diff --git a/src/runtime/mgc.go b/src/runtime/mgc.go
index bda8eadc9d..0bc5568442 100644
--- a/src/runtime/mgc.go
+++ b/src/runtime/mgc.go
@@ -1368,13 +1368,6 @@ func gcStart(trigger gcTrigger) {
 		work.pauseNS += now - work.pauseStart
 		work.tMark = now
 	})
-
-	// Release the world sema before Gosched() in STW mode
-	// because we will need to reacquire it later but before
-	// this goroutine becomes runnable again, and we could
-	// self-deadlock otherwise.
-	semrelease(&worldsema)
-
 	// In STW mode, we could block the instant systemstack
 	// returns, so don't do anything important here. Make sure we
 	// block rather than returning to user code.
@@ -1382,6 +1375,7 @@ func gcStart(trigger gcTrigger) {
 		Gosched()
 	}
 
+	semrelease(&worldsema)
 	semrelease(&work.startSema)
 }