diff --git a/changelog/lazy-gc-init.dd b/changelog/lazy-gc-init.dd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cf33158843
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/lazy-gc-init.dd
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+the garbage collector is now lazily initialized on first use
+
+The runtime now lazily initializes the GC on first use, thus allowing applications that do not use the GC to skip its initialization.
diff --git a/mak/SRCS b/mak/SRCS
index 8a877c9703..d7f74b919d 100644
--- a/mak/SRCS
+++ b/mak/SRCS
@@ -298,6 +298,7 @@ SRCS=\
 	src\gc\proxy.d \
 	src\gc\impl\conservative\gc.d \
 	src\gc\impl\manual\gc.d \
+	src\gc\impl\proto\gc.d \
 	\
 	src\rt\aApply.d \
 	src\rt\aApplyR.d \
diff --git a/src/gc/impl/proto/gc.d b/src/gc/impl/proto/gc.d
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1419e0ce90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gc/impl/proto/gc.d
@@ -0,0 +1,240 @@
+
+module gc.impl.proto.gc;
+
+import gc.config;
+import gc.gcinterface;
+
+import rt.util.container.array;
+
+import cstdlib = core.stdc.stdlib : calloc, free, malloc, realloc;
+static import core.memory;
+
+extern (C) void onOutOfMemoryError(void* pretend_sideffect = null) @trusted pure nothrow @nogc; /* dmd @@@BUG11461@@@ */
+
+private
+{
+    extern (C) void gc_init_nothrow() nothrow @nogc;
+    extern (C) void gc_term();
+
+    extern (C) void gc_enable() nothrow;
+    extern (C) void gc_disable() nothrow;
+
+    extern (C) void*    gc_malloc( size_t sz, uint ba = 0, const TypeInfo = null ) pure nothrow;
+    extern (C) void*    gc_calloc( size_t sz, uint ba = 0, const TypeInfo = null ) pure nothrow;
+    extern (C) BlkInfo gc_qalloc( size_t sz, uint ba = 0, const TypeInfo = null ) pure nothrow;
+    extern (C) void*    gc_realloc( void* p, size_t sz, uint ba = 0, const TypeInfo = null ) pure nothrow;
+    extern (C) size_t   gc_reserve( size_t sz ) nothrow;
+
+    extern (C) void gc_addRange( void* p, size_t sz, const TypeInfo ti = null ) nothrow @nogc;
+    extern (C) void gc_addRoot( void* p ) nothrow @nogc;
+}
+
+class ProtoGC : GC
+{
+    Array!Root roots;
+    Array!Range ranges;
+
+    // Call this function when initializing the real GC
+    // upon ProtoGC term. This function should be called
+    // after the real GC is in place.
+    void term()
+    {
+        // Transfer all ranges
+        foreach (ref r; ranges)
+        {
+            // Range(p, p + sz, cast() ti)
+            gc_addRange(r.pbot, r.ptop - r.pbot, r.ti);
+        }
+
+        // Transfer all roots
+        foreach (ref r; roots)
+        {
+            gc_addRoot(r.proot);
+        }
+    }
+
+    this()
+    {
+    }
+
+    void Dtor()
+    {
+    }
+
+    void enable()
+    {
+        gc_init_nothrow();
+        gc_enable();
+    }
+
+    void disable()
+    {
+        gc_init_nothrow();
+        gc_disable();
+    }
+
+    void collect() nothrow
+    {
+    }
+
+    void collectNoStack() nothrow
+    {
+    }
+
+    void minimize() nothrow
+    {
+    }
+
+    uint getAttr(void* p) nothrow
+    {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    uint setAttr(void* p, uint mask) nothrow
+    {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    uint clrAttr(void* p, uint mask) nothrow
