Index: bin/emerge
===================================================================
--- bin/emerge	(revision 10708)
+++ bin/emerge	(working copy)
@@ -5917,6 +5917,10 @@
 		if self._opts_ignore_blockers.intersection(self.myopts):
 			return None
 
+		# workaround for bug #228075
+		import gc
+		gc.collect()
+
 		blocker_dblinks = []
 		for blocking_pkg in self._blocker_db[
 			new_pkg.root].findInstalledBlockers(new_pkg,
@@ -5930,6 +5934,8 @@
 				self.pkgsettings[blocking_pkg.root], treetype="vartree",
 				vartree=self.trees[blocking_pkg.root]["vartree"]))
 
+		gc.collect()
+
 		return blocker_dblinks
 
 	def merge(self, mylist, favorites, mtimedb):