diff --git a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberCommitWork.js b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberCommitWork.js
index 740e76509503..d11c381c89c8 100644
--- a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberCommitWork.js
+++ b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberCommitWork.js
@@ -730,11 +730,11 @@ function commitUnmount(current: Fiber): void {
       if (typeof instance.componentWillUnmount === 'function') {
         safelyCallComponentWillUnmount(current, instance);
       }
-      return;
+      break;
     }
     case HostComponent: {
       safelyDetachRef(current);
-      return;
+      break;
     }
     case HostPortal: {
       // TODO: this is recursive.
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ function commitUnmount(current: Fiber): void {
       } else if (supportsPersistence) {
         emptyPortalContainer(current);
       }
-      return;
+      break;
     }
     case EventComponent: {
       if (enableEventAPI) {
@@ -756,6 +756,12 @@ function commitUnmount(current: Fiber): void {
       }
     }
   }
+
+  // Remove reference for GC
+  current.stateNode = null;
+  if (current.alternate != null) {
+    current.alternate.stateNode = null;
+  }
 }
 
 function commitNestedUnmounts(root: Fiber): void {
@@ -1050,19 +1056,15 @@ function unmountHostComponents(current): void {
     }
 
     if (node.tag === HostComponent || node.tag === HostText) {
+      // Save stateNode reference so commitUnmount can clear it.
+      const stateNode: Instance | TextInstance = node.stateNode;
       commitNestedUnmounts(node);
       // After all the children have unmounted, it is now safe to remove the
       // node from the tree.
       if (currentParentIsContainer) {
-        removeChildFromContainer(
-          ((currentParent: any): Container),
-          (node.stateNode: Instance | TextInstance),
-        );
+        removeChildFromContainer(((currentParent: any): Container), stateNode);
       } else {
-        removeChild(
-          ((currentParent: any): Instance),
-          (node.stateNode: Instance | TextInstance),
-        );
+        removeChild(((currentParent: any): Instance), stateNode);
       }
       // Don't visit children because we already visited them.
     } else if (
diff --git a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberScheduler.new.js b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberScheduler.new.js
index c86bd58ce6a5..129ec2abaa0f 100644
--- a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberScheduler.new.js
+++ b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberScheduler.new.js
@@ -1404,6 +1404,15 @@ function commitRootImpl(root, expirationTime) {
     rootWithPendingPassiveEffects = root;
     pendingPassiveEffectsExpirationTime = expirationTime;
   } else {
+    // We are done with the effect chain at this point so let's clear the
+    // nextEffect pointers to assist with GC. If we have passive effects, we'll
+    // clear this in flushPassiveEffects.
+    nextEffect = firstEffect;
+    while (nextEffect !== null) {
+      const nextNextEffect = nextEffect.nextEffect;
+      nextEffect.nextEffect = null;
+      nextEffect = nextNextEffect;
+    }
     if (enableSchedulerTracing) {
       // If there are no passive effects, then we can complete the pending
       // interactions. Otherwise, we'll wait until after the passive effects
@@ -1620,7 +1629,10 @@ export function flushPassiveEffects() {
         captureCommitPhaseError(effect, error);
       }
     }
-    effect = effect.nextEffect;
+    const nextNextEffect = effect.nextEffect;
+    // Remove nextEffect pointer to assist GC
+    effect.nextEffect = null;
+    effect = nextNextEffect;
   }
 
   if (enableSchedulerTracing) {
diff --git a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberScheduler.old.js b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberScheduler.old.js
index 965eaa1cdc62..f1a6fa469136 100644
--- a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberScheduler.old.js
+++ b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberScheduler.old.js
@@ -574,7 +574,10 @@ function commitPassiveEffects(root: FiberRoot, firstEffect: Fiber): void {
         captureCommitPhaseError(effect, error);
       }
     }
-    effect = effect.nextEffect;
+    const nextNextEffect = effect.nextEffect;
+    // Remove nextEffect pointer to assist GC
+    effect.nextEffect = null;
+    effect = nextNextEffect;
   } while (effect !== null);
   if (__DEV__) {
     resetCurrentFiber();
@@ -831,6 +834,16 @@ function commitRoot(root: FiberRoot, finishedWork: Fiber): void {
     }
     passiveEffectCallbackHandle = scheduleCallback(NormalPriority, callback);
     passiveEffectCallback = callback;
+  } else {
+    // We are done with the effect chain at this point so let's clear the
+    // nextEffect pointers to assist with GC. If we have passive effects, we'll
+    // clear this in commitPassiveEffects.
+    nextEffect = firstEffect;
+    while (nextEffect !== null) {
+      const nextNextEffect = nextEffect.nextEffect;
+      nextEffect.nextEffect = null;
+      nextEffect = nextNextEffect;
+    }
   }
 
   isCommitting = false;