diff --git a/src/libmain/Makefile.am b/src/libmain/Makefile.am
index 6a2d7f5f58..75b9d83dcf 100644
--- a/src/libmain/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/libmain/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 pkglib_LTLIBRARIES = libmain.la
 
-libmain_la_SOURCES = shared.cc
+libmain_la_SOURCES = shared.cc stack.cc
 
 libmain_la_LIBADD = ../libstore/libstore.la @BDW_GC_LIBS@
 
diff --git a/src/libmain/shared.cc b/src/libmain/shared.cc
index 4796629dc4..ee0dccc9d1 100644
--- a/src/libmain/shared.cc
+++ b/src/libmain/shared.cc
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <sys/time.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <signal.h>
 
 #if HAVE_BOEHMGC
 #include <gc/gc.h>
@@ -100,6 +101,9 @@ string getArg(const string & opt,
 }
 
 
+void detectStackOverflow();
+
+
 /* Initialize and reorder arguments, then call the actual argument
    processor. */
 static void initAndRun(int argc, char * * argv)
@@ -131,6 +135,9 @@ static void initAndRun(int argc, char * * argv)
     if (sigaction(SIGCHLD, &act, 0))
         throw SysError("resetting SIGCHLD");
 
+    /* Register a SIGSEGV handler to detect stack overflows. */
+    detectStackOverflow();
+
     /* There is no privacy in the Nix system ;-)  At least not for
        now.  In particular, store objects should be readable by
        everybody. */
diff --git a/src/libmain/stack.cc b/src/libmain/stack.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0ea80f18e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libmain/stack.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include "types.hh"
+
+#include <cstring>
+#include <cstddef>
+#include <cstdlib>
+
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+
+namespace nix {
+
+
+static void sigsegvHandler(int signo, siginfo_t * info, void * ctx)
+{
+    /* Detect stack overflows by comparing the faulting address with
+       the stack pointer.  Unfortunately, getting the stack pointer is
+       not portable. */
+    bool haveSP = true;
+    char * sp;
+#if defined(__x86_64__) && defined(REG_RSP)
+    sp = (char *) ((ucontext *) ctx)->uc_mcontext.gregs[REG_RSP];
+#elif defined(REG_ESP)
+    sp = (char *) ((ucontext *) ctx)->uc_mcontext.gregs[REG_ESP];
+#else
+    haveSP = false;
+#endif
+
+    if (haveSP) {
+        ptrdiff_t diff = (char *) info->si_addr - sp;
+        if (diff < 0) diff = -diff;
+        if (diff < 4096) {
+            char msg[] = "error: stack overflow (possible infinite recursion)\n";
+            write(2, msg, strlen(msg));
+            _exit(1); // maybe abort instead?
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* Restore default behaviour (i.e. segfault and dump core). */
+    struct sigaction act;
+    sigfillset(&act.sa_mask);
+    act.sa_handler = SIG_DFL;
+    act.sa_flags = 0;
+    if (sigaction(SIGSEGV, &act, 0)) abort();
+}
+
+
+void detectStackOverflow()
+{
+#if defined(SA_SIGINFO) && defined (SA_ONSTACK)
+    /* Install a SIGSEGV handler to detect stack overflows.  This
+       requires an alternative stack, otherwise the signal cannot be
+       delivered when we're out of stack space. */
+    stack_t stack;
+    stack.ss_size = 4096 * 4;
+    stack.ss_sp = new char[stack.ss_size];
+    if (!stack.ss_sp) throw Error("cannot allocate alternative stack");
+    stack.ss_flags = 0;
+    if (sigaltstack(&stack, 0) == -1) throw SysError("cannot set alternative stack");
+
+    struct sigaction act;
+    sigfillset(&act.sa_mask);
+    act.sa_sigaction = sigsegvHandler;
+    act.sa_flags = SA_SIGINFO | SA_ONSTACK;
+    if (sigaction(SIGSEGV, &act, 0))
+        throw SysError("resetting SIGCHLD");
+#endif
+}
+
+
+}