diff --git a/locale/circuitpython.pot b/locale/circuitpython.pot
index 9f4bf97a73..acf7e24b9f 100644
--- a/locale/circuitpython.pot
+++ b/locale/circuitpython.pot
@@ -1022,6 +1022,10 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Failed to acquire mutex, err 0x%04x"
 msgstr ""
 
+#: shared-module/rgbmatrix/RGBMatrix.c
+msgid "Failed to allocate %q buffer"
+msgstr ""
+
 #: ports/mimxrt10xx/common-hal/busio/UART.c ports/nrf/common-hal/busio/UART.c
 #: ports/raspberrypi/common-hal/busio/UART.c
 msgid "Failed to allocate RX buffer"
diff --git a/py/builtinimport.c b/py/builtinimport.c
index dbacc3d657..10539d01a4 100644
--- a/py/builtinimport.c
+++ b/py/builtinimport.c
@@ -455,6 +455,10 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t process_import_at_level(qstr full_mod_name, qstr level_mod_name,
             // not a package.  This will be caught on the next iteration
             // because the file will not exist.
         }
+
+        // Loading a module thrashes the heap significantly so we explicitly clean up
+        // afterwards.
+        gc_collect();
     }
 
     if (outer_module_obj != MP_OBJ_NULL && VERIFY_PTR(MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(outer_module_obj))) {
diff --git a/shared-module/rgbmatrix/RGBMatrix.c b/shared-module/rgbmatrix/RGBMatrix.c
index 0bfed0aa6c..c6dbfc02b0 100644
--- a/shared-module/rgbmatrix/RGBMatrix.c
+++ b/shared-module/rgbmatrix/RGBMatrix.c
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ void common_hal_rgbmatrix_rgbmatrix_reconstruct(rgbmatrix_rgbmatrix_obj_t *self,
                 mp_raise_ValueError(translate("Invalid argument"));
                 break;
             case PROTOMATTER_ERR_MALLOC:
-                mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_MemoryError, NULL);
+                mp_raise_msg_varg(&mp_type_MemoryError, translate("Failed to allocate %q buffer"), MP_QSTR_RGBMatrix);
                 break;
             default:
                 mp_raise_msg_varg(&mp_type_RuntimeError,