+    {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    void* malloc(size_t size, uint bits, const TypeInfo ti) nothrow
+    {
+        gc_init_nothrow();
+        return gc_malloc(size, bits, ti);
+    }
+
+    BlkInfo qalloc(size_t size, uint bits, const TypeInfo ti) nothrow
+    {
+        gc_init_nothrow();
+        return gc_qalloc(size, bits, ti);
+    }
+
+    void* calloc(size_t size, uint bits, const TypeInfo ti) nothrow
+    {
+        gc_init_nothrow();
+        return gc_calloc(size, bits, ti);
+    }
+
+    void* realloc(void* p, size_t size, uint bits, const TypeInfo ti) nothrow
+    {
+        gc_init_nothrow();
+        return gc_realloc(p, size, bits, ti);
+    }
+
+    size_t extend(void* p, size_t minsize, size_t maxsize, const TypeInfo ti) nothrow
+    {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    size_t reserve(size_t size) nothrow
+    {
+        gc_init_nothrow();
+        return reserve(size);
+    }
+
+    void free(void* p) nothrow @nogc
+    {
+        if (p) assert(false, "Invalid memory deallocation");
+    }
+
+    void* addrOf(void* p) nothrow @nogc
+    {
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    size_t sizeOf(void* p) nothrow @nogc
+    {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    BlkInfo query(void* p) nothrow
+    {
+        return BlkInfo.init;
+    }
+
+    core.memory.GC.Stats stats() nothrow
+    {
+        return typeof(return).init;
+    }
+
+
+    void addRoot(void* p) nothrow @nogc
+    {
+        roots.insertBack(Root(p));
+    }
+
+    void removeRoot(void* p) nothrow @nogc
+    {
+        foreach (ref r; roots)
+        {
+            if (r is p)
+            {
+                r = roots.back;
+                roots.popBack();
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+        assert(false);
+    }
+
+    @property RootIterator rootIter() return @nogc
+    {
+        return &rootsApply;
+    }
+
+    private int rootsApply(scope int delegate(ref Root) nothrow dg)
+    {
+        foreach (ref r; roots)
+        {
+            if (auto result = dg(r))
+                return result;
+        }
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    void addRange(void* p, size_t sz, const TypeInfo ti = null) nothrow @nogc
+    {
+        ranges.insertBack(Range(p, p + sz, cast() ti));
+    }
+
+    void removeRange(void* p) nothrow @nogc
+    {
+        foreach (ref r; ranges)
+        {
+            if (r.pbot is p)
+            {
+                r = ranges.back;
+                ranges.popBack();
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+        assert(false);
+    }
+
+    @property RangeIterator rangeIter() return @nogc
+    {
+        return &rangesApply;
+    }
+
+    private int rangesApply(scope int delegate(ref Range) nothrow dg)
+    {
+        foreach (ref r; ranges)
+        {
+            if (auto result = dg(r))
+                return result;
+        }
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    void runFinalizers(in void[] segment) nothrow
+    {
+    }
+
+    bool inFinalizer() nothrow
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/gc/proxy.d b/src/gc/proxy.d
index 68877e1489..2469b666e7 100644
--- a/src/gc/proxy.d
+++ b/src/gc/proxy.d
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ module gc.proxy;
 
