diff --git a/lib/elixir/lib/code.ex b/lib/elixir/lib/code.ex
index 075795be5b..be073bc896 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/lib/code.ex
+++ b/lib/elixir/lib/code.ex
@@ -794,6 +794,27 @@ defmodule Code do
     [:docs, :debug_info, :ignore_module_conflict, :relative_paths, :warnings_as_errors]
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Purge compiler modules.
+
+  The compiler utilizes temporary modules to compile code. For example,
+  `elixir_compiler_1`, `elixir_compiler_2`, etc. In case the compiled code
+  stores references to anonymous functions or similar, the Elixir compiler
+  may be unable to reclaim those modules, keeping an unecessary amount of
+  code in memory and eventually leading to modules such as `elixir_compiler_12345`.
+
+  This function purges all modules currently kept by the compiler, allowing
+  old compiler module names to be resued. If there are any processes running
+  any code from such modules, they will be terminated too.
+
+  It returns `{:ok, number_of_modules_purged}`.
+  """
+  @since "1.7.0"
+  @spec purge_compiler_modules() :: {:ok, non_neg_integer()}
+  def purge_compiler_modules() do
+    :elixir_code_server.call(:purge_compiler_modules)
+  end
+
   @doc """
   Sets compilation options.
 
diff --git a/lib/elixir/src/elixir_code_server.erl b/lib/elixir/src/elixir_code_server.erl
index 3e6826a690..d05fc08b44 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/src/elixir_code_server.erl
+++ b/lib/elixir/src/elixir_code_server.erl
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 -define(timeout, 30000).
 -record(elixir_code_server, {
   required=#{},
-  mod_pool={[], 0},
+  mod_pool={[], [], 0},
   mod_ets=#{},
   compilation_status=#{}
 }).
@@ -65,12 +65,18 @@ handle_call({compilation_status, CompilerPid}, _From, Config) ->
 
 handle_call(retrieve_compiler_module, _From, Config) ->
   case Config#elixir_code_server.mod_pool of
-    {[H | T], Counter} ->
-      {reply, module_tuple(H), Config#elixir_code_server{mod_pool={T, Counter}}};
-    {[], Counter} ->
-      {reply, module_tuple(Counter), Config#elixir_code_server{mod_pool={[], Counter+1}}}
+    {Used, [Mod | Unused], Counter} ->
+      {reply, Mod, Config#elixir_code_server{mod_pool={Used, Unused, Counter}}};
+    {Used, [], Counter} ->
+      {reply, compiler_module(Counter), Config#elixir_code_server{mod_pool={Used, [], Counter+1}}}
   end;
 
+handle_call(purge_compiler_modules, _From, Config) ->
+  {Used, Unused, Counter} = Config#elixir_code_server.mod_pool,
+  _ = [code:purge(Module) || Module <- Used],
+  ModPool = {[], Used ++ Unused, Counter},
+  {reply, {ok, length(Used)}, Config#elixir_code_server{mod_pool=ModPool}};
+
 handle_call(Request, _From, Config) ->
   {stop, {badcall, Request}, Config}.
 
@@ -107,8 +113,16 @@ handle_cast({unrequire_files, Files}, Config) ->
   Unrequired = maps:without(Files, Current),
   {noreply, Config#elixir_code_server{required=Unrequired}};
 
-handle_cast({return_compiler_module, H}, #elixir_code_server{mod_pool={T, Counter}} = Config) ->
-  {noreply, Config#elixir_code_server{mod_pool={[H | T], Counter}}};
+handle_cast({return_compiler_module, Module, Purgeable}, Config) ->
+  {Used, Unused, Counter} = Config#elixir_code_server.mod_pool,
+
+  ModPool =
+    case Purgeable of
+      true -> {Used, [Module | Unused], Counter};
+      false -> {[Module | Used], Unused, Counter}
+    end,
+
+  {noreply, Config#elixir_code_server{mod_pool=ModPool}};
 
 handle_cast(Request, Config) ->
   {stop, {badcast, Request}, Config}.
@@ -125,8 +139,8 @@ terminate(_Reason, _Config) ->
 code_change(_Old, Config, _Extra) ->
   {ok, Config}.
 
