diff --git a/src/esockd.app.src b/src/esockd.app.src
index 2356b4a..4071933 100644
--- a/src/esockd.app.src
+++ b/src/esockd.app.src
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {application, esockd,
  [{description, "General Non-blocking TCP/SSL and UDP/DTLS Server"},
   {id, "esockd"},
-  {vsn, "5.9.3"},
+  {vsn, "5.9.4"},
   {modules, []},
   {registered, []},
   {applications, [kernel, stdlib, sasl, ssl]},
diff --git a/src/esockd.appup.src b/src/esockd.appup.src
index 7ed0b70..3c5b3c1 100644
--- a/src/esockd.appup.src
+++ b/src/esockd.appup.src
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
-%%-*-: erlang -*-
+%%-*- mode: erlang; -*-
 
-{"5.9.3",
- [{"5.9.2",
+{"5.9.4",
+ [{"5.9.3",
+   [ {load_module,esockd_transport,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]}
+   ]
+  },
+  {"5.9.2",
    [ {load_module,esockd_udp,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]}
+   , {load_module,esockd_transport,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]}
    ]
   },
   {"5.9.1",
@@ -23,8 +28,13 @@
   },
   {<<".*">>, []}
  ],
- [{"5.9.2",
+ [{"5.9.3",
+   [ {load_module,esockd_transport,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]}
+   ]
+  },
+  {"5.9.2",
    [ {load_module,esockd_udp,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]}
+   , {load_module,esockd_transport,brutal_purge,soft_purge,[]}
    ]
   },
   {"5.9.1",
diff --git a/src/esockd_transport.erl b/src/esockd_transport.erl
index c7e3b25..01f84d9 100644
--- a/src/esockd_transport.erl
+++ b/src/esockd_transport.erl
@@ -345,11 +345,15 @@ shutdown(#proxy_socket{socket = Sock}, How) ->
 -spec(ssl_upgrade_fun([ssl:ssl_option()]) -> esockd:sock_fun()).
 ssl_upgrade_fun(SslOpts) ->
     {Timeout, SslOpts1} = take_handshake_timeout(SslOpts),
-    {fun ?MODULE:ssl_upgrade/3, [SslOpts1, Timeout]}.
+    {GCAfterHandshake, SslOpts2} = take_gc_after_handshake(SslOpts1),
+    {fun ?MODULE:ssl_upgrade/3, [SslOpts2, #{timeout => Timeout,
+                                             gc_after_handshake => GCAfterHandshake}]}.
 
-ssl_upgrade(Sock, SslOpts1, Timeout) ->
+ssl_upgrade(Sock, SslOpts1, #{timeout := Timeout,
+                              gc_after_handshake := GCAfterHandshake}) ->
     try do_ssl_handshake(Sock, SslOpts1, Timeout) of
         {ok, NSock} ->
+            GCAfterHandshake andalso gc(NSock),
             {ok, NSock};
         {error, Reason} when Reason =:= closed; Reason =:= timeout ->
             {error, Reason};
@@ -395,6 +399,10 @@ take_handshake_timeout(SslOpts) ->
             {?SSL_HANDSHAKE_TIMEOUT, SslOpts}
     end.
 
+take_gc_after_handshake(SslOpts) ->
+    {proplists:get_bool(gc_after_handshake, SslOpts),
+     proplists:delete(gc_after_handshake, SslOpts)}.
+
 %% @doc TCP | SSL -> ProxySocket
 proxy_upgrade_fun(Opts) ->
     Timeout = proxy_protocol_timeout(Opts),
@@ -422,12 +430,28 @@ ensure_ok_or_exit(Fun, Args = [Sock|_]) when is_atom(Fun), is_list(Args) ->
     end.
 
 gc(Sock) when is_port(Sock) ->
-    ok;
+    case erlang:port_info(Sock, connected) of
+        {connected, Pid} ->
+            erlang:garbage_collect(Pid),
+            ok;
+        undefined ->
+            ok
+    end;
 %% Defined in ssl/src/ssl_api.hrl:
 %% -record(sslsocket, {fd = nil, pid = nil}).
 gc(#ssl_socket{ssl = {sslsocket, _, Pid}}) when is_pid(Pid) ->
-    erlang:garbage_collect(Pid);
+    erlang:garbage_collect(Pid),
+    ok;
+%% In OTP 24+, the last element is a list of PIDs The first is spawned
+%% by `ssl_gen_statem:init/1', the second by `tls_sender:init/1`.
+gc(#ssl_socket{ssl = {sslsocket, _, Pids}}) when is_list(Pids) ->
+    lists:foreach(
+      fun(Pid) when is_pid(Pid) ->
+              erlang:garbage_collect(Pid);
+         (_) ->
+              ok
+      end,
+      Pids);
 gc(#proxy_socket{socket = Sock}) ->
     gc(Sock);
 gc(_Sock) -> ok.
-
diff --git a/test/esockd_transport_SUITE.erl b/test/esockd_transport_SUITE.erl
index ee43991..cfa48b3 100644
--- a/test/esockd_transport_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/esockd_transport_SUITE.erl
@@ -97,6 +97,17 @@ t_send_ssl(Config) ->
     ok = esockd_transport:close(#ssl_socket{ssl = SslSock}),
     ok = esockd:close(echo, 8883).
 
+t_send_ssl_gc_after_handshake(Config) ->
+    ssl:start(),
+    SslOpts = [{certfile, esockd_ct:certfile(Config)},
+               {keyfile, esockd_ct:keyfile(Config)},
+               {gc_after_handshake, true}],
+    {ok, _} = esockd:open(echo, 8883, [{ssl_options, SslOpts}], {echo_server, start_link, []}),
+    {ok, SslSock} = ssl:connect({127,0,0,1}, 8883, [], 3000),
+    ok = esockd_transport:send(#ssl_socket{ssl = SslSock}, <<"Hello">>),
+    ok = esockd_transport:close(#ssl_socket{ssl = SslSock}),
+    ok = esockd:close(echo, 8883).
+
 t_send_proxy(_) ->
     {ok, _} = esockd:open(echo, 5000, [{tcp_options, [binary]},
                                        proxy_protocol,
@@ -188,11 +199,16 @@ t_proxy_upgrade_fun(_) ->
     ?assert(is_function(Fun)).
 
 t_ssl_upgrade_fun(_) ->
-    {Fun, [[], 1000]} = esockd_transport:ssl_upgrade_fun([{handshake_timeout, 1000}]),
-    ?assert(is_function(Fun)).
+    {Fun0, [[], #{timeout := 1000, gc_after_handshake := false}]}
+        = esockd_transport:ssl_upgrade_fun([{handshake_timeout, 1000}]),
+    ?assert(is_function(Fun0, 3)),
+    {Fun1, [[], #{timeout := 1000, gc_after_handshake := true}]}
+        = esockd_transport:ssl_upgrade_fun([{handshake_timeout, 1000},
+                                            {gc_after_handshake, true}]),
+    ?assert(is_function(Fun1, 3)),
+    ok.
 
 t_fast_close(_) ->
     {ok, LSock} = esockd_transport:listen(3000, [{reuseaddr, true}]),
     ok = esockd_transport:fast_close(LSock),
     ok = esockd_transport:close(LSock).
-