diff --git a/include/json/reader.h b/include/json/reader.h
index 041ae0d37..b5b2e9743 100644
--- a/include/json/reader.h
+++ b/include/json/reader.h
@@ -310,6 +310,9 @@ class JSON_API CharReaderBuilder : public CharReader::Factory {
       - true if dropped null placeholders are allowed. (See StreamWriterBuilder.)
     - "allowNumericKeys": false or true
       - true if numeric object keys are allowed.
+    - "stackLimit": integer
+      - This is a security issue (seg-faults caused by deeply nested JSON),
+        so the default is low.
 
     You can examine 'settings_` yourself
     to see the defaults. You can also write and read them just like any
diff --git a/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp b/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp
index b4c896587..1e7db6896 100644
--- a/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp
+++ b/src/lib_json/json_reader.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
 #pragma warning(disable : 4996)
 #endif
 
+static int const stackLimit_g = 1000;
+static int       stackDepth_g = 0;  // see readValue()
+
 namespace Json {
 
 #if __cplusplus >= 201103L
@@ -118,6 +121,7 @@ bool Reader::parse(const char* beginDoc,
     nodes_.pop();
   nodes_.push(&root);
 
+  stackDepth_g = 0;  // Yes, this is bad coding, but options are limited.
   bool successful = readValue();
   Token token;
   skipCommentTokens(token);
@@ -140,6 +144,13 @@ bool Reader::parse(const char* beginDoc,
 }
 
 bool Reader::readValue() {
+  // This is a non-reentrant way to support a stackLimit. Terrible!
+  // But this deprecated class has a security problem: Bad input can
+  // cause a seg-fault. This seems like a fair, binary-compatible way
+  // to prevent the problem.
+  if (stackDepth_g >= stackLimit_g) throw std::runtime_error("Exceeded stackLimit in readValue().");
+  ++stackDepth_g;
+
   Token token;
   skipCommentTokens(token);
   bool successful = true;
@@ -211,6 +222,7 @@ bool Reader::readValue() {
     lastValue_ = &currentValue();
   }
 
+  --stackDepth_g;
   return successful;
 }
 
@@ -902,7 +914,8 @@ class OurFeatures {
   bool strictRoot_;
   bool allowDroppedNullPlaceholders_;
   bool allowNumericKeys_;
-};  // OldFeatures
+  int stackLimit_;
+};  // OurFeatures
 
 // exact copy of Implementation of class Features
 // ////////////////////////////////
@@ -1033,7 +1046,9 @@ class OurReader {
   Location lastValueEnd_;
   Value* lastValue_;
   std::string commentsBefore_;
-  OurFeatures features_;
+  int stackDepth_;
+
+  OurFeatures const features_;
   bool collectComments_;
 };  // OurReader
 
@@ -1064,6 +1079,7 @@ bool OurReader::parse(const char* beginDoc,
     nodes_.pop();
   nodes_.push(&root);
 
+  stackDepth_ = 0;
   bool successful = readValue();
   Token token;
   skipCommentTokens(token);
@@ -1086,6 +1102,8 @@ bool OurReader::parse(const char* beginDoc,
 }
 
 bool OurReader::readValue() {
+  if (stackDepth_ >= features_.stackLimit_) throw std::runtime_error("Exceeded stackLimit in readValue().");
+  ++stackDepth_;
   Token token;
   skipCommentTokens(token);
   bool successful = true;
@@ -1157,6 +1175,7 @@ bool OurReader::readValue() {
     lastValue_ = &currentValue();
   }
 
+  --stackDepth_;
   return successful;
 }
 
@@ -1853,6 +1872,7 @@ CharReader* CharReaderBuilder::newCharReader() const
   features.strictRoot_ = settings_["strictRoot"].asBool();
   features.allowDroppedNullPlaceholders_ = settings_["allowDroppedNullPlaceholders"].asBool();
   features.allowNumericKeys_ = settings_["allowNumericKeys"].asBool();
+  features.stackLimit_ = settings_["stackLimit"].asInt();
   return new OurCharReader(collectComments, features);
 }
 static void getValidReaderKeys(std::set<std::string>* valid_keys)
@@ -1863,6 +1883,7 @@ static void getValidReaderKeys(std::set<std::string>* valid_keys)
   valid_keys->insert("strictRoot");
   valid_keys->insert("allowDroppedNullPlaceholders");
   valid_keys->insert("allowNumericKeys");
+  valid_keys->insert("stackLimit");
 }
 bool CharReaderBuilder::validate(Json::Value* invalid) const
 {
@@ -1901,6 +1922,7 @@ void CharReaderBuilder::setDefaults(Json::Value* settings)
   (*settings)["strictRoot"] = false;
   (*settings)["allowDroppedNullPlaceholders"] = false;
   (*settings)["allowNumericKeys"] = false;
+  (*settings)["stackLimit"] = 1000;
 //! [CharReaderBuilderDefaults]
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp b/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
index e4d2dcbc2..30c80e2e8 100644
--- a/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
+++ b/src/test_lib_json/main.cpp
@@ -1713,6 +1713,34 @@ JSONTEST_FIXTURE(CharReaderTest, parseWithDetailError) {
   delete reader;
 }
 
+JSONTEST_FIXTURE(CharReaderTest, parseWithStackLimit) {
+  Json::CharReaderBuilder b;
+  Json::Value root;
+  char const doc[] =
+      "{ \"property\" : \"value\" }";
+  {
+  b.settings_["stackLimit"] = 2;
+  Json::CharReader* reader(b.newCharReader());
+  std::string errs;
+  bool ok = reader->parse(
+      doc, doc + std::strlen(doc),
+      &root, &errs);
+  JSONTEST_ASSERT(ok);
+  JSONTEST_ASSERT(errs == "");
+  JSONTEST_ASSERT_EQUAL("value", root["property"]);
+  delete reader;
+  }
+  {
+  b.settings_["stackLimit"] = 1;
+  Json::CharReader* reader(b.newCharReader());
+  std::string errs;
+  JSONTEST_ASSERT_THROWS(reader->parse(
+      doc, doc + std::strlen(doc),
+      &root, &errs));
+  delete reader;
+  }
+}
+
 int main(int argc, const char* argv[]) {
   JsonTest::Runner runner;
   JSONTEST_REGISTER_FIXTURE(runner, ValueTest, checkNormalizeFloatingPointStr);
@@ -1749,6 +1777,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[]) {
   JSONTEST_REGISTER_FIXTURE(runner, CharReaderTest, parseWithOneError);
   JSONTEST_REGISTER_FIXTURE(runner, CharReaderTest, parseChineseWithOneError);
   JSONTEST_REGISTER_FIXTURE(runner, CharReaderTest, parseWithDetailError);
+  JSONTEST_REGISTER_FIXTURE(runner, CharReaderTest, parseWithStackLimit);
 
   JSONTEST_REGISTER_FIXTURE(runner, WriterTest, dropNullPlaceholders);
   JSONTEST_REGISTER_FIXTURE(runner, StreamWriterTest, dropNullPlaceholders);