diff --git a/include/chaiscript/chaiscript_defines.hpp b/include/chaiscript/chaiscript_defines.hpp
index a5d8c6df..43866f64 100644
--- a/include/chaiscript/chaiscript_defines.hpp
+++ b/include/chaiscript/chaiscript_defines.hpp
@@ -79,9 +79,19 @@ static_assert(_MSC_FULL_VER >= 190024210, "Visual C++ 2015 Update 3 or later req
 // causes the dispatcher to throw chaiscript::exception::stack_overflow_error
 // instead of letting the native call stack overflow. Defining the macro on
 // the command line overrides the default.
+//
+// MSVC Debug builds emit very large per-frame native stack usage (no inlining,
+// /RTC, buffer security checks) and Windows defaults to a 1 MiB thread stack,
+// so the same ChaiScript depth that fits comfortably on Linux/macOS or in an
+// MSVC Release build overflows the native stack before the depth check fires.
+// We pick a tighter default in that configuration to keep the throw reachable.
 #ifndef CHAISCRIPT_MAX_CALL_DEPTH
+#if defined(CHAISCRIPT_MSVC) && defined(_DEBUG)
+#define CHAISCRIPT_MAX_CALL_DEPTH 32
+#else
 #define CHAISCRIPT_MAX_CALL_DEPTH 256
 #endif
+#endif
 
 #include <cmath>
 #include <memory>
diff --git a/unittests/recursion_depth_protection.chai b/unittests/recursion_depth_protection.chai
index 082854ff..716edb9a 100644
--- a/unittests/recursion_depth_protection.chai
+++ b/unittests/recursion_depth_protection.chai
@@ -30,10 +30,12 @@ assert_true(caught)
 // distinguish it from an arbitrary script-level error.
 assert_true(find(message, "call stack") != -1)
 
-// A bounded recursion that stays below the limit must keep working.
+// A bounded recursion that stays well below the limit must keep working.
+// Use a small depth so the test passes on every platform default - notably
+// the MSVC Debug build where the native stack budget forces a tighter cap.
 def count_down(n) {
   if (n <= 0) { return 0 }
   return count_down(n - 1) + 1
 }
 
-assert_equal(50, count_down(50))
+assert_equal(10, count_down(10))