Rockstar has released a patch that plugs the crash-causing holes in the PS3 version of GTA IV, and has issued a statement to "apologise for the inconvenience".
The patch, now available to download directly from the internet (your PS3 will need to be connected, obviously) fixes issues related to Gamespy's servers.
According to Rockstar, it "prevents Gamespy's servers from being overloaded and therefore reduces the impact on those servers that were causing the game to stutter and lock up."
So, as well as stopping the freezing, you should also actually be able to get a game online.
Rockstar says it'll be keeping a close eye on things from here. "We continue to monitor the performance of the game both on and offline and will provide further updates as necessary," it told CVG.
"We want to assure everyone that, together with our hardware partners, we continue to strive to give our fans the best possible interactive entertainment experiences possible. This update will ensure that everyone will experience Grand Theft Auto IV the way it was intended.
"We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused."