diff --git a/streams_map.go b/streams_map.go
index 3fd553b4..14b74c69 100644
--- a/streams_map.go
+++ b/streams_map.go
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ type streamsMap struct {
 	streams     map[protocol.StreamID]*stream
 	openStreams []protocol.StreamID
 
-	highestStreamOpenedByClient protocol.StreamID
+	highestStreamOpenedByClient          protocol.StreamID
+	streamsOpenedAfterLastGarbageCollect int
 
 	mutex         sync.RWMutex
 	newStream     newStreamLambda
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ func (m *streamsMap) GetOrOpenStream(id protocol.StreamID) (*stream, error) {
 	if ok {
 		return s, nil // s may be nil
 	}
+
 	// ... we don't have an existing stream, try opening a new one
 	m.mutex.Lock()
 	defer m.mutex.Unlock()
@@ -77,6 +79,11 @@ func (m *streamsMap) GetOrOpenStream(id protocol.StreamID) (*stream, error) {
 		m.highestStreamOpenedByClient = id
 	}
 
+	m.streamsOpenedAfterLastGarbageCollect++
+	if m.streamsOpenedAfterLastGarbageCollect%protocol.MaxNewStreamIDDelta == 0 {
+		m.garbageCollectClosedStreams()
+	}
+
 	m.putStream(s)
 	return s, nil
 }
@@ -182,8 +189,8 @@ func (m *streamsMap) NumberOfStreams() int {
 }
 
 // garbageCollectClosedStreams deletes nil values in the streams if they are smaller than protocol.MaxNewStreamIDDelta than the highest stream opened by the client
+// note that this garbage collection is relatively expensive, since it iterates over the whole streams map. It should not be called every time a stream is openend or closed
 func (m *streamsMap) garbageCollectClosedStreams() {
-	m.mutex.Lock()
 	for id, str := range m.streams {
 		if str != nil {
 			continue
@@ -192,5 +199,5 @@ func (m *streamsMap) garbageCollectClosedStreams() {
 			delete(m.streams, id)
 		}
 	}
-	m.mutex.Unlock()
+	m.streamsOpenedAfterLastGarbageCollect = 0
 }
diff --git a/streams_map_test.go b/streams_map_test.go
index 4c1b8260..59268c74 100644
--- a/streams_map_test.go
+++ b/streams_map_test.go
@@ -142,6 +142,26 @@ var _ = Describe("Streams Map", func() {
 				Expect(m.streams).To(HaveKey(protocol.StreamID(23)))
 				Expect(m.streams[23]).ToNot(BeNil())
 			})
+
+			It("runs garbage-collection after a bunch of streams have been opened", func() {
+				numGarbageCollections := 0
+				numSavedStreams := 0
+				for i := 1; i < 4*protocol.MaxNewStreamIDDelta; i += 2 {
+					streamID := protocol.StreamID(i)
+					_, err := m.GetOrOpenStream(streamID)
+					Expect(m.highestStreamOpenedByClient).To(Equal(streamID))
+					Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+					err = m.RemoveStream(streamID)
+					Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+					if len(m.streams) != numSavedStreams+1 {
+						numGarbageCollections++
+					}
+					numSavedStreams = len(m.streams)
+				}
+				Expect(numGarbageCollections).ToNot(BeZero())
+				Expect(numGarbageCollections).To(BeNumerically("<", 4))
+				Expect(len(m.streams)).To(BeNumerically("<", 2*protocol.MaxNewStreamIDDelta))
+			})
 		})
 	})