diff --git a/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-cluster b/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-cluster
index 0e36efbcb..cb84acf69 100755
--- a/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-cluster
+++ b/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-cluster
@@ -84,68 +84,26 @@ echo "$config" > "$config_file"
 
 opts="$GHE_EXTRA_SSH_OPTS -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o PasswordAuthentication=no"
 
-# Remote sync-in-progress file location. When this file exists, Git GC
-# operations are disabled on the GitHub instance.
-sync_in_progress_file="$GHE_REMOTE_DATA_USER_DIR/repositories/.sync_in_progress"
-
 # Make sure root backup dir exists if this is the first run
 mkdir -p "$backup_dir"
 
 # Removes the remote sync-in-progress file on exit, re-enabling GC operations
 # on the remote instance.
 cleanup() {
+  # Enable remote GC operations
   for hostname in $hostnames; do
-    ghe-ssh -F $config_file "$hostname:$port" -- "sudo rm -f '$sync_in_progress_file'"
+    ghe-gc-enable -F $config_file $hostname:$port
   done
   rm -f $config_file
 }
 trap 'cleanup' EXIT
 trap 'exit $?' INT # ^C always terminate
 
-wait_pids=""
+# Disable remote GC operations
 for hostname in $hostnames; do
-  # Touch the sync-in-progress file, disabling GC operations, and wait for all
-  # active GC processes to finish on the remote side.
-  echo "
-      set -e
-      sudo -u git touch '$sync_in_progress_file'
-
-      sanity=0
-      while [ \$sanity -lt $GHE_GIT_COOLDOWN_PERIOD ]; do
-          # note: the bracket synta[x] below is to prevent matches against the
-          # grep process itself.
-          if ps axo args | grep -E -e '^git( -.*)? nw-repac[k]( |$)' -e '^git( -.*)? g[c]( |$)' >/dev/null; then
-              sleep 1
-              sanity=\$(( sanity + 1 ))
-          else
-              exit 0
-          fi
-      done
-      exit 7
-  " | ssh -q $opts -p $port -F $config_file -l $user $hostname -- /bin/sh
-  wait_pids="$wait_pids $hostname:$!"
-done
-
-# strip leading space
-wait_pids="$(echo -e "${wait_pids}" | sed -e 's/^[[:space:]]*//')"
-
-# wait for jobs one by one, bail on the first one
-for pid in $wait_pids; do
-  # pull out pid:hostname pairs into vars
-  wait_hostname="$(echo $pid | awk 'BEGIN {FS = ":" }; { print $1; }')"
-  wait_pid="$(echo $pid | awk 'BEGIN {FS = ":" }; { print $2; }')"
-  wait $wait_pid || {
-      res=$?
-      if [ $res = 7 ]; then
-          echo "Error: Git GC processes remain after $GHE_GIT_COOLDOWN_PERIOD seconds on host: $wait_hostname. Aborting..." 1>&2
-      fi
-      exit $res
-  }
-  unset wait_hostname wait_pid
+  ghe-gc-disable -F $config_file $hostname:$port
 done
 
-unset wait_pids
-
 # If we have a previous increment, avoid transferring existing files via rsync's
 # --link-dest support. This also decreases physical space usage considerably.
 if [ -d "$backup_current" ]; then
diff --git a/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-rsync b/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-rsync
index 9cc31f02f..ace8f6d74 100755
--- a/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-rsync
+++ b/share/github-backup-utils/ghe-backup-repositories-rsync
@@ -51,46 +51,20 @@ fi
 # Perform a host-check and establish GHE_REMOTE_XXX variables.
 ghe_remote_version_required "$host"
 
-# Remote sync-in-progress file location. When this file exists, Git GC
-# operations are disabled on the GitHub instance.
-sync_in_progress_file="$GHE_REMOTE_DATA_USER_DIR/repositories/.sync_in_progress"
-
 # Make sure root backup dir exists if this is the first run
 mkdir -p "$backup_dir"
 
 # Removes the remote sync-in-progress file on exit, re-enabling GC operations
 # on the remote instance.
 cleanup() {
-  ghe-ssh "$host" -- "sudo rm -f '$sync_in_progress_file'"
+  # Enable remote GC operations
+  ghe-gc-enable $host
 }
 trap 'cleanup' EXIT
 trap 'exit $?' INT # ^C always terminate
 
-# Touch the sync-in-progress file, disabling GC operations, and wait for all
-# active GC processes to finish on the remote side.
-echo "
-    set -e
-    sudo -u git touch '$sync_in_progress_file'
-
-    sanity=0
-    while [ \$sanity -lt $GHE_GIT_COOLDOWN_PERIOD ]; do
-        # note: the bracket synta[x] below is to prevent matches against the
-        # grep process itself.
-        if ps axo args | grep -E -e '^git( -.*)? nw-repac[k]( |$)' -e '^git( -.*)? g[c]( |$)' >/dev/null; then
-            sleep 1
-            sanity=\$(( sanity + 1 ))
-        else
-            exit 0
-        fi
-    done
-    exit 7
-" | ghe-ssh "$host" -- /bin/sh || {
-    res=$?
-    if [ $res = 7 ]; then
-        echo "Error: Git GC processes remain after $GHE_GIT_COOLDOWN_PERIOD seconds. Aborting..." 1>&2
-    fi
-    exit $res
-}
+# Disable remote GC operations
+ghe-gc-disable $host
 
 # Transfer repository data from a GitHub instance to the current snapshot
 # directory, using a previous snapshot to avoid transferring files that have