diff --git a/src/runtime/mgc.go b/src/runtime/mgc.go
index 5b974d466b81f..730b64cd198da 100644
--- a/src/runtime/mgc.go
+++ b/src/runtime/mgc.go
@@ -765,6 +765,14 @@ func pollFractionalWorkerExit() bool {
 //
 // mheap_.lock must be held or the world must be stopped.
 func gcSetTriggerRatio(triggerRatio float64) {
+	// Compute the next GC goal, which is when the allocated heap
+	// has grown by GOGC/100 over the heap marked by the last
+	// cycle.
+	goal := ^uint64(0)
+	if gcpercent >= 0 {
+		goal = memstats.heap_marked + memstats.heap_marked*uint64(gcpercent)/100
+	}
+
 	// Set the trigger ratio, capped to reasonable bounds.
 	if triggerRatio < 0 {
 		// This can happen if the mutator is allocating very
@@ -807,22 +815,16 @@ func gcSetTriggerRatio(triggerRatio float64) {
 			print("runtime: next_gc=", memstats.next_gc, " heap_marked=", memstats.heap_marked, " heap_live=", memstats.heap_live, " initialHeapLive=", work.initialHeapLive, "triggerRatio=", triggerRatio, " minTrigger=", minTrigger, "\n")
 			throw("gc_trigger underflow")
 		}
-	}
-	memstats.gc_trigger = trigger
-
-	// Compute the next GC goal, which is when the allocated heap
-	// has grown by GOGC/100 over the heap marked by the last
-	// cycle.
-	goal := ^uint64(0)
-	if gcpercent >= 0 {
-		goal = memstats.heap_marked + memstats.heap_marked*uint64(gcpercent)/100
-		if goal < trigger {
+		if trigger > goal {
 			// The trigger ratio is always less than GOGC/100, but
 			// other bounds on the trigger may have raised it.
 			// Push up the goal, too.
 			goal = trigger
 		}
 	}
+
+	// Commit to the trigger and goal.
+	memstats.gc_trigger = trigger
 	memstats.next_gc = goal
 	if trace.enabled {
 		traceNextGC()