diff --git a/src/vm.cpp b/src/vm.cpp
index 34c2bf8c74..5937c00fdf 100644
--- a/src/vm.cpp
+++ b/src/vm.cpp
@@ -763,26 +763,6 @@ collect(Machine* m, Heap::CollectionType type)
       }
 
       Thread* t = m->rootThread;
-
-      object p = m->weakReferences;
-      m->weakReferences = 0;
-      while (p) {
-        object o = jreferenceTarget(t, p);
-        object followed = m->heap->follow(o);
-        if (followed == o) {
-          // object has not been collected
-          object x = p;
-          p = weakReferenceNext(t, x);
-          weakReferenceNext(t, x) = m->weakReferences;
-          m->weakReferences = x;
-        } else {
-          jreferenceTarget(t, p) = followed;
-          object x = p;
-          p = weakReferenceNext(t, x);
-          weakReferenceNext(t, x) = 0;
-        }
-      }
-
       for (object* f = &(m->finalizers); *f;) {
         object o = finalizerTarget(t, *f);
         if (m->heap->follow(o) == o) {
@@ -803,6 +783,21 @@ collect(Machine* m, Heap::CollectionType type)
       for (object* f = &(m->doomed); *f; f = &finalizerNext(t, *f)) {
         v->visit(f);
       }
+
+      for (object p = m->weakReferences; p;) {
+        object o = jreferenceTarget(t, p);
+        object followed = m->heap->follow(o);
+        if (followed == o) {
+          // object has not been collected
+          jreferenceTarget(t, p) = 0;
+        } else {
+          jreferenceTarget(t, p) = followed;
+        }
+
+        object last = p;
+        p = weakReferenceNext(t, p);
+        weakReferenceNext(t, last) = 0;
+      }
     }
 
     virtual unsigned sizeInWords(object o) {
@@ -936,12 +931,6 @@ collect(Machine* m, Heap::CollectionType type)
   }
   m->doomed = 0;
 
-  for (object p = m->weakReferences; p;) {
-    jreferenceTarget(t, p) = 0;
-    object x = p;
-    p = weakReferenceNext(t, x);
-    weakReferenceNext(t, x) = 0;
-  }
   m->weakReferences = 0;
 }