTableEntry, tbl->table, oldCap);
 
     tbl->table = entries;
     tbl->capacityMask = newCapacity - 1;
diff --git a/src/cvalue.c b/src/cvalue.c
index 52052cc..245436c 100644
--- a/src/cvalue.c
+++ b/src/cvalue.c
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ void initValArray(CState *state, CValueArray *val, size_t startCapacity)
 
 void cleanValArray(CState *state, CValueArray *array)
 {
-    cosmoM_freearray(state, CValue, array->values, array->capacity);
+    cosmoM_freeArray(state, CValue, array->values, array->capacity);
 }
 
 void appendValArray(CState *state, CValueArray *array, CValue val)
 {
-    cosmoM_growarray(state, CValue, array->values, array->count, array->capacity);
+    cosmoM_growArray(state, CValue, array->values, array->count, array->capacity);
 
     array->values[array->count++] = val;
 }