diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_gc.h b/Include/internal/pycore_gc.h
index a23dca805491d0..cdee52b17ebe2d 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_gc.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_gc.h
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ struct _gc_runtime_state {
     Py_ssize_t long_lived_pending;
 };
 
-extern void _PyGC_InitState(struct _gc_runtime_state *);
+extern void _PyGC_InitializeRuntime(struct _gc_runtime_state *);
 
 extern Py_ssize_t _PyGC_CollectNoFail(PyThreadState *tstate);
 
diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_interp.h b/Include/internal/pycore_interp.h
index d48ea87fd67fe3..96b73cb34181a7 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_interp.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_interp.h
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ extern "C" {
 #include "pycore_floatobject.h"   // struct _Py_float_state
 #include "pycore_genobject.h"     // struct _Py_async_gen_state
 #include "pycore_gil.h"           // struct _gil_runtime_state
-#include "pycore_gc.h"            // struct _gc_runtime_state
 #include "pycore_list.h"          // struct _Py_list_state
 #include "pycore_tuple.h"         // struct _Py_tuple_state
 #include "pycore_typeobject.h"    // struct type_cache
@@ -105,7 +104,6 @@ struct _is {
     int finalizing;
 
     struct _ceval_state ceval;
-    struct _gc_runtime_state gc;
 
     // sys.modules dictionary
     PyObject *modules;
diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_object.h b/Include/internal/pycore_object.h
index 9041a4dc8a3ce5..47e83a96bc3c95 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_object.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_object.h
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ static inline void _PyObject_GC_TRACK(
                           "object is in generation which is garbage collected",
                           filename, lineno, __func__);
 
-    PyInterpreterState *interp = _PyInterpreterState_GET();
-    PyGC_Head *generation0 = interp->gc.generation0;
+    _PyRuntimeState *runtime = &_PyRuntime;
+    PyGC_Head *generation0 = runtime->gc.generation0;
     PyGC_Head *last = (PyGC_Head*)(generation0->_gc_prev);
     _PyGCHead_SET_NEXT(last, gc);
     _PyGCHead_SET_PREV(gc, last);
diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_pylifecycle.h b/Include/internal/pycore_pylifecycle.h
index 766e889f237b96..0df9568a005c4d 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_pylifecycle.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_pylifecycle.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ extern PyStatus _PyBuiltins_AddExceptions(PyObject * bltinmod);
 extern PyStatus _Py_HashRandomization_Init(const PyConfig *);
 
 extern PyStatus _PyImportZip_Init(PyThreadState *tstate);
-extern PyStatus _PyGC_Init(PyInterpreterState *interp);
+extern PyStatus _PyGC_Init(void);
 extern PyStatus _PyAtExit_Init(PyInterpreterState *interp);
 
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ extern void _PySignal_Fini(void);
 
 extern void _PyImport_Fini(void);
 extern void _PyImport_Fini2(void);
-extern void _PyGC_Fini(PyInterpreterState *interp);
+extern void _PyGC_Fini(void);
 extern void _Py_HashRandomization_Fini(void);
 extern void _PyFaulthandler_Fini(void);
 extern void _PyHash_Fini(void);
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ extern PyStatus _PyGILState_Init(_PyRuntimeState *runtime);
 extern PyStatus _PyGILState_SetTstate(PyThreadState *tstate);
 extern void _PyGILState_Fini(PyInterpreterState *interp);
 
-PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyGC_DumpShutdownStats(PyInterpreterState *interp);
+PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyGC_DumpShutdownStats(void);
 
 PyAPI_FUNC(PyStatus) _Py_PreInitializeFromPyArgv(
     const PyPreConfig *src_config,
diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_runtime.h b/Include/internal/pycore_runtime.h
index 725c859ea7853d..2d5030a5f56545 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_runtime.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_runtime.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 #include "pycore_atomic.h"          /* _Py_atomic_address */
+#include "pycore_gc.h"              // struct _gc_runtime_state
 #include "pycore_gil.h"             // struct _gil_runtime_state
 #include "pycore_global_objects.h"  // struct _Py_global_objects
 #include "pycore_unicodeobject.h"   // struct _Py_unicode_runtime_ids
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ typedef struct pyruntimestate {
     void (*exitfuncs[NEXITFUNCS])(void);
     int nexitfuncs;
 
+    struct _gc_runtime_state gc;
     struct _ceval_runtime_state ceval;
     struct _gilstate_runtime_state gilstate;
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2022-01-12-23-13-39.bpo-46070.cQp0eC.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2022-01-12-23-13-39.bpo-46070.cQp0eC.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..c55578ff87f5d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2022-01-12-23-13-39.bpo-46070.cQp0eC.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Fix a random crash involving subinterpreters on Windows. Revert the change
+which made the gc module state per interpreter: the gc module state is
+shared again by all interpreters. Patch by Victor Stinner.
diff --git a/Modules/gcmodule.c b/Modules/gcmodule.c
index 1808057a650e98..ebd23c837a5daa 100644
--- a/Modules/gcmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/gcmodule.c
@@ -131,13 +131,13 @@ gc_decref(PyGC_Head *g)
 static GCState *
 get_gc_state(void)
 {
-    PyInterpreterState *interp = _PyInterpreterState_GET();
-    return &interp->gc;
+    _PyRuntimeState *runtime = &_PyRuntime;
+    return &runtime->gc;
 }
 
 
 void
-_PyGC_InitState(GCState *gcstate)
+_PyGC_InitializeRuntime(GCState *gcstate)
 {
     gcstate->enabled = 1; /* automatic collection enabled? */
 