-module_tuple(I) ->
-  {list_to_atom("elixir_compiler_" ++ integer_to_list(I)), I}.
+compiler_module(I) ->
+  list_to_atom("elixir_compiler_" ++ integer_to_list(I)).
 
 defmodule(Pid, Tuple, #elixir_code_server{mod_ets=ModEts} = Config) ->
   ets:insert(elixir_modules, Tuple),
diff --git a/lib/elixir/src/elixir_compiler.erl b/lib/elixir/src/elixir_compiler.erl
index 2194889b88..bd6d17d778 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/src/elixir_compiler.erl
+++ b/lib/elixir/src/elixir_compiler.erl
@@ -58,28 +58,21 @@ compile(Forms, Vars, #{line := Line, file := File} = E) ->
   {Expr, EE, _S} = elixir:quoted_to_erl(Forms, E, S),
   elixir_env:check_unused_vars(EE),
 
-  {Module, I} = retrieve_compiler_module(),
+  Module = retrieve_compiler_module(),
   Fun  = code_fun(?key(E, module)),
   Form = code_mod(Fun, Expr, Line, File, Module, Vars),
   Args = list_to_tuple([V || {_, _, _, V} <- Vars]),
 
   {Module, Binary} = elixir_erl_compiler:noenv_forms(Form, File, [nowarn_nomatch]),
   code:load_binary(Module, "", Binary),
+  {dispatch(Module, Fun, Args, is_purgeable(Module, Binary)), EE}.
 
-  Purgeable = beam_lib:chunks(Binary, [labeled_locals]) ==
-              {ok, {Module, [{labeled_locals, []}]}},
-  dispatch(Module, Fun, Args, Purgeable, I, EE).
-
-dispatch(Module, Fun, Args, Purgeable, I, E) ->
+dispatch(Module, Fun, Args, Purgeable) ->
   Res = Module:Fun(Args),
   code:delete(Module),
-  if Purgeable ->
-      code:purge(Module),
-      return_compiler_module(I);
-     true ->
-       ok
-  end,
-  {Res, E}.
+  Purgeable andalso code:purge(Module),
+  return_compiler_module(Module, Purgeable),
+  Res.
 
 code_fun(nil) -> '__FILE__';
 code_fun(_)   -> '__MODULE__'.
@@ -102,13 +95,18 @@ code_mod(Fun, Expr, Line, File, Module, Vars) when is_binary(File), is_integer(L
 retrieve_compiler_module() ->
   elixir_code_server:call(retrieve_compiler_module).
 
-return_compiler_module(I) ->
-  elixir_code_server:cast({return_compiler_module, I}).
+return_compiler_module(Module, Purgeable) ->
+  elixir_code_server:cast({return_compiler_module, Module, Purgeable}).
+
+is_purgeable(Module, Binary) ->
+  beam_lib:chunks(Binary, [labeled_locals]) == {ok, {Module, [{labeled_locals, []}]}}.
 
 allows_fast_compilation({'__block__', _, Exprs}) ->
   lists:all(fun allows_fast_compilation/1, Exprs);
-allows_fast_compilation({defmodule, _, _}) -> true;
-allows_fast_compilation(_) -> false.
+allows_fast_compilation({defmodule, _, _}) ->
+  true;
+allows_fast_compilation(_) ->
+  false.
 
 %% Bootstrapper
 
diff --git a/lib/elixir/test/elixir/code_test.exs b/lib/elixir/test/elixir/code_test.exs
index d1f70a33c0..c5d5b180a4 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/test/elixir/code_test.exs
+++ b/lib/elixir/test/elixir/code_test.exs
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ defmodule CodeTest do
   use ExUnit.Case, async: true
 
   doctest Code
-
   import PathHelpers
 
   def genmodule(name) do
@@ -32,7 +31,7 @@ defmodule CodeTest do
       assert {3, _} = Code.eval_string("a + b", [a: 1, b: 2], __ENV__)
     end
 
-    test "can return bindings from a different context" do
+    test "returns bindings from a different context" do
       assert Code.eval_string("var!(a, Sample) = 1") == {1, [{{:a, Sample}, 1}]}
     end
 
@@ -281,4 +280,15 @@ defmodule Code.SyncTest do
     Code.delete_path(path)
     refute to_charlist(path) in :code.get_path()
   end
+
+  test "purges compiler modules" do
+    quoted = quote(do: Agent.start_link(fn -> :ok end))
+    Code.compile_quoted(quoted)
+
+    {:ok, claimed} = Code.purge_compiler_modules()
+    assert claimed > 0
+
+    {:ok, claimed} = Code.purge_compiler_modules()
+    assert claimed == 0
+  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/mix/lib/mix/compilers/elixir.ex b/lib/mix/lib/mix/compilers/elixir.ex
index 6c865b7fb0..86ed2354b0 100644
--- a/lib/mix/lib/mix/compilers/elixir.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/lib/mix/compilers/elixir.ex
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ defmodule Mix.Compilers.Elixir do
         warnings = Enum.map(warnings, &diagnostic(&1, :warning)) ++ warning_diagnostics(sources)
         {:error, warnings ++ errors}
     after
+      Code.purge_compiler_modules()
       delete_compiler_info()
     end
   end