diff --git a/storage/gc_queue.go b/storage/gc_queue.go
index 287b8ff8d202..24cc124d70d9 100644
--- a/storage/gc_queue.go
+++ b/storage/gc_queue.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 package storage
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/client"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/config"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/gossip"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/keys"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/proto"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/security"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/storage/engine"
@@ -47,6 +49,12 @@ const (
 	// intentAgeThreshold is the threshold after which an extant intent
 	// will be resolved.
 	intentAgeThreshold = 2 * time.Hour // 2 hour
+	// txnCleanupThreshold is the threshold after which a transaction is
+	// considered abandoned and fit for removal, as measured by the maximum
+	// of its last heartbeat and timestamp.
+	// TODO(tschottdorf): need to enforce at all times that this is much
+	// larger than the heartbeat interval used by the coordinator.
+	txnCleanupThreshold = time.Hour
 )
 
 // gcQueue manages a queue of replicas slated to be scanned in their
@@ -57,6 +65,9 @@ const (
 //    as implemented going forward).
 //  - Resolve extant write intents and determine oldest non-resolvable
 //    intent.
+//  - GC of old transaction entries. This should include most committed
+//    entries almost immediately and, after a threshold on inactivity,
+//    all others.
 //
 // The shouldQueue function combines the need for both tasks into a
 // single priority. If any task is overdue, shouldQueue returns true.
@@ -127,6 +138,8 @@ func (gcq *gcQueue) process(now proto.Timestamp, repl *Replica) error {
 	// Compute intent expiration (intent age at which we attempt to resolve).
 	intentExp := now
 	intentExp.WallTime -= intentAgeThreshold.Nanoseconds()
+	txnExp := now
+	txnExp.WallTime -= txnCleanupThreshold.Nanoseconds()
 
 	gcArgs := &proto.GCRequest{
 		RequestHeader: proto.RequestHeader{
@@ -134,6 +147,7 @@ func (gcq *gcQueue) process(now proto.Timestamp, repl *Replica) error {
 			RangeID:   repl.Desc().RangeID,
 		},
 	}
+
 	var mu sync.Mutex
 	var oldestIntentNanos int64 = math.MaxInt64
 	var expBaseKey proto.Key
@@ -222,9 +236,24 @@ func (gcq *gcQueue) process(now proto.Timestamp, repl *Replica) error {
 	gcArgs.Key = gcArgs.Keys[0].Key
 	gcArgs.EndKey = gcArgs.Keys[len(gcArgs.Keys)-1].Key.Next()
 
