diff --git a/ep.c b/ep.c
index 95510a2..471fce5 100644
--- a/ep.c
+++ b/ep.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #define PROMPT " ➜ "
 #define JOBS " ✦"
 
+pthread_attr_t *thread_a = 0;
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
@@ -54,18 +56,37 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
+	pthread_attr_t attr;
+
+	do {
+		if (pthread_attr_init(&attr)) break;
+		/* stack buffer in popen/posix_spawn can get big, so we can't go much below 8KB;
+		 * we subtract 1024 so libc TLS can still fit into a 8KB region instead of
+		 * requiring a 12KB region. This fiddling has no effect if PAGE_SIZE>4KB */
+		if (pthread_attr_setstacksize(&attr, (1 << 13) - 1024)) {
+			pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
+			break;
+		}
+		/* guarantee at least one memory page as guard */
+		if (pthread_attr_setguardsize(&attr, 1)) {
+			pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
+			break;
+		}
+		thread_a = &attr;
+	} while(0);
+
 	/* start threads for long(er) running steps */
 	struct threaded_task root_lang_task = { .task = task_launch_root_lang };
 	int git_launched = 1;
 	pthread_t git_handle;
-	if (pthread_create(&git_handle, NULL, git_thread, &root_lang_task)) {
+	if (pthread_create(&git_handle, thread_a, git_thread, &root_lang_task)) {
 		e(INFO, "couldn't create git thread", errno);
 		git_launched = 0;
 	}
 
 	int pwd_lang_launched = 1;
 	pthread_t pwd_lang_handle;
-	if (pthread_create(&pwd_lang_handle, NULL, lang_thread, NULL)) {
+	if (pthread_create(&pwd_lang_handle, thread_a, lang_thread, NULL)) {
 		e(INFO, "couldn't create lang thread", errno);
 		pwd_lang_launched = 0;
 	}
diff --git a/ep.h b/ep.h
index 6c1cd3f..1aa8eef 100644
--- a/ep.h
+++ b/ep.h
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ struct threaded_task {
 	enum task_identity task;
 };
 
+/* from ep.c */
+extern pthread_attr_t *thread_a;
+
 /* from out.c */
 extern FILE *out, *outerr;
 enum log_level_value { DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR };
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index becb87d..ee1c0f3 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -94,14 +94,14 @@ void *git_thread(void *arg)
 	 * if we add more stuff to do in repos, launch more threads */
 
 	pthread_t status_handle, root_handle;
-	if (pthread_create(&status_handle, NULL, get_git_status, git_info))
+	if (pthread_create(&status_handle, thread_a, get_git_status, git_info))
 		goto status_create_error;
-	if (pthread_create(&root_handle, NULL, get_git_root, git_info))
+	if (pthread_create(&root_handle, thread_a, get_git_root, git_info))
 		goto root_create_error;
 
 	pthread_join(root_handle, NULL);
 	if (root_lang_task && git_info->git_root) {
-		root_lang_task->launched = !pthread_create(&root_lang_task->handle, NULL, lang_thread, git_info->git_root);
+		root_lang_task->launched = !pthread_create(&root_lang_task->handle, thread_a, lang_thread, git_info->git_root);
 	}
 root_create_error:
 	pthread_join(status_handle, NULL);