 import gc.impl.conservative.gc;
 import gc.impl.manual.gc;
+import gc.impl.proto.gc;
 import gc.config;
 import gc.gcinterface;
 
@@ -25,28 +26,55 @@ private
     static import core.memory;
     alias BlkInfo = core.memory.GC.BlkInfo;
 
-    __gshared GC instance;
-    __gshared GC proxiedGC; // used to iterate roots of Windows DLLs
+    import core.internal.spinlock;
+    static SpinLock instanceLock;
 
+    __gshared bool isInstanceInit = false;
+    __gshared GC instance = new ProtoGC();
+    __gshared GC proxiedGC; // used to iterate roots of Windows DLLs
 }
 
-
 extern (C)
 {
-
     void gc_init()
     {
-        config.initialize();
-        ManualGC.initialize(instance);
-        ConservativeGC.initialize(instance);
-        if (instance is null)
+        instanceLock.lock();
+        if (!isInstanceInit)
         {
-            import core.stdc.stdio : fprintf, stderr;
-            import core.stdc.stdlib : exit;
+            auto protoInstance = instance;
+            config.initialize();
+            ManualGC.initialize(instance);
+            ConservativeGC.initialize(instance);
+
+            if (instance is protoInstance)
+            {
+                import core.stdc.stdio : fprintf, stderr;
+                import core.stdc.stdlib : exit;
+
+                fprintf(stderr, "No GC was initialized, please recheck the name of the selected GC ('%.*s').\n", cast(int)config.gc.length, config.gc.ptr);
+                instanceLock.unlock();
+                exit(1);
+
+                // Shouldn't get here.
+                assert(0);
+            }
+
+            // Transfer all ranges and roots to the real GC.
+            (cast(ProtoGC) protoInstance).term();
+            isInstanceInit = true;
+        }
+        instanceLock.unlock();
+    }
 
-            fprintf(stderr, "No GC was initialized, please recheck the name of the selected GC ('%.*s').\n", cast(int)config.gc.length, config.gc.ptr);
-            exit(1);
+    void gc_init_nothrow() nothrow
+    {
+        scope(failure)
+        {
+            import core.internal.abort;
+            abort("Cannot initialize the garbage collector.\n");
+            assert(0);
         }
+        gc_init();
     }
 
     void gc_term()
@@ -61,11 +89,14 @@ extern (C)
         // NOTE: Due to popular demand, this has been re-enabled.  It still has
         //       the problems mentioned above though, so I guess we'll see.
 
-        instance.collectNoStack(); // not really a 'collect all' -- still scans
-                                    // static data area, roots, and ranges.
+        if (isInstanceInit)
+        {
+            instance.collectNoStack();  // not really a 'collect all' -- still scans
+                                        // static data area, roots, and ranges.
 
-        ManualGC.finalize(instance);
-        ConservativeGC.finalize(instance);
+            ManualGC.finalize(instance);
+            ConservativeGC.finalize(instance);
+        }
     }
 
     void gc_enable()
@@ -158,12 +189,12 @@ extern (C)
         return instance.stats();
     }
 
-    void gc_addRoot( void* p ) nothrow
+    void gc_addRoot( void* p ) nothrow @nogc
     {
         return instance.addRoot( p );
     }
 
-    void gc_addRange( void* p, size_t sz, const TypeInfo ti = null ) nothrow
+    void gc_addRange( void* p, size_t sz, const TypeInfo ti = null ) nothrow @nogc
     {
         return instance.addRange( p, sz, ti );
     }
diff --git a/src/rt/dmain2.d b/src/rt/dmain2.d
index 086e9ada80..6d99c098a6 100644
--- a/src/rt/dmain2.d
+++ b/src/rt/dmain2.d
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ extern (C) int rt_init()
         // in other druntime systems.
         _d_initMonoTime();
         thread_init();
-        gc_init();
+        // TODO: fixme - calls GC.addRange -> Initializes GC
         initStaticDataGC();
         lifetime_init();
         rt_moduleCtor();
diff --git a/test/exceptions/src/unknown_gc.d b/test/exceptions/src/unknown_gc.d
index 43e1e6453f..f135c1b733 100644
--- a/test/exceptions/src/unknown_gc.d
+++ b/test/exceptions/src/unknown_gc.d
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
+import core.memory;
+
 extern(C) __gshared string[] rt_options = [ "gcopt=gc:unknowngc" ];
 
 void main()
 {
+    // GC initialized upon first call -> Unknown GC error is thrown
+    GC.enable();
 }
diff --git a/test/nogc.d b/test/nogc.d
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b3f75804a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/nogc.d
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+extern(C) __gshared string[] rt_options = [ "gcopt=gc:non-existing" ];
+
+void main() @nogc
+{
+}