diff --git a/iseq.c b/iseq.c
index 639ca3a4cd014e..7f6a75aca44715 100644
--- a/iseq.c
+++ b/iseq.c
@@ -539,6 +539,19 @@ rb_iseq_pathobj_set(const rb_iseq_t *iseq, VALUE path, VALUE realpath)
                  rb_iseq_pathobj_new(path, realpath));
 }
 
+// Make a dummy iseq for a dummy frame that exposes a path for profilers to inspect
+rb_iseq_t *
+rb_iseq_alloc_with_dummy_path(VALUE fname)
+{
+    rb_iseq_t *dummy_iseq = iseq_alloc();
+
+    ISEQ_BODY(dummy_iseq)->type = ISEQ_TYPE_TOP;
+    RB_OBJ_WRITE(dummy_iseq, &ISEQ_BODY(dummy_iseq)->location.pathobj, fname);
+    RB_OBJ_WRITE(dummy_iseq, &ISEQ_BODY(dummy_iseq)->location.label, fname);
+
+    return dummy_iseq;
+}
+
 static rb_iseq_location_t *
 iseq_location_setup(rb_iseq_t *iseq, VALUE name, VALUE path, VALUE realpath, int first_lineno, const rb_code_location_t *code_location, const int node_id)
 {
@@ -1749,6 +1762,7 @@ iseqw_s_compile_file(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self)
                                          1, NULL, 0, ISEQ_TYPE_TOP, &option,
                                          Qnil));
     rb_ast_dispose(ast);
+    RB_GC_GUARD(ast_value);
 
     rb_vm_pop_frame(ec);
     RB_GC_GUARD(v);
@@ -1916,7 +1930,11 @@ rb_iseqw_to_iseq(VALUE iseqw)
 static VALUE
 iseqw_eval(VALUE self)
 {
-    return rb_iseq_eval(iseqw_check(self));
+    const rb_iseq_t *iseq = iseqw_check(self);
+    if (0 == ISEQ_BODY(iseq)->iseq_size) {
+        rb_raise(rb_eTypeError, "attempt to evaluate dummy InstructionSequence");
+    }
+    return rb_iseq_eval(iseq);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/test/fiber/test_scheduler.rb b/test/fiber/test_scheduler.rb
index 62424fc48939f6..81d4581bea7950 100644
--- a/test/fiber/test_scheduler.rb
+++ b/test/fiber/test_scheduler.rb
@@ -139,6 +139,19 @@ def test_autoload
     end
   end
 
+  def test_iseq_compile_under_gc_stress_bug_21180
+    Thread.new do
+      scheduler = Scheduler.new
+      Fiber.set_scheduler scheduler
+
+      Fiber.schedule do
+        EnvUtil.under_gc_stress do
+          RubyVM::InstructionSequence.compile_file(File::NULL)
+        end
+      end
+    end.join
+  end
+
   def test_deadlock
     mutex = Thread::Mutex.new
     condition = Thread::ConditionVariable.new
diff --git a/test/ruby/test_iseq.rb b/test/ruby/test_iseq.rb
index 9eb9c84602fbec..337e575b2ef900 100644
--- a/test/ruby/test_iseq.rb
+++ b/test/ruby/test_iseq.rb
@@ -919,4 +919,10 @@ def test_while_in_until_condition
       assert_predicate(status, :success?)
     end
   end
+
+  def test_compile_empty_under_gc_stress
+    EnvUtil.under_gc_stress do
+      RubyVM::InstructionSequence.compile_file(File::NULL)
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/vm.c b/vm.c
index db168e62c07fcb..d7d5a7317f5abd 100644
--- a/vm.c
+++ b/vm.c
@@ -3367,22 +3367,20 @@ rb_execution_context_update(rb_execution_context_t *ec)
         }
 
         while (cfp != limit_cfp) {
-            if (VM_FRAME_TYPE(cfp) != VM_FRAME_MAGIC_DUMMY) {
-                const VALUE *ep = cfp->ep;
-                cfp->self = rb_gc_location(cfp->self);
-                cfp->iseq = (rb_iseq_t *)rb_gc_location((VALUE)cfp->iseq);
-                cfp->block_code = (void *)rb_gc_location((VALUE)cfp->block_code);
-
-                if (!VM_ENV_LOCAL_P(ep)) {
-                    const VALUE *prev_ep = VM_ENV_PREV_EP(ep);
-                    if (VM_ENV_FLAGS(prev_ep, VM_ENV_FLAG_ESCAPED)) {
-                        VM_FORCE_WRITE(&prev_ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV], rb_gc_location(prev_ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV]));
-                    }
+            const VALUE *ep = cfp->ep;
+            cfp->self = rb_gc_location(cfp->self);
+            cfp->iseq = (rb_iseq_t *)rb_gc_location((VALUE)cfp->iseq);
+            cfp->block_code = (void *)rb_gc_location((VALUE)cfp->block_code);
+
+            if (!VM_ENV_LOCAL_P(ep)) {
+                const VALUE *prev_ep = VM_ENV_PREV_EP(ep);
+                if (VM_ENV_FLAGS(prev_ep, VM_ENV_FLAG_ESCAPED)) {
+                    VM_FORCE_WRITE(&prev_ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV], rb_gc_location(prev_ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV]));
+                }
 
