diff --git a/vlib/builtin/builtin.c.v b/vlib/builtin/builtin.c.v
index 1864cb61cd..10f676446e 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/builtin.c.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/builtin.c.v
@@ -388,6 +388,49 @@ pub fn malloc_noscan(n isize) &u8 {
 	return res
 }
 
+// malloc_uncollectable dynamically allocates a `n` bytes block of memory
+// on the heap, which will NOT be garbage-collected (but its contents will).
+[unsafe]
+pub fn malloc_uncollectable(n isize) &u8 {
+	if n <= 0 {
+		panic('malloc_uncollectable($n <= 0)')
+	}
+	$if vplayground ? {
+		if n > 10000 {
+			panic('allocating more than 10 KB at once is not allowed in the V playground')
+		}
+		if total_m > 50 * 1024 * 1024 {
+			panic('allocating more than 50 MB is not allowed in the V playground')
+		}
+	}
+	$if trace_malloc ? {
+		total_m += n
+		C.fprintf(C.stderr, c'malloc_uncollectable %6d total %10d\n', n, total_m)
+		// print_backtrace()
+	}
+	mut res := &u8(0)
+	$if prealloc {
+		return unsafe { prealloc_malloc(n) }
+	} $else $if gcboehm ? {
+		unsafe {
+			res = C.GC_MALLOC_UNCOLLECTABLE(n)
+		}
+	} $else $if freestanding {
+		res = unsafe { __malloc(usize(n)) }
+	} $else {
+		res = unsafe { C.malloc(n) }
+	}
+	if res == 0 {
+		panic('malloc_uncollectable($n) failed')
+	}
+	$if debug_malloc ? {
+		// Fill in the memory with something != 0 i.e. `M`, so it is easier to spot
+		// when the calling code wrongly relies on it being zeroed.
+		unsafe { C.memset(res, 0x4D, n) }
+	}
+	return res
+}
+
 // v_realloc resizes the memory block `b` with `n` bytes.
 // The `b byteptr` must be a pointer to an existing memory block
 // previously allocated with `malloc`, `v_calloc` or `vcalloc`.
@@ -555,6 +598,21 @@ pub fn memdup_noscan(src voidptr, sz int) voidptr {
 	}
 }
 
+// memdup_uncollectable dynamically allocates a `sz` bytes block of memory
+// on the heap, which will NOT be garbage-collected (but its contents will).
+// memdup_uncollectable then copies the contents of `src` into the allocated
+// space and returns a pointer to the newly allocated space.
+[unsafe]
+pub fn memdup_uncollectable(src voidptr, sz int) voidptr {
+	if sz == 0 {
+		return vcalloc(1)
+	}
+	unsafe {
+		mem := malloc_uncollectable(sz)
+		return C.memcpy(mem, src, sz)
+	}
+}
+
 [inline]
 fn v_fixed_index(i int, len int) int {
 	$if !no_bounds_checking ? {
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
index 81bace58d2..0502aab411 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
@@ -3393,7 +3393,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) selector_expr(node ast.SelectorExpr) {
 
 			g.write('__closure_create($name, ')
 			if !receiver.typ.is_ptr() {
-				g.write('memdup(')
+				g.write('memdup_uncollectable(')
 			}
 			if !node.expr_type.is_ptr() {
 				g.write('&')
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/cmain.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/cmain.v
index 25432022f5..8ca3cb27c8 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/cmain.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/cmain.v
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_c_main_header() {
 		if g.pref.gc_mode == .boehm_leak {
 			g.writeln('\tGC_set_find_leak(1);')
 		}
+		g.writeln('\tGC_set_pages_executable(0);')
 		g.writeln('\tGC_INIT();')
 		if g.pref.gc_mode in [.boehm_incr, .boehm_incr_opt] {
 			g.writeln('\tGC_enable_incremental();')
@@ -211,6 +212,7 @@ pub fn (mut g Gen) gen_c_main_for_tests() {
 		if g.pref.gc_mode == .boehm_leak {
 			g.writeln('\tGC_set_find_leak(1);')
 		}
+		g.writeln('\tGC_set_pages_executable(0);')
 		g.writeln('\tGC_INIT();')
 		if g.pref.gc_mode in [.boehm_incr, .boehm_incr_opt] {
 			g.writeln('\tGC_enable_incremental();')
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/fn.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/fn.v
index 1df58817b5..2f8c157262 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/fn.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/fn.v
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_anon_fn(mut node ast.AnonFn) {
 	ctx_struct := closure_ctx(node.decl)
 	// it may be possible to optimize `memdup` out if the closure never leaves current scope
 	// TODO in case of an assignment, this should only call "__closure_set_data" and "__closure_set_function" (and free the former data)
-	g.write('__closure_create($node.decl.name, ($ctx_struct*) memdup(&($ctx_struct){')
+	g.write('__closure_create($node.decl.name, ($ctx_struct*) memdup_uncollectable(&($ctx_struct){')
 	g.indent++
 	for var in node.inherited_vars {
 		g.writeln('.$var.name = $var.name,')
diff --git a/vlib/v/markused/markused.v b/vlib/v/markused/markused.v
index 2329590854..02cfa15fcc 100644
--- a/vlib/v/markused/markused.v
+++ b/vlib/v/markused/markused.v
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ pub fn mark_used(mut table ast.Table, pref &pref.Preferences, ast_files []&ast.F
 		'new_array_from_c_array',
 		'v_fixed_index',
 		'memdup',
+		'memdup_uncollectable',
 		'vstrlen',
 		'__as_cast',
 		'tos',
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/closure_data_with_gc_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/closure_data_with_gc_test.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b310c5d8c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/closure_data_with_gc_test.v
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+fn create_closure() fn () int {
+	x := 1234
+	c := fn [x] () int {
+		println(' >> x = $x')
+		return x
+	}
+	return c
+}
+
+fn test_closure_data_is_kept_alive() {
+	c := create_closure()
+	assert c() == 1234
+	$if gcboehm ? {
+		C.GC_gcollect()
+	}
+	for _ in 0 .. 1000 {
+		unsafe {
+			p := malloc(8)
+			C.memset(p, 0x33, 8)
+		}
+	}
+	$if gcboehm ? {
+		C.GC_gcollect()
+	}
+	assert c() == 1234
+}