diff --git a/internal/vm/gc.go b/internal/vm/gc.go
index 61a58445..259ebb67 100644
--- a/internal/vm/gc.go
+++ b/internal/vm/gc.go
@@ -259,10 +259,21 @@ func (vm *VM) registerGC() {
 	// tunables. rbgo runs on Go's GC and exposes no tunable settings, so the
 	// configuration is just the read-only :implementation name: with no argument
 	// (or nil) it returns {implementation: "rbgo"}; with a Hash it applies the
-	// (empty) set of writable settings — ignoring unknown keys — and returns the
-	// settings without the global :implementation key, but raises ArgumentError if
-	// asked to write the read-only :implementation. Any other argument type raises
-	// ArgumentError, matching MRI.
+	// (empty) set of writable settings — ignoring unknown keys — and raises
+	// ArgumentError if asked to write the read-only :implementation. Any other
+	// argument type raises ArgumentError, matching MRI.
+	//
+	// ⛔ What the Hash form RETURNS changed in Ruby 4.0, and ruby/spec asserts it
+	// both ways:
+	//
+	//	ruby_version_is ""..."4.0"    "returns the same as GC.config but WITHOUT the :implementation key"
+	//	ruby_version_is "4.0"         "returns the same as GC.config, INCLUDING the :implementation key"
+	//	                              (core/gc/config_spec.rb:43 and :50)
+	//
+	// So from 4.0 the setter answers with the full configuration, exactly what
+	// the no-argument form returns — `GC.config({}).should == previous`. Here
+	// that is the one global key, which is why the pre-4.0 answer was an empty
+	// Hash and the 4.0 answer is `{implementation: "rbgo"}`.
 	def("config", func(vm *VM, _ object.Value, args []object.Value, _ *Proc) object.Value {
 		fullConfig := func() *object.Hash {
 			h := object.NewHash()
@@ -282,9 +293,11 @@ func (vm *VM) registerGC() {
 			if _, ok := a.Get(object.NewString("implementation")); ok {
 				return raise("ArgumentError", `Attempting to set read-only key "Implementation"`)
 			}
-			// No writable settings exist on Go's GC; unknown keys are ignored. The
-			// return value mirrors the settings without the global :implementation key.
-			return object.NewHash()
+			// No writable settings exist on Go's GC; unknown keys are ignored. From
+			// 4.0 the return value is the FULL configuration — the same thing the
+			// no-argument form answers — rather than the settings with the global
+			// key stripped out.
+			return fullConfig()
 		default:
 			return raise("ArgumentError", "expected keyword arguments, got %s", vm.classOf(args[0]).name)
 		}
diff --git a/internal/vm/gc_test.go b/internal/vm/gc_test.go
index 40fe9cfc..5b61e83f 100644
--- a/internal/vm/gc_test.go
+++ b/internal/vm/gc_test.go
@@ -88,12 +88,31 @@ func TestGCModule(t *testing.T) {
 		{`p GC::OPTS.is_a?(Array)`, "true\n"},
 
 		// config: no-arg and nil return {implementation: "rbgo"}; an options Hash
-		// returns the (empty) writable settings and ignores unknown keys; writing the
-		// read-only :implementation (Symbol or String) raises; a non-hash raises.
+		// ignores unknown keys; writing the read-only :implementation (Symbol or
+		// String) raises; a non-hash raises.
+		//
+		// ⛔ What the Hash form RETURNS changed in Ruby 4.0, and the two rows below
+		// moved with the version rather than because rbgo was wrong — ruby/spec
+		// asserts it both ways, which is how a reader can tell the two apart:
+		//
+		//	ruby_version_is ""..."4.0"  "returns the same as GC.config but WITHOUT the :implementation key"
+		//	ruby_version_is "4.0"       "returns the same as GC.config, INCLUDING the :implementation key"
+		//	                            (core/gc/config_spec.rb:43 and :50)
+		//
+		// So from 4.0 the setter answers with the full configuration — here the one
+		// global key — where before it answered an empty Hash.
 		{`c = GC.config; p [c.is_a?(Hash), c[:implementation]]`, `[true, "rbgo"]` + "\n"},
 		{`p GC.config(nil) == GC.config`, "true\n"},
-		{`p GC.config({})`, "{}\n"},
-		{`p (GC.config(foo: "bar") == {})`, "true\n"},
+		{`p GC.config({})`, `{implementation: "rbgo"}` + "\n"},
+		{`p (GC.config(foo: "bar") == GC.config)`, "true\n"},
+		// ⛔ Returning the FULL config where the answer used to be {} makes the
+		// identity of that Hash matter: a caller who mutates it must not reach the
+		// VM's own configuration. Each call answers a fresh, unfrozen copy, and an
+		// unknown key is ignored rather than stored. Measured equal on MRI 4.0.7.
+		{`p GC.config.equal?(GC.config)`, "false\n"},
+		{`p GC.config.frozen?`, "false\n"},
+		{`h = GC.config; h[:implementation] = "zzz"; p GC.config[:implementation]`, `"rbgo"` + "\n"},
+		{`GC.config(foo: "bar"); p GC.config.key?(:foo)`, "false\n"},
 		{`begin; GC.config(implementation: "x"); rescue => e; p [e.class, e.message]; end`, `[ArgumentError, "Attempting to set read-only key \"Implementation\""]` + "\n"},
 		{`begin; GC.config("implementation" => "x"); rescue => e; p e.class; end`, "ArgumentError\n"},
 		{`begin; GC.config([]); rescue => e; p e.class; end`, "ArgumentError\n"},