+	txnKeys, err := processTransactionTable(repl, txnMap, intentMap, txnExp)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Append the keys only now, after having set the key range for gcArgs.
+	// Those keys are all range-local.
+	// TODO(tschottdorf): Probably need two requests because we need to have
+	// the full key range in the header, but we can't span from range-local
+	// to range-data.
+	gcArgs.Keys = append(gcArgs.Keys, txnKeys...)
+
 	// Process push transactions in parallel.
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	for _, txn := range txnMap {
+		if txn.Status != proto.PENDING {
+			continue
+		}
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go pushTxn(repl, now, txn, updateOldestIntent, &wg)
 	}
@@ -261,6 +290,73 @@ func (gcq *gcQueue) process(now proto.Timestamp, repl *Replica) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// processTransactionTable scans the transaction table and updates txnMap with
+// those transactions which are old and either PENDING or with intents
+// registered. In the first case we want to push the transaction so that it is
+// aborted, and in the second case we care about checking the intents and
+// updating the record accordingly so that the next gc cycle can dispose of
+// them. The transaction records which can be gc'ed are returned separately and
+// not added to txnMap nor intentMap.
+func processTransactionTable(r *Replica, txnMap map[string]*proto.Transaction, intentMap map[string][]proto.Intent, cutoff proto.Timestamp) ([]proto.GCRequest_GCKey, error) {
+	snap := r.rm.Engine().NewSnapshot()
+	defer snap.Close()
+
+	var gcKeys []proto.GCRequest_GCKey
+	handleOne := func(kv proto.KeyValue) error {
+		var txn proto.Transaction
+		if err := gogoproto.Unmarshal(kv.Value.Bytes, &txn); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		ts := txn.Timestamp
+		if heartbeatTS := txn.LastHeartbeat; heartbeatTS != nil {
+			ts.Forward(*heartbeatTS)
+		}
+		if !ts.Less(cutoff) {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		id := string(txn.ID)
+		// Always collect all intents referred to by stale transactions. In
+		// practice, there should barely be any intents here, and (currently)
+		// they only occur on committed transactions.
+		if len(txn.Intents) > 0 {
+			intentMap[id] = append(intentMap[id], txn.Intents...)
+			txnMap[id] = &txn
+		}
+
+		// The transaction record should be considered for removal.
+		switch txn.Status {
+		case proto.PENDING:
+			// Marked as running, so we need to push it to abort it.
+			txnMap[id] = &txn
+			return nil
+		case proto.COMMITTED:
+			// It's committed, so it doesn't need a push but it might be
+			// waiting for some intents to be cleaned up.
+			if len(txn.Intents) > 0 {
+				// Can't GC until the intents are gone. We've already
+				// collected them above, so nothing else to do.
+				return nil
+			}
+		case proto.ABORTED:
+			// It's aborted and old, so once removed a push to it will
+			// still succeed (by design). So this is safe to remove.
+		default:
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("invalid transaction state: %s", txn))
+		}
+		gcKeys = append(gcKeys, proto.GCRequest_GCKey{Key: kv.Key}) // zero timestamp
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	startKey := keys.TransactionKey(proto.KeyMin, nil)
+	endKey := keys.TransactionKey(proto.KeyMax, nil)
+
+	_, err := engine.MVCCIterate(snap, startKey, endKey, proto.ZeroTimestamp, true /* consistent */, nil /* txn */, false /* !reverse */, func(kv proto.KeyValue) (bool, error) {
+		return false, handleOne(kv)
+	})
+	return gcKeys, err
+}
+
 // timer returns a constant duration to space out GC processing
 // for successive queued replicas.
 func (gcq *gcQueue) timer() time.Duration {
diff --git a/storage/gc_queue_test.go b/storage/gc_queue_test.go
index 5d8f0c42cbcd..02c32e74a538 100644
--- a/storage/gc_queue_test.go
+++ b/storage/gc_queue_test.go
@@ -20,13 +20,17 @@ package storage
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
+	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/config"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/gossip"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/keys"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/proto"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/storage/engine"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/util"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/util/hlc"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/util/leaktest"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/util/log"
 	gogoproto "github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
@@ -293,6 +297,107 @@ func TestGCQueueProcess(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGCQueueTransactionTable(t *testing.T) {
+	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)
+
+	const now time.Duration = 3 * 24 * time.Hour
+	const dAbandon = -2 * DefaultHeartbeatInterval
+	type spec struct {
+		status      proto.TransactionStatus
+		ts          time.Duration
+		heartbeatTS time.Duration
+		intents     []proto.Intent
+	}
+	// Describes the state of the Txn table before the test.
+	before := map[string]spec{
+		// Too young, should not touch.
+		"a": {proto.PENDING, now - txnCleanupThreshold + 1, 0, []proto.Intent{{Key: proto.Key("q")}}},
+		// Old, but still heartbeat. No GC.
+		"b": {proto.PENDING, 0, now - txnCleanupThreshold + 1, nil},
+		// Old and aborted, should delete.
+		"c": {proto.ABORTED, now - txnCleanupThreshold - 1, 0, nil},
+		// Old and pending, so should push and abort it successfully.
+		"d": {proto.PENDING, now - dAbandon, 0, nil},
+		// Committed and fresh, so no action.
+		"e": {proto.COMMITTED, now - txnCleanupThreshold + 1, 0, nil},
+		// Committed, old and intentless. Bye bye.
+		"f": {proto.COMMITTED, now - txnCleanupThreshold - 1, 0, nil},
+		// Committed and old, but with intent. No action on txn record,
+		// but tries to resolve intents.
+		"g": {proto.COMMITTED, now - txnCleanupThreshold - 1, 0,
+			[]proto.Intent{{Key: proto.Key("z")}}},
+	}
+
+	after := map[string]*spec{}
+	for k := range before {
+		sCopy := before[k]
+		after[k] = &sCopy
+	}
+
+	// Test outcome follows, described as changes to the previous state.
+	after["a"].intents = nil // expect no attempts to resolve the intent
+	after["c"].status = -1
+	after["d"].status = proto.ABORTED
+	after["f"].status = -1
+
+	resolved := map[string][]proto.Intent{}
+	TestingCommandFilter = func(req proto.Request) error {
+		if resArgs, ok := req.(*proto.ResolveIntentRequest); ok {
+			id := string(resArgs.Txn.Key)
+			resolved[id] = append(resolved[id], proto.Intent{
+				Key:    resArgs.Header().Key,
+				EndKey: resArgs.Header().EndKey,
+			})
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	tc := testContext{}
+	tc.Start(t)
+	defer tc.Stop()
+	defer func() { TestingCommandFilter = nil }()
+	tc.manualClock.Set(int64(now))
+
+	txns := map[string]proto.Transaction{}
+	for strKey, sp := range before {
+		baseKey := proto.Key(strKey)
+		txnClock := hlc.NewClock(hlc.NewManualClock(int64(sp.ts)).UnixNano)
+		txn := newTransaction("txn1", baseKey, 1, proto.SERIALIZABLE, txnClock)
+		txn.Status = sp.status
+		txn.Intents = sp.intents
+		txn.LastHeartbeat = &proto.Timestamp{WallTime: int64(sp.heartbeatTS)}
+		txns[strKey] = *txn
+		key := keys.TransactionKey(baseKey, txn.ID)
+		if err := engine.MVCCPutProto(tc.engine, nil, key, proto.ZeroTimestamp, nil, txn); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Run GC.
+	gcQ := newGCQueue()
+	if err := gcQ.process(tc.clock.Now(), tc.rng); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	util.SucceedsWithin(t, time.Second, func() error {
+		for strKey, sp := range after {
+			txn := &proto.Transaction{}
+			key := keys.TransactionKey(proto.Key(strKey), txns[strKey].ID)
+			ok, err := engine.MVCCGetProto(tc.engine, key, proto.ZeroTimestamp, true, nil, txn)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if expGC := (sp.status == -1); expGC != !ok {
+				return fmt.Errorf("%s: expected gc: %t, but found %s", strKey, expGC, txn)
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(resolved[strKey], sp.intents) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("%s: unexpected intent resolutions:\nexpected: %s\nobserved: %s",
+					strKey, sp.intents, resolved[strKey])
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+}
+
 // TestGCQueueIntentResolution verifies intent resolution with many
 // intents spanning just two transactions.
 func TestGCQueueIntentResolution(t *testing.T) {