diff --git a/runtime/src/main/cpp/Memory.cpp b/runtime/src/main/cpp/Memory.cpp
index 41ca8ef8363..24ef2458410 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/cpp/Memory.cpp
+++ b/runtime/src/main/cpp/Memory.cpp
@@ -375,22 +375,23 @@ private:
 
   void processAbandoned() {
     if (this->releaseList != nullptr) {
-      bool hadNoRuntimeInitialized = (memoryState == nullptr);
+      bool hadNoStateInitialized = (memoryState == nullptr);
 
-      if (hadNoRuntimeInitialized) {
-        Kotlin_initRuntimeIfNeeded(); // Required by ReleaseHeapRef.
+      if (hadNoStateInitialized) {
+        // Disregard request if all runtimes are no longer alive.
+        if (atomicGet(&aliveMemoryStatesCount) == 0)
+          return;
+
+        memoryState = InitMemory(); // Required by ReleaseHeapRef.
       }
 
       processEnqueuedReleaseRefsWith([](ObjHeader* obj) {
         ReleaseHeapRef(obj);
       });
 
-      if (hadNoRuntimeInitialized) {
-        // This thread is likely not intended to run Kotlin code.
-        // In this case it has no chances to process the release-refs enqueued above using
-        // the general heuristics, so do this manually:
-        garbageCollect();
-        // TODO: how to handle subsequent processAbandoned() calls?
+      if (hadNoStateInitialized) {
+        // Discard the memory state.
+        DeinitMemory(memoryState);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/cpp/Runtime.cpp b/runtime/src/main/cpp/Runtime.cpp
index 55d07278b4a..366fef2a9dc 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/cpp/Runtime.cpp
+++ b/runtime/src/main/cpp/Runtime.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ inline bool isValidRuntime() {
   return ::runtimeState != kInvalidRuntime;
 }
 
-int aliveRuntimesCount = 0;
+volatile int aliveRuntimesCount = 0;
 
 RuntimeState* initRuntime() {
   SetKonanTerminateHandler();