diff --git a/gc.c b/gc.c
index c10694d3f6..e2b9598ff0 100644
--- a/gc.c
+++ b/gc.c
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@ typedef struct gc_function_map {
     unsigned long long (*get_total_time)(void *objspace_ptr);
     size_t (*gc_count)(void *objspace_ptr);
     VALUE (*latest_gc_info)(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE key);
-    size_t (*stat)(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE hash_or_sym);
+    VALUE (*stat)(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE hash_or_sym);
     size_t (*stat_heap)(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE heap_name, VALUE hash_or_sym);
     // Miscellaneous
     size_t (*obj_flags)(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE obj, ID* flags, size_t max);
@@ -3417,14 +3417,7 @@ gc_stat(rb_execution_context_t *ec, VALUE self, VALUE arg) // arg is (nil || has
         arg = rb_hash_new();
     }
 
-    size_t val = rb_gc_impl_stat(rb_gc_get_objspace(), arg);
-
-    if (SYMBOL_P(arg)) {
-        return SIZET2NUM(val);
-    }
-    else {
-        return arg;
-    }
+    return rb_gc_impl_stat(rb_gc_get_objspace(), arg);
 }
 
 size_t
diff --git a/gc/default.c b/gc/default.c
index 2bb3d0512b..9847052d28 100644
--- a/gc/default.c
+++ b/gc/default.c
@@ -7497,7 +7497,7 @@ ns_to_ms(uint64_t ns)
     return ns / (1000 * 1000);
 }
 
-size_t
+VALUE
 rb_gc_impl_stat(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE hash_or_sym)
 {
     rb_objspace_t *objspace = objspace_ptr;
@@ -7517,7 +7517,7 @@ rb_gc_impl_stat(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE hash_or_sym)
 
 #define SET(name, attr) \
     if (key == gc_stat_symbols[gc_stat_sym_##name]) \
-        return attr; \
+        return SIZET2NUM(attr); \
     else if (hash != Qnil) \
         rb_hash_aset(hash, gc_stat_symbols[gc_stat_sym_##name], SIZET2NUM(attr));
 
@@ -7581,7 +7581,7 @@ rb_gc_impl_stat(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE hash_or_sym)
     }
 #endif
 
-    return 0;
+    return hash;
 }
 
 enum gc_stat_heap_sym {
diff --git a/gc/gc_impl.h b/gc/gc_impl.h
index 78b42bb325..66fdea5bab 100644
--- a/gc/gc_impl.h
+++ b/gc/gc_impl.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ GC_IMPL_FN bool rb_gc_impl_get_measure_total_time(void *objspace_ptr);
 GC_IMPL_FN unsigned long long rb_gc_impl_get_total_time(void *objspace_ptr);
 GC_IMPL_FN size_t rb_gc_impl_gc_count(void *objspace_ptr);
 GC_IMPL_FN VALUE rb_gc_impl_latest_gc_info(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE key);
-GC_IMPL_FN size_t rb_gc_impl_stat(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE hash_or_sym);
+GC_IMPL_FN VALUE rb_gc_impl_stat(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE hash_or_sym);
 GC_IMPL_FN size_t rb_gc_impl_stat_heap(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE heap_name, VALUE hash_or_sym);
 // Miscellaneous
 GC_IMPL_FN size_t rb_gc_impl_obj_flags(void *objspace_ptr, VALUE obj, ID* flags, size_t max);