diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_interp.h b/Include/internal/pycore_interp.h
index 4307b61ca36aaf..1df5f413e06c99 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_interp.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_interp.h
@@ -229,6 +229,8 @@ struct _is {
     int finalizing;
 
     struct _ceval_state ceval;
+    // bpo-46070: Even if each PyInterpreterState has a GC state,
+    // _PyGC_GetState() only uses the state of the main interpreter.
     struct _gc_runtime_state gc;
 
     // sys.modules dictionary
diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_object.h b/Include/internal/pycore_object.h
index 90d98134b8919b..100db494f2fab9 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_object.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_object.h
@@ -57,6 +57,16 @@ _PyObject_InitVar(PyVarObject *op, PyTypeObject *typeobj, Py_ssize_t size)
 }
 
 
+static inline struct _gc_runtime_state*
+_PyGC_GetState(void)
+{
+    // bpo-46070: Even if each PyInterpreterState has a GC state,
+    // _PyGC_GetState() only uses the state of the main interpreter.
+    PyInterpreterState *interp = _PyRuntime.interpreters.main;
+    return &interp->gc;
+}
+
+
 /* Tell the GC to track this object.
  *
  * The object must not be tracked by the GC.
@@ -87,8 +97,8 @@ 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;
+    struct _gc_runtime_state *state = _PyGC_GetState();
+    PyGC_Head *generation0 = state->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 524be9d4cbb940..e230b5f4f3afe6 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_pylifecycle.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_pylifecycle.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ extern PyStatus _Py_HashRandomization_Init(const PyConfig *);
 extern PyStatus _PyTypes_Init(void);
 extern PyStatus _PyTypes_InitSlotDefs(void);
 extern PyStatus _PyImportZip_Init(PyThreadState *tstate);
-extern PyStatus _PyGC_Init(PyInterpreterState *interp);
+extern PyStatus _PyGC_Init(void);
 extern PyStatus _PyAtExit_Init(PyInterpreterState *interp);
 
 
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ extern void _PySignal_Fini(void);
 extern void _PyExc_Fini(PyInterpreterState *interp);
 extern void _PyImport_Fini(void);
 extern void _PyImport_Fini2(void);
-extern void _PyGC_Fini(PyInterpreterState *interp);
+extern void _PyGC_Fini(void);
 extern void _PyType_Fini(PyInterpreterState *interp);
 extern void _Py_HashRandomization_Fini(void);
 extern void _PyUnicode_Fini(PyInterpreterState *interp);
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ 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/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 e5e5aa3287b0d6..38c71277724d35 100644
--- a/Modules/gcmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/gcmodule.c
@@ -131,8 +131,7 @@ gc_decref(PyGC_Head *g)
 static GCState *
 get_gc_state(void)
 {
-    PyInterpreterState *interp = _PyInterpreterState_GET();
-    return &interp->gc;
+    return _PyGC_GetState();
 }
 
 
@@ -161,9 +160,9 @@ _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) {
@@ -1193,7 +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()
@@ -1367,7 +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;
     }
@@ -1419,7 +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. */
@@ -1540,7 +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 */
@@ -1761,10 +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;
@@ -1778,16 +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;
         }
 
@@ -2080,9 +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;
     }
@@ -2095,6 +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);
@@ -2113,7 +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;
     }
@@ -2126,9 +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;
@@ -2163,9 +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);
 }
@@ -2235,10 +2232,9 @@ PyObject_IS_GC(PyObject *obj)
 static PyObject *
 _PyObject_GC_Alloc(int use_calloc, size_t basicsize)
 {
-    PyThreadState *tstate = _PyThreadState_GET();
-    GCState *gcstate = &tstate->interp->gc;
+    GCState *gcstate = get_gc_state();
     if (basicsize > PY_SSIZE_T_MAX - sizeof(PyGC_Head)) {
-        return _PyErr_NoMemory(tstate);
+        return PyErr_NoMemory();
     }
     size_t size = sizeof(PyGC_Head) + basicsize;
 
@@ -2250,7 +2246,7 @@ _PyObject_GC_Alloc(int use_calloc, size_t basicsize)
         g = (PyGC_Head *)PyObject_Malloc(size);
     }
     if (g == NULL) {
-        return _PyErr_NoMemory(tstate);
+        return PyErr_NoMemory();
     }
     assert(((uintptr_t)g & 3) == 0);  // g must be aligned 4bytes boundary
 
@@ -2261,9 +2257,10 @@ _PyObject_GC_Alloc(int use_calloc, size_t basicsize)
         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/Objects/object.c b/Objects/object.c
index ff816cd5b9a605..84e1d77c42315f 100644
--- a/Objects/object.c
+++ b/Objects/object.c
@@ -2099,8 +2099,7 @@ Py_ReprLeave(PyObject *obj)
 void
 _PyTrash_deposit_object(PyObject *op)
 {
-    PyInterpreterState *interp = _PyInterpreterState_GET();
-    struct _gc_runtime_state *gcstate = &interp->gc;
+    struct _gc_runtime_state *gcstate = _PyGC_GetState();
 
     _PyObject_ASSERT(op, _PyObject_IS_GC(op));
     _PyObject_ASSERT(op, !_PyObject_GC_IS_TRACKED(op));
@@ -2127,8 +2126,7 @@ _PyTrash_thread_deposit_object(PyObject *op)
 void
 _PyTrash_destroy_chain(void)
 {
-    PyInterpreterState *interp = _PyInterpreterState_GET();
-    struct _gc_runtime_state *gcstate = &interp->gc;
+    struct _gc_runtime_state *gcstate = _PyGC_GetState();
 
     while (gcstate->trash_delete_later) {
         PyObject *op = gcstate->trash_delete_later;
diff --git a/Python/pylifecycle.c b/Python/pylifecycle.c
index eeaf20b4617a20..225a581766289d 100644
--- a/Python/pylifecycle.c
+++ b/Python/pylifecycle.c
@@ -801,10 +801,12 @@ 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);
@@ -1526,7 +1528,7 @@ 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 df98eb11bb0a49..4141cbb73c069c 100644
--- a/Python/pystate.c
+++ b/Python/pystate.c
@@ -327,7 +327,9 @@ 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 7d6f7f435a6ba6..bf52602ed0dc4e 100644
--- a/Python/traceback.c
+++ b/Python/traceback.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #include "code.h"
 #include "pycore_interp.h"        // PyInterpreterState.gc
+#include "pycore_object.h"        // _PyGC_GetState()
 #include "frameobject.h"          // PyFrame_GetBack()
 #include "structmember.h"         // PyMemberDef
 #include "osdefs.h"               // SEP
@@ -925,6 +926,7 @@ _Py_DumpTracebackThreads(int fd, PyInterpreterState *interp,
         return "unable to get the thread head state";
 
     /* Dump the traceback of each thread */
+    struct _gc_runtime_state *gcstate = _PyGC_GetState();
     tstate = PyInterpreterState_ThreadHead(interp);
     nthreads = 0;
     _Py_BEGIN_SUPPRESS_IPH
@@ -937,7 +939,7 @@ _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 && gcstate->collecting) {
             PUTS(fd, "  Garbage-collecting\n");
         }
         dump_traceback(fd, tstate, 0);