diff --git a/builtin/am.c b/builtin/am.c
index e3dfd93c25..69e50de018 100644
--- a/builtin/am.c
+++ b/builtin/am.c
@@ -1691,7 +1691,6 @@ static int do_interactive(struct am_state *state)
  */
 static void am_run(struct am_state *state, int resume)
 {
-	const char *argv_gc_auto[] = {"gc", "--auto", NULL};
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 	unlink(am_path(state, "dirtyindex"));
@@ -1796,7 +1795,7 @@ next:
 	if (!state->rebasing) {
 		am_destroy(state);
 		close_object_store(the_repository->objects);
-		run_command_v_opt(argv_gc_auto, RUN_GIT_CMD);
+		run_auto_gc(state->quiet);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index a73de0a4c5..d1b7396052 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -1494,7 +1494,6 @@ static int git_commit_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
 
 int cmd_commit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
-	const char *argv_gc_auto[] = {"gc", "--auto", NULL};
 	static struct wt_status s;
 	static struct option builtin_commit_options[] = {
 		OPT__QUIET(&quiet, N_("suppress summary after successful commit")),
@@ -1703,7 +1702,7 @@ int cmd_commit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	git_test_write_commit_graph_or_die();
 
 	repo_rerere(the_repository, 0);
-	run_command_v_opt(argv_gc_auto, RUN_GIT_CMD);
+	run_auto_gc(quiet);
 	run_commit_hook(use_editor, get_index_file(), "post-commit", NULL);
 	if (amend && !no_post_rewrite) {
 		commit_post_rewrite(the_repository, current_head, &oid);
diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index 95beed57fa..b5788c16bf 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -1753,7 +1753,6 @@ int cmd_fetch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	struct remote *remote = NULL;
 	int result = 0;
 	int prune_tags_ok = 1;
-	struct argv_array argv_gc_auto = ARGV_ARRAY_INIT;
 
 	packet_trace_identity("fetch");
 
@@ -1880,13 +1879,8 @@ int cmd_fetch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	close_object_store(the_repository->objects);
 
-	if (enable_auto_gc) {
-		argv_array_pushl(&argv_gc_auto, "gc", "--auto", NULL);
-		if (verbosity < 0)
-			argv_array_push(&argv_gc_auto, "--quiet");
-		run_command_v_opt(argv_gc_auto.argv, RUN_GIT_CMD);
-		argv_array_clear(&argv_gc_auto);
-	}
+	if (enable_auto_gc)
+		run_auto_gc(verbosity < 0);
 
 	return result;
 }
diff --git a/builtin/merge.c b/builtin/merge.c
index 923e32acf1..ca6a5dc4bf 100644
--- a/builtin/merge.c
+++ b/builtin/merge.c
@@ -450,7 +450,6 @@ static void finish(struct commit *head_commit,
 		if (verbosity >= 0 && !merge_msg.len)
 			printf(_("No merge message -- not updating HEAD\n"));
 		else {
-			const char *argv_gc_auto[] = { "gc", "--auto", NULL };
 			update_ref(reflog_message.buf, "HEAD", new_head, head,
 				   0, UPDATE_REFS_DIE_ON_ERR);
 			/*
@@ -458,7 +457,7 @@ static void finish(struct commit *head_commit,
 			 * user should see them.
 			 */
 			close_object_store(the_repository->objects);
-			run_command_v_opt(argv_gc_auto, RUN_GIT_CMD);
+			run_auto_gc(verbosity < 0);
 		}
 	}
 	if (new_head && show_diffstat) {
diff --git a/builtin/rebase.c b/builtin/rebase.c
index ca6aa0dc7a..37ba76ac3d 100644
--- a/builtin/rebase.c
+++ b/builtin/rebase.c
@@ -722,7 +722,6 @@ static int rebase_write_basic_state(struct rebase_options *opts)
 static int finish_rebase(struct rebase_options *opts)
 {
 	struct strbuf dir = STRBUF_INIT;
-	const char *argv_gc_auto[] = { "gc", "--auto", NULL };
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	delete_ref(NULL, "REBASE_HEAD", NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
@@ -732,7 +731,7 @@ static int finish_rebase(struct rebase_options *opts)
 	 * We ignore errors in 'gc --auto', since the
 	 * user should see them.
 	 */
-	run_command_v_opt(argv_gc_auto, RUN_GIT_CMD);
+	run_auto_gc(!(opts->flags & (REBASE_NO_QUIET|REBASE_VERBOSE)));
 	if (opts->type == REBASE_MERGE) {
 		struct replay_opts replay = REPLAY_OPTS_INIT;
 
diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index 0f41af3b55..9b3a57d1e3 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -1864,3 +1864,16 @@ int run_processes_parallel_tr2(int n, get_next_task_fn get_next_task,
 
 	return result;
 }
+
+int run_auto_gc(int quiet)
+{
+	struct argv_array argv_gc_auto = ARGV_ARRAY_INIT;
+	int status;
+
+	argv_array_pushl(&argv_gc_auto, "gc", "--auto", NULL);
+	if (quiet)
+		argv_array_push(&argv_gc_auto, "--quiet");
+	status = run_command_v_opt(argv_gc_auto.argv, RUN_GIT_CMD);
+	argv_array_clear(&argv_gc_auto);
+	return status;
+}
diff --git a/run-command.h b/run-command.h
index 0f3cc73ab6..191dfcdafe 100644
--- a/run-command.h
+++ b/run-command.h
@@ -218,6 +218,11 @@ LAST_ARG_MUST_BE_NULL
 int run_hook_le(const char *const *env, const char *name, ...);
 int run_hook_ve(const char *const *env, const char *name, va_list args);
 
+/*
+ * Trigger an auto-gc
+ */
+int run_auto_gc(int quiet);
+
 #define RUN_COMMAND_NO_STDIN 1
 #define RUN_GIT_CMD	     2	/*If this is to be git sub-command */
 #define RUN_COMMAND_STDOUT_TO_STDERR 4