diff --git a/lib/isc/include/isc/result.h b/lib/isc/include/isc/result.h
index 14146986f0..a43772e941 100644
--- a/lib/isc/include/isc/result.h
+++ b/lib/isc/include/isc/result.h
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ typedef enum isc_result {
 	ISCCC_R_EXPIRED,
 	ISCCC_R_CLOCKSKEW,
 	ISCCC_R_DUPLICATE,
+	ISCCC_R_MAXDEPTH,
 
 	ISC_R_NRESULTS, /*% The number of results. */
 	ISC_R_MAKE_ENUM_32BIT = INT32_MAX,
diff --git a/lib/isc/result.c b/lib/isc/result.c
index b8a0c0da43..edbc8fd518 100644
--- a/lib/isc/result.c
+++ b/lib/isc/result.c
@@ -268,6 +268,7 @@ static const char *description[ISC_R_NRESULTS] = {
 	[ISCCC_R_EXPIRED] = "expired",
 	[ISCCC_R_CLOCKSKEW] = "clock skew",
 	[ISCCC_R_DUPLICATE] = "duplicate",
+	[ISCCC_R_MAXDEPTH] = "max depth",
 };
 
 static const char *identifier[ISC_R_NRESULTS] = {
@@ -517,6 +518,7 @@ static const char *identifier[ISC_R_NRESULTS] = {
 	[ISCCC_R_EXPIRED] = "ISCCC_R_EXPIRED",
 	[ISCCC_R_CLOCKSKEW] = "ISCCC_R_CLOCKSKEW",
 	[ISCCC_R_DUPLICATE] = "ISCCC_R_DUPLICATE",
+	[ISCCC_R_MAXDEPTH] = "ISCCC_R_MAXDEPTH",
 };
 
 STATIC_ASSERT((DNS_R_SERVFAIL - DNS_R_NOERROR == 2),
diff --git a/lib/isccc/cc.c b/lib/isccc/cc.c
index 52914ed5ae..cbd9badd3a 100644
--- a/lib/isccc/cc.c
+++ b/lib/isccc/cc.c
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@
 
 #define MAX_TAGS     256
 #define DUP_LIFETIME 900
+#ifndef ISCCC_MAXDEPTH
+#define ISCCC_MAXDEPTH \
+	10 /* Big enough for rndc which just sends a string each way. */
+#endif
 
 typedef isccc_sexpr_t *sexpr_ptr;
 
@@ -484,19 +488,25 @@ verify(isccc_sexpr_t *alist, unsigned char *data, unsigned int length,
 
 static isc_result_t
 table_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, isccc_region_t *secret,
-	       uint32_t algorithm, isccc_sexpr_t **alistp);
+	       uint32_t algorithm, unsigned int depth, isccc_sexpr_t **alistp);
 
 static isc_result_t
-list_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, isccc_sexpr_t **listp);
+list_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, unsigned int depth,
+	      isccc_sexpr_t **listp);
 
 static isc_result_t
-value_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, isccc_sexpr_t **valuep) {
+value_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, unsigned int depth,
+	       isccc_sexpr_t **valuep) {
 	unsigned int msgtype;
 	uint32_t len;
 	isccc_sexpr_t *value;
 	isccc_region_t active;
 	isc_result_t result;
 
+	if (depth > ISCCC_MAXDEPTH) {
+		return (ISCCC_R_MAXDEPTH);
+	}
+
 	if (REGION_SIZE(*source) < 1 + 4) {
 		return (ISC_R_UNEXPECTEDEND);
 	}
@@ -517,9 +527,9 @@ value_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, isccc_sexpr_t **valuep) {
 			result = ISC_R_NOMEMORY;
 		}
 	} else if (msgtype == ISCCC_CCMSGTYPE_TABLE) {
-		result = table_fromwire(&active, NULL, 0, valuep);
+		result = table_fromwire(&active, NULL, 0, depth + 1, valuep);
 	} else if (msgtype == ISCCC_CCMSGTYPE_LIST) {
-		result = list_fromwire(&active, valuep);
+		result = list_fromwire(&active, depth + 1, valuep);
 	} else {
 		result = ISCCC_R_SYNTAX;
 	}
@@ -529,7 +539,7 @@ value_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, isccc_sexpr_t **valuep) {
 
 static isc_result_t
 table_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, isccc_region_t *secret,
-	       uint32_t algorithm, isccc_sexpr_t **alistp) {
+	       uint32_t algorithm, unsigned int depth, isccc_sexpr_t **alistp) {
 	char key[256];
 	uint32_t len;
 	isc_result_t result;
@@ -539,6 +549,10 @@ table_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, isccc_region_t *secret,
 
 	REQUIRE(alistp != NULL && *alistp == NULL);
 
+	if (depth > ISCCC_MAXDEPTH) {
+		return (ISCCC_R_MAXDEPTH);
+	}
+
 	checksum_rstart = NULL;
 	first_tag = true;
 	alist = isccc_alist_create();
@@ -555,7 +569,7 @@ table_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, isccc_region_t *secret,
 		GET_MEM(key, len, source->rstart);
 		key[len] = '\0'; /* Ensure NUL termination. */
 		value = NULL;
-		result = value_fromwire(source, &value);
+		result = value_fromwire(source, depth + 1, &value);
 		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
 			goto bad;
 		}
@@ -593,14 +607,19 @@ bad:
 }
 
 static isc_result_t
-list_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, isccc_sexpr_t **listp) {
+list_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, unsigned int depth,
+	      isccc_sexpr_t **listp) {
 	isccc_sexpr_t *list, *value;
 	isc_result_t result;
 
+	if (depth > ISCCC_MAXDEPTH) {
+		return (ISCCC_R_MAXDEPTH);
+	}
+
 	list = NULL;
 	while (!REGION_EMPTY(*source)) {
 		value = NULL;
-		result = value_fromwire(source, &value);
+		result = value_fromwire(source, depth + 1, &value);
 		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
 			isccc_sexpr_free(&list);
 			return (result);
@@ -632,7 +651,7 @@ isccc_cc_fromwire(isccc_region_t *source, isccc_sexpr_t **alistp,
 		return (ISCCC_R_UNKNOWNVERSION);
 	}
 
-	return (table_fromwire(source, secret, algorithm, alistp));
+	return (table_fromwire(source, secret, algorithm, 0, alistp));
 }
 
 static isc_result_t