diff --git a/builder/build.go b/builder/build.go
index 035556c3b2..4231980536 100644
--- a/builder/build.go
+++ b/builder/build.go
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ func Build(pkgName, outpath, tmpdir string, config *compileopts.Config) (BuildRe
 				if pkgInit.IsNil() {
 					panic("init not found for " + pkg.Pkg.Path())
 				}
-				err := interp.RunFunc(pkgInit, config.Options.InterpTimeout, config.Options.InterpMaxDepth, config.DumpSSA())
+				err := interp.RunFunc(pkgInit, config.Options.InterpTimeout, config.Options.InterpMaxDepth, config.Options.InterpMaxInstr, config.DumpSSA())
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -1043,7 +1043,7 @@ func createEmbedObjectFile(data, hexSum, sourceFile, sourceDir, tmpdir string, c
 // needed to convert a program to its final form. Some transformations are not
 // optional and must be run as the compiler expects them to run.
 func optimizeProgram(mod llvm.Module, config *compileopts.Config) error {
-	err := interp.Run(mod, config.Options.InterpTimeout, config.Options.InterpMaxDepth, config.DumpSSA())
+	err := interp.Run(mod, config.Options.InterpTimeout, config.Options.InterpMaxDepth, config.Options.InterpMaxInstr, config.DumpSSA())
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/compileopts/options.go b/compileopts/options.go
index 0b748a5f5d..b5ad42c298 100644
--- a/compileopts/options.go
+++ b/compileopts/options.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ type Options struct {
 	Work            bool // -work flag to print temporary build directory
 	InterpTimeout   time.Duration
 	InterpMaxDepth  int
+	InterpMaxInstr  int
 	PrintIR         bool
 	DumpSSA         bool
 	VerifyIR        bool
diff --git a/interp/interp.go b/interp/interp.go
index 23311ff176..51d13952ee 100644
--- a/interp/interp.go
+++ b/interp/interp.go
@@ -32,10 +32,11 @@ type runner struct {
 	start         time.Time
 	timeout       time.Duration
 	maxDepth      int
+	maxInstr      int
 	callsExecuted uint64
 }
 
-func newRunner(mod llvm.Module, timeout time.Duration, maxDepth int, debug bool) *runner {
+func newRunner(mod llvm.Module, timeout time.Duration, maxDepth int, maxInstr int, debug bool) *runner {
 	r := runner{
 		mod:           mod,
 		targetData:    llvm.NewTargetData(mod.DataLayout()),
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ func newRunner(mod llvm.Module, timeout time.Duration, maxDepth int, debug bool)
 		start:         time.Now(),
 		timeout:       timeout,
 		maxDepth:      maxDepth,
+		maxInstr:      maxInstr,
 	}
 	r.pointerSize = uint32(r.targetData.PointerSize())
 	r.i8ptrType = llvm.PointerType(mod.Context().Int8Type(), 0)
@@ -62,8 +64,8 @@ func (r *runner) dispose() {
 
 // Run evaluates runtime.initAll function as much as possible at compile time.
 // Set debug to true if it should print output while running.
-func Run(mod llvm.Module, timeout time.Duration, maxDepth int, debug bool) error {
-	r := newRunner(mod, timeout, maxDepth, debug)
+func Run(mod llvm.Module, timeout time.Duration, maxDepth int, maxInstr int, debug bool) error {
+	r := newRunner(mod, timeout, maxDepth, maxInstr, debug)
 	defer r.dispose()
 
 	initAll := mod.NamedFunction("runtime.initAll")
@@ -203,10 +205,10 @@ func Run(mod llvm.Module, timeout time.Duration, maxDepth int, debug bool) error
 
 // RunFunc evaluates a single package initializer at compile time.
 // Set debug to true if it should print output while running.
-func RunFunc(fn llvm.Value, timeout time.Duration, maxDepth int, debug bool) error {
+func RunFunc(fn llvm.Value, timeout time.Duration, maxDepth int, maxInstr int, debug bool) error {
 	// Create and initialize *runner object.
 	mod := fn.GlobalParent()
-	r := newRunner(mod, timeout, maxDepth, debug)
+	r := newRunner(mod, timeout, maxDepth, maxInstr, debug)
 	defer r.dispose()
 	initName := fn.Name()
 	if !strings.HasSuffix(initName, ".init") {
diff --git a/interp/interp_test.go b/interp/interp_test.go
index 71776a3ce4..fdc5b839da 100644
--- a/interp/interp_test.go
+++ b/interp/interp_test.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func runTest(t *testing.T, pathPrefix string) {
 	defer mod.Dispose()
 
 	// Perform the transform.
-	err = Run(mod, 10*time.Minute, 10, false)
+	err = Run(mod, 10*time.Minute, 10, 0, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		if err, match := err.(*Error); match {
 			println(err.Error())
diff --git a/interp/interpreter.go b/interp/interpreter.go
index 84bbc953ac..69b3c320bd 100644
--- a/interp/interpreter.go
+++ b/interp/interpreter.go
@@ -33,7 +33,14 @@ func (r *runner) run(fn *function, params []value, parentMem *memoryView, depth
 	lastBB := -1 // last basic block is undefined, only defined after a branch
 	var operands []value
 	startRTInsts := len(mem.instructions)
+	instCount := 0
 	for instIndex := 0; instIndex < len(bb.instructions); instIndex++ {
+		instCount++
+		if r.maxInstr > 0 && instCount > r.maxInstr {
+			fmt.Printf("interp: excess instructions evaluated in %v\n", fn.name)
+			return nil, mem, r.errorAt(fn.blocks[0].instructions[0], errDepthExceeded)
+		}
+
 		if instIndex == 0 {
 			if r.maxDepth > 0 && depth >= r.maxDepth {
 				fmt.Printf("interp: depth exceeded in %v\n", fn.name)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 6d7da79be7..70a9da0df2 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -1419,6 +1419,7 @@ func main() {
 	work := flag.Bool("work", false, "print the name of the temporary build directory and do not delete this directory on exit")
 	interpTimeout := flag.Duration("interp-timeout", 180*time.Second, "interp optimization pass timeout")
 	interpMaxDepth := flag.Int("interp-maxdepth", 0, "interp optimization max depth (default 0=disabled)")
+	interpMaxInstr := flag.Int("interp-maxinstr", 100_000, "limit interp optimization max instructions (0=disabled)")
 	var tags buildutil.TagsFlag
 	flag.Var(&tags, "tags", "a space-separated list of extra build tags")
 	target := flag.String("target", "", "chip/board name or JSON target specification file")
@@ -1530,6 +1531,7 @@ func main() {
 		Work:            *work,
 		InterpTimeout:   *interpTimeout,
 		InterpMaxDepth:  *interpMaxDepth,
+		InterpMaxInstr:  *interpMaxInstr,
 		PrintIR:         *printIR,
 		DumpSSA:         *dumpSSA,
 		VerifyIR:        *verifyIR,