diff --git a/cli/ops/plugins.rs b/cli/ops/plugins.rs
index ecaa66b539..aa810e0ea9 100644
--- a/cli/ops/plugins.rs
+++ b/cli/ops/plugins.rs
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ use dlopen::symbor::Library;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::ffi::OsStr;
 use std::path::Path;
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::rc::Rc;
 
-pub fn init(i: &mut Isolate, s: &State, r: Arc<deno_core::OpRegistry>) {
+pub fn init(i: &mut Isolate, s: &State, r: Rc<deno_core::OpRegistry>) {
   let r_ = r;
   i.register_op(
     "open_plugin",
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ struct OpenPluginArgs {
 }
 
 pub fn op_open_plugin(
-  registry: &Arc<deno_core::OpRegistry>,
+  registry: &Rc<deno_core::OpRegistry>,
   state: &State,
   args: Value,
   _zero_copy: Option<ZeroCopyBuf>,
diff --git a/cli/worker.rs b/cli/worker.rs
index c975a588a1..fa04d5a8f3 100644
--- a/cli/worker.rs
+++ b/cli/worker.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ use std::future::Future;
 use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::ops::DerefMut;
 use std::pin::Pin;
+use std::rc::Rc;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::task::Context;
 use std::task::Poll;
@@ -99,8 +100,8 @@ pub struct Worker {
 
 impl Worker {
   pub fn new(name: String, startup_data: StartupData, state: State) -> Self {
-    let mut isolate =
-      deno_core::EsIsolate::new(Box::new(state.clone()), startup_data, false);
+    let loader = Rc::new(state.clone());
+    let mut isolate = deno_core::EsIsolate::new(loader, startup_data, false);
 
     let global_state_ = state.borrow().global_state.clone();
     isolate.set_js_error_create(move |v8_exception| {
diff --git a/core/es_isolate.rs b/core/es_isolate.rs
index aeb6e318a0..197c548d74 100644
--- a/core/es_isolate.rs
+++ b/core/es_isolate.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::ops::{Deref, DerefMut};
 use std::option::Option;
 use std::pin::Pin;
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::rc::Rc;
 use std::task::Context;
 use std::task::Poll;
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ pub struct SourceCodeInfo {
 /// loading of modules can be customized by the implementor.
 pub struct EsIsolate {
   core_isolate: Box<Isolate>,
-  loader: Arc<Box<dyn Loader + Unpin>>,
+  loader: Rc<dyn Loader + Unpin>,
   pub modules: Modules,
   pub(crate) next_dyn_import_id: DynImportId,
   pub(crate) dyn_import_map:
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ impl Drop for EsIsolate {
 
 impl EsIsolate {
   pub fn new(
-    loader: Box<dyn Loader + Unpin>,
+    loader: Rc<dyn Loader + Unpin>,
     startup_data: StartupData,
     will_snapshot: bool,
   ) -> Box<Self> {
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ impl EsIsolate {
 
     let es_isolate = Self {
       modules: Modules::new(),
-      loader: Arc::new(loader),
+      loader,
       core_isolate,
       next_dyn_import_id: 0,
       dyn_import_map: HashMap::new(),
@@ -606,6 +606,7 @@ pub mod tests {
   use crate::ops::*;
   use std::io;
   use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
+  use std::sync::Arc;
 
   #[test]
   fn test_mods() {
@@ -638,7 +639,7 @@ pub mod tests {
       }
     }
 
-    let loader = Box::new(ModsLoader::default());
+    let loader = Rc::new(ModsLoader::default());
     let resolve_count = loader.count.clone();
     let dispatch_count = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
     let dispatch_count_ = dispatch_count.clone();
@@ -740,7 +741,7 @@ pub mod tests {
 
     // Test an erroneous dynamic import where the specified module isn't found.
     run_in_task(|cx| {
-      let loader = Box::new(DynImportErrLoader::default());
+      let loader = Rc::new(DynImportErrLoader::default());
       let count = loader.count.clone();
       let mut isolate = EsIsolate::new(loader, StartupData::None, false);
 