-                    if (VM_ENV_FLAGS(ep, VM_ENV_FLAG_ESCAPED)) {
-                        VM_FORCE_WRITE(&ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV], rb_gc_location(ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV]));
-                        VM_FORCE_WRITE(&ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ME_CREF], rb_gc_location(ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ME_CREF]));
-                    }
+                if (VM_ENV_FLAGS(ep, VM_ENV_FLAG_ESCAPED)) {
+                    VM_FORCE_WRITE(&ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV], rb_gc_location(ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV]));
+                    VM_FORCE_WRITE(&ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ME_CREF], rb_gc_location(ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ME_CREF]));
                 }
             }
 
@@ -3418,21 +3416,19 @@ rb_execution_context_mark(const rb_execution_context_t *ec)
             const VALUE *ep = cfp->ep;
             VM_ASSERT(!!VM_ENV_FLAGS(ep, VM_ENV_FLAG_ESCAPED) == vm_ep_in_heap_p_(ec, ep));
 
-            if (VM_FRAME_TYPE(cfp) != VM_FRAME_MAGIC_DUMMY) {
-                rb_gc_mark_movable(cfp->self);
-                rb_gc_mark_movable((VALUE)cfp->iseq);
-                rb_gc_mark_movable((VALUE)cfp->block_code);
+            rb_gc_mark_movable(cfp->self);
+            rb_gc_mark_movable((VALUE)cfp->iseq);
+            rb_gc_mark_movable((VALUE)cfp->block_code);
 
-                if (!VM_ENV_LOCAL_P(ep)) {
-                    const VALUE *prev_ep = VM_ENV_PREV_EP(ep);
-                    if (VM_ENV_FLAGS(prev_ep, VM_ENV_FLAG_ESCAPED)) {
-                        rb_gc_mark_movable(prev_ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV]);
-                    }
+            if (!VM_ENV_LOCAL_P(ep)) {
+                const VALUE *prev_ep = VM_ENV_PREV_EP(ep);
+                if (VM_ENV_FLAGS(prev_ep, VM_ENV_FLAG_ESCAPED)) {
+                    rb_gc_mark_movable(prev_ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV]);
+                }
 
-                    if (VM_ENV_FLAGS(ep, VM_ENV_FLAG_ESCAPED)) {
-                        rb_gc_mark_movable(ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV]);
-                        rb_gc_mark(ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ME_CREF]);
-                    }
+                if (VM_ENV_FLAGS(ep, VM_ENV_FLAG_ESCAPED)) {
+                    rb_gc_mark_movable(ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ENV]);
+                    rb_gc_mark(ep[VM_ENV_DATA_INDEX_ME_CREF]);
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/vm_insnhelper.c b/vm_insnhelper.c
index 66ded967898e2c..c9e20e95b4de13 100644
--- a/vm_insnhelper.c
+++ b/vm_insnhelper.c
@@ -469,15 +469,8 @@ rb_vm_pop_frame(rb_execution_context_t *ec)
 VALUE
 rb_vm_push_frame_fname(rb_execution_context_t *ec, VALUE fname)
 {
-    VALUE tmpbuf = rb_imemo_tmpbuf_auto_free_pointer();
-    void *ptr = ruby_xcalloc(sizeof(struct rb_iseq_constant_body) + sizeof(struct rb_iseq_struct), 1);
-    rb_imemo_tmpbuf_set_ptr(tmpbuf, ptr);
-
-    struct rb_iseq_struct *dmy_iseq = (struct rb_iseq_struct *)ptr;
-    struct rb_iseq_constant_body *dmy_body = (struct rb_iseq_constant_body *)&dmy_iseq[1];
-    dmy_iseq->body = dmy_body;
-    dmy_body->type = ISEQ_TYPE_TOP;
-    dmy_body->location.pathobj = fname;
+    rb_iseq_t *rb_iseq_alloc_with_dummy_path(VALUE fname);
+    rb_iseq_t *dmy_iseq = rb_iseq_alloc_with_dummy_path(fname);
 
     vm_push_frame(ec,
                   dmy_iseq, //const rb_iseq_t *iseq,
@@ -490,7 +483,7 @@ rb_vm_push_frame_fname(rb_execution_context_t *ec, VALUE fname)
                   0, // int local_size,
                   0); // int stack_max
 
-    return tmpbuf;
+    return (VALUE)dmy_iseq;
 }
 
 /* method dispatch */