diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/BoundaryCallbackMessages.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/BoundaryCallbackMessages.java
index 9935026245..9b4050de98 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/BoundaryCallbackMessages.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/BoundaryCallbackMessages.java
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ public class BoundaryCallbackMessages extends PagedList.BoundaryCallback<TupleMe
                     return;
                 }
 
-                Runtime.getRuntime().gc();
+                Helper.gc();
 
                 int free = Log.getFreeMemMb();
                 Map<String, String> crumb = new HashMap<>();
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ public class BoundaryCallbackMessages extends PagedList.BoundaryCallback<TupleMe
                             }
                         });
                 } finally {
-                    Runtime.getRuntime().gc();
+                    Helper.gc();
 
                     crumb.put("free", Integer.toString(Log.getFreeMemMb()));
                     Log.breadcrumb("Boundary done", crumb);
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@ public class BoundaryCallbackMessages extends PagedList.BoundaryCallback<TupleMe
             ifolder = null;
             imessages = null;
 
-            Runtime.getRuntime().gc();
+            Helper.gc();
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Core.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Core.java
index cd6edc33ee..2e5633372f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Core.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Core.java
@@ -326,9 +326,9 @@ class Core {
                                     break;
 
                                 case EntityOperation.SYNC:
-                                    Runtime.getRuntime().gc();
+                                    Helper.gc();
                                     onSynchronizeMessages(context, jargs, account, folder, (POP3Folder) ifolder, (POP3Store) istore, state);
-                                    Runtime.getRuntime().gc();
+                                    Helper.gc();
                                     break;
 
                                 case EntityOperation.PURGE:
@@ -406,9 +406,9 @@ class Core {
                                     break;
 
                                 case EntityOperation.SYNC:
-                                    Runtime.getRuntime().gc();
+                                    Helper.gc();
                                     onSynchronizeMessages(context, jargs, account, folder, (IMAPStore) istore, (IMAPFolder) ifolder, state);
-                                    Runtime.getRuntime().gc();
+                                    Helper.gc();
                                     break;
 
                                 case EntityOperation.SUBSCRIBE:
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsMisc.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsMisc.java
index ac5738caad..36855508fd 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsMisc.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsMisc.java
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ public class FragmentOptionsMisc extends FragmentBase implements SharedPreferenc
         btnGC.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
             @Override
             public void onClick(View v) {
-                Runtime.getRuntime().gc();
+                Helper.gc();
             }
         });
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Helper.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Helper.java
index fc4e6ed687..597134dac4 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Helper.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/Helper.java
@@ -1667,6 +1667,15 @@ public class Helper {
 
     // Miscellaneous
 
+    static void gc() {
+        Runtime.getRuntime().gc();
+        try {
+            Thread.sleep(50);
+        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+        }
+    }
+
     static <T> List<List<T>> chunkList(List<T> list, int size) {
         List<List<T>> result = new ArrayList<>(list.size() / size);
         for (int i = 0; i < list.size(); i += size)