@@ -161,9 +161,9 @@ _PyGC_InitState(GCState *gcstate)
 
 
 PyStatus
-_PyGC_Init(PyInterpreterState *interp)
+_PyGC_Init(void)
 {
-    GCState *gcstate = &interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
 
     gcstate->garbage = PyList_New(0);
     if (gcstate->garbage == NULL) {
@@ -1192,7 +1192,7 @@ gc_collect_main(PyThreadState *tstate, int generation,
     PyGC_Head finalizers;  /* objects with, & reachable from, __del__ */
     PyGC_Head *gc;
     _PyTime_t t1 = 0;   /* initialize to prevent a compiler warning */
-    GCState *gcstate = &tstate->interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
 
     // gc_collect_main() must not be called before _PyGC_Init
     // or after _PyGC_Fini()
@@ -1366,7 +1366,7 @@ invoke_gc_callback(PyThreadState *tstate, const char *phase,
     assert(!_PyErr_Occurred(tstate));
 
     /* we may get called very early */
-    GCState *gcstate = &tstate->interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
     if (gcstate->callbacks == NULL) {
         return;
     }
@@ -1418,7 +1418,7 @@ gc_collect_with_callback(PyThreadState *tstate, int generation)
 static Py_ssize_t
 gc_collect_generations(PyThreadState *tstate)
 {
-    GCState *gcstate = &tstate->interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
     /* Find the oldest generation (highest numbered) where the count
      * exceeds the threshold.  Objects in the that generation and
      * generations younger than it will be collected. */
@@ -1539,7 +1539,7 @@ gc_collect_impl(PyObject *module, int generation)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    GCState *gcstate = &tstate->interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
     Py_ssize_t n;
     if (gcstate->collecting) {
         /* already collecting, don't do anything */
@@ -1760,10 +1760,9 @@ static PyObject *
 gc_get_objects_impl(PyObject *module, Py_ssize_t generation)
 /*[clinic end generated code: output=48b35fea4ba6cb0e input=ef7da9df9806754c]*/
 {
-    PyThreadState *tstate = _PyThreadState_GET();
     int i;
     PyObject* result;
-    GCState *gcstate = &tstate->interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
 
     if (PySys_Audit("gc.get_objects", "n", generation) < 0) {
         return NULL;
@@ -1777,16 +1776,16 @@ gc_get_objects_impl(PyObject *module, Py_ssize_t generation)
     /* If generation is passed, we extract only that generation */
     if (generation != -1) {
         if (generation >= NUM_GENERATIONS) {
-            _PyErr_Format(tstate, PyExc_ValueError,
-                          "generation parameter must be less than the number of "
-                          "available generations (%i)",
-                           NUM_GENERATIONS);
+            PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError,
+                         "generation parameter must be less than the number of "
+                         "available generations (%i)",
+                          NUM_GENERATIONS);
             goto error;
         }
 
         if (generation < 0) {
-            _PyErr_SetString(tstate, PyExc_ValueError,
-                             "generation parameter cannot be negative");
+            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
+                            "generation parameter cannot be negative");
             goto error;
         }
 
@@ -2079,9 +2078,7 @@ PyGC_IsEnabled(void)
 Py_ssize_t
 PyGC_Collect(void)
 {
-    PyThreadState *tstate = _PyThreadState_GET();
-    GCState *gcstate = &tstate->interp->gc;
-
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
     if (!gcstate->enabled) {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -2094,6 +2091,7 @@ PyGC_Collect(void)
     else {
         PyObject *exc, *value, *tb;
         gcstate->collecting = 1;
+        PyThreadState *tstate = _PyThreadState_GET();
         _PyErr_Fetch(tstate, &exc, &value, &tb);
         n = gc_collect_with_callback(tstate, NUM_GENERATIONS - 1);
         _PyErr_Restore(tstate, exc, value, tb);
@@ -2112,7 +2110,7 @@ _PyGC_CollectNoFail(PyThreadState *tstate)
        during interpreter shutdown (and then never finish it).
        See http://bugs.python.org/issue8713#msg195178 for an example.
        */
-    GCState *gcstate = &tstate->interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
     if (gcstate->collecting) {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -2125,9 +2123,9 @@ _PyGC_CollectNoFail(PyThreadState *tstate)
 }
 
 void
-_PyGC_DumpShutdownStats(PyInterpreterState *interp)
+_PyGC_DumpShutdownStats(void)
 {
-    GCState *gcstate = &interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
     if (!(gcstate->debug & DEBUG_SAVEALL)
         && gcstate->garbage != NULL && PyList_GET_SIZE(gcstate->garbage) > 0) {
         const char *message;
@@ -2162,9 +2160,9 @@ _PyGC_DumpShutdownStats(PyInterpreterState *interp)
 }
 
 void
-_PyGC_Fini(PyInterpreterState *interp)
+_PyGC_Fini(void)
 {
-    GCState *gcstate = &interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
     Py_CLEAR(gcstate->garbage);
     Py_CLEAR(gcstate->callbacks);
 }
@@ -2237,8 +2235,7 @@ _PyObject_GC_Link(PyObject *op)
     PyGC_Head *g = AS_GC(op);
     assert(((uintptr_t)g & (sizeof(uintptr_t)-1)) == 0);  // g must be correctly aligned
 
