diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/back-bdb.h b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/back-bdb.h
index efc6de9b3d..3ea5775776 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/back-bdb.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/back-bdb.h
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ LDAP_BEGIN_DECL
 /* The default search IDL stack cache depth */
 #define DEFAULT_SEARCH_STACK_DEPTH	16
 
+/* The minimum we can function with */
+#define MINIMUM_SEARCH_STACK_DEPTH	8
+
 /* for the IDL cache */
 #define SLAP_IDL_CACHE	1
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/config.c b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/config.c
index 8fd2e23272..12bf4d7324 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/config.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/config.c
@@ -137,13 +137,20 @@ bdb_db_config(
 
 	/* depth of search stack cache in units of (IDL)s */
         } else if ( strcasecmp( argv[0], "searchstack" ) == 0 ) {
-                 if ( argc < 2 ) {
-                         fprintf( stderr,
-                 "%s: line %d: missing depth in \"searchstack <depth>\" line\n",
-                             fname, lineno );
-                         return( 1 );
-                 }
-                 bdb->bi_search_stack_depth = atoi( argv[1] );
+		if ( argc < 2 ) {
+			fprintf( stderr,
+		"%s: line %d: missing depth in \"searchstack <depth>\" line\n",
+			fname, lineno );
+			return( 1 );
+		}
+		bdb->bi_search_stack_depth = atoi( argv[1] );
+		if ( bdb->bi_search_stack_depth < MINIMUM_SEARCH_STACK_DEPTH ) {
+			fprintf( stderr,
+		"%s: line %d: depth %d too small, using %d\n",
+			fname, lineno, bdb->bi_search_stack_depth,
+			MINIMUM_SEARCH_STACK_DEPTH );
+			bdb->bi_search_stack_depth = MINIMUM_SEARCH_STACK_DEPTH;
+		}
 
 #ifdef SLAP_IDL_CACHE
 	/* size of the IDL cache in entries */