@@ -894,7 +895,7 @@ pub mod tests {
     }
 
     run_in_task(|cx| {
-      let loader = Box::new(DynImportOkLoader::default());
+      let loader = Rc::new(DynImportOkLoader::default());
       let resolve_count = loader.resolve_count.clone();
       let load_count = loader.load_count.clone();
       let mut isolate = EsIsolate::new(loader, StartupData::None, false);
diff --git a/core/isolate.rs b/core/isolate.rs
index 3892d6d75b..d67ed93312 100644
--- a/core/isolate.rs
+++ b/core/isolate.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ use std::fmt;
 use std::ops::{Deref, DerefMut};
 use std::option::Option;
 use std::pin::Pin;
+use std::rc::Rc;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, Once};
 use std::task::Context;
 use std::task::Poll;
@@ -175,7 +176,7 @@ pub struct Isolate {
   pending_unref_ops: FuturesUnordered<PendingOpFuture>,
   have_unpolled_ops: bool,
   startup_script: Option<OwnedScript>,
-  pub op_registry: Arc<OpRegistry>,
+  pub op_registry: Rc<OpRegistry>,
   waker: AtomicWaker,
   error_handler: Option<Box<IsolateErrorHandleFn>>,
 }
@@ -335,7 +336,7 @@ impl Isolate {
       pending_unref_ops: FuturesUnordered::new(),
       have_unpolled_ops: false,
       startup_script,
-      op_registry: Arc::new(OpRegistry::new()),
+      op_registry: Rc::new(OpRegistry::new()),
       waker: AtomicWaker::new(),
       error_handler: None,
     };
diff --git a/core/modules.rs b/core/modules.rs
index ee91c183a7..29f6067cd0 100644
--- a/core/modules.rs
+++ b/core/modules.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use std::collections::HashSet;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::future::Future;
 use std::pin::Pin;
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::rc::Rc;
 use std::task::Context;
 use std::task::Poll;
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ pub struct RecursiveModuleLoad {
   // Kind::Main
   pub dyn_import_id: Option<DynImportId>,
   pub state: LoadState,
-  pub loader: Arc<Box<dyn Loader + Unpin>>,
+  pub loader: Rc<dyn Loader + Unpin>,
   pub pending: FuturesUnordered<Pin<Box<SourceCodeInfoFuture>>>,
   pub is_pending: HashSet<ModuleSpecifier>,
 }
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ impl RecursiveModuleLoad {
   pub fn main(
     specifier: &str,
     code: Option<String>,
-    loader: Arc<Box<dyn Loader + Unpin>>,
+    loader: Rc<dyn Loader + Unpin>,
   ) -> Self {
     let kind = Kind::Main;
     let state = LoadState::ResolveMain(specifier.to_owned(), code);
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ impl RecursiveModuleLoad {
     id: DynImportId,
     specifier: &str,
     referrer: &str,
-    loader: Arc<Box<dyn Loader + Unpin>>,
+    loader: Rc<dyn Loader + Unpin>,
   ) -> Self {
     let kind = Kind::DynamicImport;
     let state =
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ impl RecursiveModuleLoad {
   fn new(
     kind: Kind,
     state: LoadState,
-    loader: Arc<Box<dyn Loader + Unpin>>,
+    loader: Rc<dyn Loader + Unpin>,
     dyn_import_id: Option<DynImportId>,
   ) -> Self {
     Self {
@@ -478,6 +478,7 @@ mod tests {
   use std::error::Error;
   use std::fmt;
   use std::future::Future;
+  use std::sync::Arc;
   use std::sync::Mutex;
 
   struct MockLoader {
@@ -651,8 +652,7 @@ mod tests {
   fn test_recursive_load() {
     let loader = MockLoader::new();
     let loads = loader.loads.clone();
-    let mut isolate =
-      EsIsolate::new(Box::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
+    let mut isolate = EsIsolate::new(Rc::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
     let a_id_fut = isolate.load_module("/a.js", None);
     let a_id = futures::executor::block_on(a_id_fut).expect("Failed to load");
 
@@ -711,8 +711,7 @@ mod tests {
   fn test_circular_load() {
     let loader = MockLoader::new();
     let loads = loader.loads.clone();
-    let mut isolate =
-      EsIsolate::new(Box::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
+    let mut isolate = EsIsolate::new(Rc::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
 
     let fut = async move {
       let result = isolate.load_module("/circular1.js", None).await;
@@ -782,8 +781,7 @@ mod tests {
   fn test_redirect_load() {
     let loader = MockLoader::new();
     let loads = loader.loads.clone();
-    let mut isolate =
-      EsIsolate::new(Box::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
+    let mut isolate = EsIsolate::new(Rc::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
 
     let fut = async move {
       let result = isolate.load_module("/redirect1.js", None).await;
@@ -845,7 +843,7 @@ mod tests {
       let loader = MockLoader::new();
       let loads = loader.loads.clone();
       let mut isolate =
-        EsIsolate::new(Box::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
+        EsIsolate::new(Rc::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
       let mut recursive_load =
         isolate.load_module("/main.js", None).boxed_local();
 
@@ -891,7 +889,7 @@ mod tests {
     run_in_task(|mut cx| {
       let loader = MockLoader::new();
       let mut isolate =
-        EsIsolate::new(Box::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
+        EsIsolate::new(Rc::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
       let mut load_fut =
         isolate.load_module("/bad_import.js", None).boxed_local();
       let result = load_fut.poll_unpin(&mut cx);
@@ -919,8 +917,7 @@ mod tests {
   fn recursive_load_main_with_code() {
     let loader = MockLoader::new();
     let loads = loader.loads.clone();
-    let mut isolate =
-      EsIsolate::new(Box::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
+    let mut isolate = EsIsolate::new(Rc::new(loader), StartupData::None, false);
     // In default resolution code should be empty.
     // Instead we explicitly pass in our own code.
     // The behavior should be very similar to /a.js.
diff --git a/core/ops.rs b/core/ops.rs
index 266a36648c..98407f1570 100644
--- a/core/ops.rs
+++ b/core/ops.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use crate::ZeroCopyBuf;
 use futures::Future;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::pin::Pin;
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::rc::Rc;
 use std::sync::RwLock;
 
 pub type OpId = u32;
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ pub type OpDispatcher = dyn Fn(&[u8], Option<ZeroCopyBuf>) -> CoreOp + 'static;
 
 #[derive(Default)]
 pub struct OpRegistry {
-  dispatchers: RwLock<Vec<Arc<Box<OpDispatcher>>>>,
+  dispatchers: RwLock<Vec<Rc<OpDispatcher>>>,
   name_to_id: RwLock<HashMap<String, OpId>>,
 }
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ impl OpRegistry {
       format!("Op already registered: {}", name)
     );
 
-    lock.push(Arc::new(Box::new(op)));
+    lock.push(Rc::new(op));
     drop(name_lock);
     drop(lock);
     op_id
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ impl OpRegistry {
     }
     let lock = self.dispatchers.read().unwrap();
     if let Some(op) = lock.get(op_id as usize) {
-      let op_ = Arc::clone(&op);
+      let op_ = Rc::clone(&op);
       // This should allow for changes to the dispatcher list during a call.
       drop(lock);
       Some(op_(control, zero_copy_buf))