-    PyThreadState *tstate = _PyThreadState_GET();
-    GCState *gcstate = &tstate->interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
     g->_gc_next = 0;
     g->_gc_prev = 0;
     gcstate->generations[0].count++; /* number of allocated GC objects */
@@ -2246,9 +2243,10 @@ _PyObject_GC_Link(PyObject *op)
         gcstate->enabled &&
         gcstate->generations[0].threshold &&
         !gcstate->collecting &&
-        !_PyErr_Occurred(tstate))
+        !PyErr_Occurred())
     {
         gcstate->collecting = 1;
+        PyThreadState *tstate = _PyThreadState_GET();
         gc_collect_generations(tstate);
         gcstate->collecting = 0;
     }
diff --git a/Python/pylifecycle.c b/Python/pylifecycle.c
index 284cfac3c40a51..48bcbbacedfc13 100644
--- a/Python/pylifecycle.c
+++ b/Python/pylifecycle.c
@@ -832,10 +832,12 @@ pycore_interp_init(PyThreadState *tstate)
         return status;
     }
 
-    // The GC must be initialized before the first GC collection.
-    status = _PyGC_Init(interp);
-    if (_PyStatus_EXCEPTION(status)) {
-        return status;
+    if (_Py_IsMainInterpreter(interp)) {
+        // The GC must be initialized before the first GC collection.
+        status = _PyGC_Init();
+        if (_PyStatus_EXCEPTION(status)) {
+            return status;
+        }
     }
 
     status = pycore_init_types(interp);
@@ -1557,7 +1559,7 @@ finalize_modules(PyThreadState *tstate)
 
     // Dump GC stats before it's too late, since it uses the warnings
     // machinery.
-    _PyGC_DumpShutdownStats(interp);
+    _PyGC_DumpShutdownStats();
 
     if (weaklist != NULL) {
         // Now, if there are any modules left alive, clear their globals to
diff --git a/Python/pystate.c b/Python/pystate.c
index 68fae8d283091d..7a370a15504ae3 100644
--- a/Python/pystate.c
+++ b/Python/pystate.c
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ init_runtime(_PyRuntimeState *runtime,
     runtime->audit_hook_head = audit_hook_head;
 
     _PyEval_InitRuntimeState(&runtime->ceval);
+    _PyGC_InitializeRuntime(&runtime->gc);
 
     PyPreConfig_InitPythonConfig(&runtime->preconfig);
 
@@ -283,7 +284,6 @@ init_interpreter(PyInterpreterState *interp,
     interp->next = next;
 
     _PyEval_InitState(&interp->ceval, pending_lock);
-    _PyGC_InitState(&interp->gc);
     PyConfig_InitPythonConfig(&interp->config);
     _PyType_InitCache(interp);
     interp->eval_frame = NULL;
@@ -426,7 +426,9 @@ interpreter_clear(PyInterpreterState *interp, PyThreadState *tstate)
 
     /* Last garbage collection on this interpreter */
     _PyGC_CollectNoFail(tstate);
-    _PyGC_Fini(interp);
+    if (_Py_IsMainInterpreter(interp)) {
+        _PyGC_Fini();
+    }
 
     /* We don't clear sysdict and builtins until the end of this function.
        Because clearing other attributes can execute arbitrary Python code
diff --git a/Python/traceback.c b/Python/traceback.c
index 4d6cbaae8da6cd..95f468358c33e1 100644
--- a/Python/traceback.c
+++ b/Python/traceback.c
@@ -1309,6 +1309,7 @@ _Py_DumpTracebackThreads(int fd, PyInterpreterState *interp,
         return "unable to get the thread head state";
 
     /* Dump the traceback of each thread */
+    _PyRuntimeState *runtime = &_PyRuntime;
     tstate = PyInterpreterState_ThreadHead(interp);
     nthreads = 0;
     _Py_BEGIN_SUPPRESS_IPH
@@ -1321,7 +1322,7 @@ _Py_DumpTracebackThreads(int fd, PyInterpreterState *interp,
             break;
         }
         write_thread_id(fd, tstate, tstate == current_tstate);
-        if (tstate == current_tstate && tstate->interp->gc.collecting) {
+        if (tstate == current_tstate && runtime->gc.collecting) {
             PUTS(fd, "  Garbage-collecting\n");
         }
         dump_traceback(fd, tstate, 0);