diff --git a/src/runtime/mgcpacer.go b/src/runtime/mgcpacer.go
index f886a07da1..230e78b000 100644
--- a/src/runtime/mgcpacer.go
+++ b/src/runtime/mgcpacer.go
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ func (c *gcControllerState) revise() {
 			// growths. It's OK to use more memory this cycle to scan all the live heap,
 			// because the next GC cycle is inevitably going to use *at least* that much
 			// memory anyway.
-			heapGoal = int64(float64(heapGoal-int64(c.trigger))/float64(scanWorkExpected)*float64(maxScanWork)) + int64(c.trigger)
+			extHeapGoal := int64(float64(heapGoal-int64(c.trigger))/float64(scanWorkExpected)*float64(maxScanWork)) + int64(c.trigger)
 			scanWorkExpected = maxScanWork
 
 			// hardGoal is a hard limit on the amount that we're willing to push back the
@@ -528,9 +528,10 @@ func (c *gcControllerState) revise() {
 			// This maintains the invariant that we use no more memory than the next GC cycle
 			// will anyway.
 			hardGoal := int64((1.0 + float64(gcPercent)/100.0) * float64(heapGoal))
-			if heapGoal > hardGoal {
-				heapGoal = hardGoal
+			if extHeapGoal > hardGoal {
+				extHeapGoal = hardGoal
 			}
+			heapGoal = extHeapGoal
 		}
 		if int64(live) > heapGoal {
 			// We're already past our heap goal, even the extrapolated one.
diff --git a/src/runtime/mgcpacer_test.go b/src/runtime/mgcpacer_test.go
index d2707ca5a1..9ec0e5172b 100644
--- a/src/runtime/mgcpacer_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/mgcpacer_test.go
@@ -302,6 +302,12 @@ func TestGcPacer(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 			},
 		},
+		// TODO(mknyszek): Write a test that exercises the pacer's hard goal.
+		// This is difficult in the idealized model this testing framework places
+		// the pacer in, because the calculated overshoot is directly proportional
+		// to the runway for the case of the expected work.
+		// However, it is still possible to trigger this case if something exceptional
+		// happens between calls to revise; the framework just doesn't support this yet.
 	} {
 		e := e
 		t.Run(e.name, func(t *testing.T) {