diff --git a/cores/esp8266/FS.cpp b/cores/esp8266/FS.cpp
index 4951b798b..9461d9fdd 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/FS.cpp
+++ b/cores/esp8266/FS.cpp
@@ -262,6 +262,13 @@ void FS::end() {
     }
 }
 
+bool FS::gc() {
+    if (!_impl) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    return _impl->gc();
+}
+
 bool FS::format() {
     if (!_impl) {
         return false;
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/FS.h b/cores/esp8266/FS.h
index d9c43ef3b..2cc6acd12 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/FS.h
+++ b/cores/esp8266/FS.h
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public:
     File openNextFile();
 
     String readString() override;
-	
+
 protected:
     FileImplPtr _p;
 
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ public:
 
     bool begin();
     void end();
-    
+
     bool format();
     bool info(FSInfo& info);
 
@@ -206,6 +206,8 @@ public:
     bool rmdir(const char* path);
     bool rmdir(const String& path);
 
+    bool gc();
+
 protected:
     FSImplPtr _impl;
 };
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/FSImpl.h b/cores/esp8266/FSImpl.h
index 4c0ab2ccf..a668f2887 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/FSImpl.h
+++ b/cores/esp8266/FSImpl.h
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ public:
     virtual bool remove(const char* path) = 0;
     virtual bool mkdir(const char* path) = 0;
     virtual bool rmdir(const char* path) = 0;
+    virtual bool gc() { return true; } // May not be implemented in all file systems.
 };
 
 } // namespace fs
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/spiffs_api.h b/cores/esp8266/spiffs_api.h
index a0136849e..95600a22a 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/spiffs_api.h
+++ b/cores/esp8266/spiffs_api.h
@@ -208,6 +208,11 @@ public:
         return true;
     }
 
+    bool gc() override
+    {
+        return SPIFFS_gc_quick( &_fs, 0 ) == SPIFFS_OK;
+    }
+
 protected:
     friend class SPIFFSFileImpl;
     friend class SPIFFSDirImpl;
@@ -290,7 +295,7 @@ protected:
         (void) report;
         (void) arg1;
         (void) arg2;
-        
+
         // TODO: spiffs doesn't pass any context pointer along with _check_cb,
         // so we can't do anything useful here other than perhaps
         // feeding the watchdog