diff --git a/perf/benches/recycler.rs b/perf/benches/recycler.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..742241514614e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/perf/benches/recycler.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#![feature(test)]
+
+extern crate test;
+
+use solana_perf::recycler::Recycler;
+use test::Bencher;
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_recycler(bencher: &mut Bencher) {
+    solana_logger::setup();
+
+    let recycler = Recycler::default();
+
+    for _ in 0..1000 {
+        let mut p = solana_perf::packet::Packets::with_capacity(128);
+        p.packets.resize(128, solana_sdk::packet::Packet::default());
+        recycler.recycle_for_test(p.packets);
+    }
+
+    bencher.iter(move || {
+        recycler.recycle_for_test(recycler.allocate("me"));
+    });
+}
diff --git a/perf/src/cuda_runtime.rs b/perf/src/cuda_runtime.rs
index dc9b84a0395ca2..a8f9b01acf6b77 100644
--- a/perf/src/cuda_runtime.rs
+++ b/perf/src/cuda_runtime.rs
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ impl<T: Default + Clone + Sized> Reset for PinnedVec<T> {
     fn set_recycler(&mut self, recycler: Weak<RecyclerX<Self>>) {
         self.recycler = Some(recycler);
     }
+    fn unset_recycler(&mut self) {
+        self.recycler = None;
+    }
 }
 
 impl<T: Clone + Default + Sized> Default for PinnedVec<T> {
diff --git a/perf/src/recycler.rs b/perf/src/recycler.rs
index 1d94d8e4e216e9..0213e7b232c95c 100644
--- a/perf/src/recycler.rs
+++ b/perf/src/recycler.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+use log::*;
 use rand::{thread_rng, Rng};
-use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, Weak};
+use std::time::Instant;
+use std::{collections::VecDeque, sync::atomic::AtomicBool};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default)]
 struct RecyclerStats {
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ pub struct Recycler<T> {
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct RecyclerX<T> {
-    gc: Mutex<Vec<T>>,
+    gc: Mutex<VecDeque<(Instant, T)>>,
     stats: RecyclerStats,
     id: usize,
 }
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ impl<T: Default> Default for RecyclerX<T> {
         let id = thread_rng().gen_range(0, 1000);
         trace!("new recycler..{}", id);
         RecyclerX {
-            gc: Mutex::new(vec![]),
+            gc: Mutex::new(VecDeque::new()),
             stats: RecyclerStats::default(),
             id,
         }
@@ -41,6 +43,9 @@ pub trait Reset {
     fn set_recycler(&mut self, recycler: Weak<RecyclerX<Self>>)
     where
         Self: std::marker::Sized;
+    fn unset_recycler(&mut self)
+    where
+        Self: std::marker::Sized;
 }
 
 lazy_static! {
@@ -55,6 +60,9 @@ fn warm_recyclers() -> bool {
     WARM_RECYCLERS.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
 }
 
+pub const MAX_INVENTORY_COUNT_WITHOUT_EXPIRATION: usize = 10;
+pub const EXPIRATION_TTL_SECONDS: u64 = 3600;
+
 impl<T: Default + Reset + Sized> Recycler<T> {
     pub fn warmed(num: usize, size_hint: usize) -> Self {
         let new = Self::default();
@@ -74,12 +82,26 @@ impl<T: Default + Reset + Sized> Recycler<T> {
     }
 
     pub fn allocate(&self, name: &'static str) -> T {
-        let new = self
-            .recycler
-            .gc
-            .lock()
-            .expect("recycler lock in pb fn allocate")
-            .pop();
+        let new = {
+            let mut gc = self.recycler.gc.lock().unwrap();
+
+            // Don't expire when inventory is rather small. At least,
+            // we shouldn't expire (= drop) the last inventory; we can just
+            // return it from here.  Also add some buffer. Thus, we don't
+            // expire if less than 10.
+            if gc.len() > MAX_INVENTORY_COUNT_WITHOUT_EXPIRATION {
+                if let Some((oldest_time, _old_item)) = gc.front() {
+                    if oldest_time.elapsed().as_secs() >= EXPIRATION_TTL_SECONDS {
+                        let (_, mut expired) = gc.pop_front().unwrap();
+                        // unref-ing recycler here is crucial to prevent
+                        // the expired from being recycled again via Drop,
+                        // lading to dead lock!
+                        expired.unset_recycler();
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            gc.pop_back().map(|(_added_time, item)| item)
+        };
 
