diff --git a/src/runtime/HACKING.md b/src/runtime/HACKING.md
index ea7c5c128d8..883559c690d 100644
--- a/src/runtime/HACKING.md
+++ b/src/runtime/HACKING.md
@@ -238,11 +238,11 @@ go:notinheap
 ------------
 
 `go:notinheap` applies to type declarations. It indicates that a type
-must never be heap allocated. Specifically, pointers to this type must
-always fail the `runtime.inheap` check. The type may be used for
-global variables, for stack variables, or for objects in unmanaged
-memory (e.g., allocated with `sysAlloc`, `persistentalloc`, or
-`fixalloc`). Specifically:
+must never be allocated from the GC'd heap. Specifically, pointers to
+this type must always fail the `runtime.inheap` check. The type may be
+used for global variables, for stack variables, or for objects in
+unmanaged memory (e.g., allocated with `sysAlloc`, `persistentalloc`,
+`fixalloc`, or from a manually-managed span). Specifically:
 
 1. `new(T)`, `make([]T)`, `append([]T, ...)` and implicit heap
    allocation of T are disallowed. (Though implicit allocations are
diff --git a/src/runtime/mheap.go b/src/runtime/mheap.go
index 80349a97318..76e56828b62 100644
--- a/src/runtime/mheap.go
+++ b/src/runtime/mheap.go
@@ -664,11 +664,19 @@ func (h *mheap) alloc(npage uintptr, sizeclass int32, large bool, needzero bool)
 	return s
 }
 
-func (h *mheap) allocStack(npage uintptr) *mspan {
-	_g_ := getg()
-	if _g_ != _g_.m.g0 {
-		throw("mheap_allocstack not on g0 stack")
-	}
+// allocManual allocates a manually-managed span of npage pages and
+// adds the bytes used to *stat, which should be a memstats in-use
+// field. allocManual returns nil if allocation fails.
+//
+// The memory backing the returned span may not be zeroed if
+// span.needzero is set.
+//
+// allocManual must be called on the system stack to prevent stack
+// growth. Since this is used by the stack allocator, stack growth
+// during allocManual would self-deadlock.
+//
+//go:systemstack
+func (h *mheap) allocManual(npage uintptr, stat *uint64) *mspan {
 	lock(&h.lock)
 	s := h.allocSpanLocked(npage)
 	if s != nil {
@@ -679,10 +687,10 @@ func (h *mheap) allocStack(npage uintptr) *mspan {
 		s.nelems = 0
 		s.elemsize = 0
 		s.limit = s.base() + s.npages<<_PageShift
-		memstats.stacks_inuse += uint64(s.npages << _PageShift)
+		*stat += uint64(s.npages << _PageShift)
 	}
 
-	// This unlock acts as a release barrier. See mHeap_Alloc_m.
+	// This unlock acts as a release barrier. See mheap.alloc_m.
 	unlock(&h.lock)
 
 	return s
@@ -880,14 +888,21 @@ func (h *mheap) freeSpan(s *mspan, acct int32) {
 	})
 }
 
-func (h *mheap) freeStack(s *mspan) {
-	_g_ := getg()
-	if _g_ != _g_.m.g0 {
-		throw("mheap_freestack not on g0 stack")
-	}
+// freeManual frees a manually-managed span returned by allocManual.
+// stat must be the same as the stat passed to the allocManual that
+// allocated s.
+//
+// This must only be called when gcphase == _GCoff. See mSpanState for
+// an explanation.
+//
+// freeManual must be called on the system stack to prevent stack
+// growth, just like allocManual.
+//
+//go:systemstack
+func (h *mheap) freeManual(s *mspan, stat *uint64) {
 	s.needzero = 1
 	lock(&h.lock)
-	memstats.stacks_inuse -= uint64(s.npages << _PageShift)
+	*stat -= uint64(s.npages << _PageShift)
 	h.freeSpanLocked(s, true, true, 0)
 	unlock(&h.lock)
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/stack.go b/src/runtime/stack.go
index 9e00edde61b..562427a6a21 100644
--- a/src/runtime/stack.go
+++ b/src/runtime/stack.go
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func stackpoolalloc(order uint8) gclinkptr {
 	s := list.first
 	if s == nil {
 		// no free stacks. Allocate another span worth.
-		s = mheap_.allocStack(_StackCacheSize >> _PageShift)
+		s = mheap_.allocManual(_StackCacheSize>>_PageShift, &memstats.stacks_inuse)
 		if s == nil {
 			throw("out of memory")
 		}
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ func stackpoolfree(x gclinkptr, order uint8) {
 		// By not freeing, we prevent step #4 until GC is done.
 		stackpool[order].remove(s)
 		s.manualFreeList = 0
-		mheap_.freeStack(s)
+		mheap_.freeManual(s, &memstats.stacks_inuse)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ func stackalloc(n uint32) stack {
 
 		if s == nil {
 			// Allocate a new stack from the heap.
-			s = mheap_.allocStack(npage)
+			s = mheap_.allocManual(npage, &memstats.stacks_inuse)
 			if s == nil {
 				throw("out of memory")
 			}
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ func stackfree(stk stack) {
 		if gcphase == _GCoff {
 			// Free the stack immediately if we're
 			// sweeping.
-			mheap_.freeStack(s)
+			mheap_.freeManual(s, &memstats.stacks_inuse)
 		} else {
 			// If the GC is running, we can't return a
 			// stack span to the heap because it could be
@@ -1166,7 +1166,7 @@ func freeStackSpans() {
 			if s.allocCount == 0 {
 				list.remove(s)
 				s.manualFreeList = 0
-				mheap_.freeStack(s)
+				mheap_.freeManual(s, &memstats.stacks_inuse)
 			}
 			s = next
 		}
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ func freeStackSpans() {
 		for s := stackLarge.free[i].first; s != nil; {
 			next := s.next
 			stackLarge.free[i].remove(s)
-			mheap_.freeStack(s)
+			mheap_.freeManual(s, &memstats.stacks_inuse)
 			s = next
 		}
 	}