diff --git a/Sources/tart/VMDirectory+OCI.swift b/Sources/tart/VMDirectory+OCI.swift
index 69dc766..ed0ec64 100644
--- a/Sources/tart/VMDirectory+OCI.swift
+++ b/Sources/tart/VMDirectory+OCI.swift
@@ -250,9 +250,18 @@ extension VMDirectory {
       ))
     }
 
-    let frozenOverlayURL = try Config().tartTmpDir.appendingPathComponent("\(UUID().uuidString).asif")
+    // Keep the snapshot out of startup GC while this potentially long push
+    // hashes, uploads, and inspects it.
+    let frozenOverlayDirectory = try VMDirectory.temporary()
+    let frozenOverlayLock = try FileLock(lockURL: frozenOverlayDirectory.baseURL)
+    try frozenOverlayLock.lock()
+    defer {
+      try? frozenOverlayLock.unlock()
+      try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: frozenOverlayDirectory.baseURL)
+    }
+
+    let frozenOverlayURL = frozenOverlayDirectory.baseURL.appendingPathComponent("overlay.asif")
     try FileManager.default.copyItem(at: overlayURL, to: frozenOverlayURL)
-    defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: frozenOverlayURL) }
 
     let overlaySize = try FileManager.default.attributesOfItem(atPath: frozenOverlayURL.path)[.size] as! Int64
     defaultLogger.appendNewLine("pushing overlay...")
diff --git a/Tests/TartTests/CommandBehaviorTests.swift b/Tests/TartTests/CommandBehaviorTests.swift
index 04acfae..67f9dc7 100644
--- a/Tests/TartTests/CommandBehaviorTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/TartTests/CommandBehaviorTests.swift
@@ -62,6 +62,25 @@ final class CommandBehaviorTests: XCTestCase {
     }
   }
 
+  func testGarbageCollectionPreservesLockedTemporaryDirectory() throws {
+    try withTemporaryTartHome {
+      let temporaryVMDir = try VMDirectory.temporary()
+      let lock = try FileLock(lockURL: temporaryVMDir.baseURL)
+      try lock.lock()
+      XCTAssertTrue(FileManager.default.createFile(
+        atPath: temporaryVMDir.overlayURL.path,
+        contents: Data("overlay".utf8)
+      ))
+
+      try Config().gc()
+      XCTAssertTrue(FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: temporaryVMDir.overlayURL.path))
+
+      try lock.unlock()
+      try Config().gc()
+      XCTAssertFalse(FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: temporaryVMDir.baseURL.path))
+    }
+  }
+
   private func config() -> VMConfig {
     VMConfig(
       platform: Linux(),