         if let Some(mut x) = new {
             self.recycler.stats.reuse.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
@@ -101,13 +123,17 @@ impl<T: Default + Reset + Sized> Recycler<T> {
         t.set_recycler(Arc::downgrade(&self.recycler));
         t
     }
+
+    pub fn recycle_for_test(&self, x: T) {
+        self.recycler.recycle(x);
+    }
 }
 
 impl<T: Default + Reset> RecyclerX<T> {
     pub fn recycle(&self, x: T) {
         let len = {
             let mut gc = self.gc.lock().expect("recycler lock in pub fn recycle");
-            gc.push(x);
+            gc.push_back((Instant::now(), x));
             gc.len()
         };
 
@@ -137,13 +163,16 @@ impl<T: Default + Reset> RecyclerX<T> {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use std::time::Duration;
 
+    const RESET_VALUE: u64 = 10;
     impl Reset for u64 {
         fn reset(&mut self) {
-            *self = 10;
+            *self += RESET_VALUE;
         }
         fn warm(&mut self, _size_hint: usize) {}
         fn set_recycler(&mut self, _recycler: Weak<RecyclerX<Self>>) {}
+        fn unset_recycler(&mut self) {}
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -153,10 +182,63 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(y, 0);
         y = 20;
         let recycler2 = recycler.clone();
-        recycler2.recycler.recycle(y);
+        recycler2.recycle_for_test(y);
         assert_eq!(recycler.recycler.gc.lock().unwrap().len(), 1);
         let z = recycler.allocate("test_recycler2");
-        assert_eq!(z, 10);
+        assert_eq!(z, 20 + RESET_VALUE);
         assert_eq!(recycler.recycler.gc.lock().unwrap().len(), 0);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_recycler_ttl() {
+        let recycler = Recycler::default();
+        recycler.recycle_for_test(42);
+        recycler.recycle_for_test(43);
+        assert_eq!(recycler.recycler.gc.lock().unwrap().len(), 2);
+
+        // meddle to make the first element to expire
+        recycler.recycler.gc.lock().unwrap().front_mut().unwrap().0 =
+            Instant::now() - Duration::from_secs(EXPIRATION_TTL_SECONDS + 1);
+
+        let y: u64 = recycler.allocate("test_recycler1");
+        assert_eq!(y, 43 + RESET_VALUE);
+        assert_eq!(recycler.recycler.gc.lock().unwrap().len(), 1);
+
+        // create enough inventory to trigger expiration
+        for i in 44..44 + MAX_INVENTORY_COUNT_WITHOUT_EXPIRATION as u64 {
+            recycler.recycle_for_test(i);
+        }
+        assert_eq!(recycler.recycler.gc.lock().unwrap().len(), 11);
+
+        // allocate with expiration causes len to be reduced by 2
+        let y: u64 = recycler.allocate("test_recycler1");
+        assert_eq!(y, 53 + RESET_VALUE);
+        assert_eq!(recycler.recycler.gc.lock().unwrap().len(), 9);
+
+        // allocate without expiration causes len to be reduced by 2
+        let y: u64 = recycler.allocate("test_recycler1");
+        assert_eq!(y, 52 + RESET_VALUE);
+        assert_eq!(recycler.recycler.gc.lock().unwrap().len(), 8);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_recycler_no_deadlock() {
+        solana_logger::setup();
+
+        let recycler =
+            Recycler::<crate::cuda_runtime::PinnedVec<solana_sdk::packet::Packet>>::default();
+
+        // create bunch of packets and drop at once to force enough inventory
+        let packets = (0..=MAX_INVENTORY_COUNT_WITHOUT_EXPIRATION)
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|_| recycler.allocate("me"))
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        drop(packets);
+
+        recycler.recycler.gc.lock().unwrap().front_mut().unwrap().0 =
+            Instant::now() - Duration::from_secs(7200);
+
+        // this drops the first inventory item but shouldn't cause recycling of it!
+        recycler.recycle_for_test(recycler.allocate("me"));
+    }
 }