diff --git a/crates/thing-contract/tests/decode_stack.rs b/crates/thing-contract/tests/decode_stack.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e98b90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/thing-contract/tests/decode_stack.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+//! A surface payload inside CultCache's 256 nesting bound must decode on a small thread without
+//! aborting the process. Soul's finding `thing2:finding:cut-contract-rs.s1.decode-stack-overflow-
+//! within-bound` found a 2.8 KB Repeat chain aborting a 1 MiB thread in release at 68 levels and a
+//! Box chain aborting a 2 MiB debug thread at 24 levels, while the bound admits 125 and 83. A
+//! stack overflow kills the whole test binary, so these tests fail loudly on a decoder that
+//! does not grow its stack.
+
+mod common;
+
+use common::*;
+use cultcache_rs::decode_payload;
+use thing_contract::*;
+
+const REPEAT_LEVELS: usize = 125;
+const BOX_LEVELS: usize = 83;
+
+fn surface(root: Node) -> SurfaceDocument {
+    SurfaceDocument {
+        provider_id: ProviderId::new("provider.a"),
+        label: seg("deep"),
+        version: ver(1),
+        title: "deep".into(),
+        root,
+        commands: vec![],
+    }
+}
+
+fn repeat_chain(levels: usize) -> SurfaceDocument {
+    let mut chain = text("leaf", "bottom");
+    for depth in (0..levels).rev() {
+        chain = Node::Repeat(RepeatNode {
+            common: common(&format!("rep-{depth}")),
+            collection: CollectionSource::Param(param("rows")),
+            key_member: path(&["id"]),
+            template: std::boxed::Box::new(chain),
+        });
+    }
+    surface(chain)
+}
+
+fn box_chain(levels: usize) -> SurfaceDocument {
+    let mut chain = text("leaf", "bottom");
+    for depth in (0..levels).rev() {
+        chain = boxed(&format!("box-{depth}"), vec![chain]);
+    }
+    surface(chain)
+}
+
+/// Builds, encodes and drops the value on a roomy thread, so only the decode runs on `stack`.
+fn decode_on_small_thread(build: fn() -> SurfaceDocument, stack: usize) {
+    let expected = std::thread::Builder::new().stack_size(64 << 20).spawn(build).unwrap().join().unwrap();
+    let payload = std::thread::Builder::new()
+        .stack_size(64 << 20)
+        .spawn(move || (rmp_serde::to_vec(&expected).unwrap(), expected))
+        .unwrap()
+        .join()
+        .unwrap();
+    let (bytes, expected) = payload;
+    let decoded = std::thread::Builder::new()
+        .stack_size(stack)
+        .spawn(move || decode_payload::<SurfaceDocument>(&bytes).unwrap())
+        .unwrap()
+        .join()
+        .unwrap();
+    std::thread::Builder::new().stack_size(64 << 20).spawn(move || assert!(decoded == expected)).unwrap().join().unwrap();
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn repeat_chain_at_the_bound_decodes_on_a_1_mib_thread() {
+    decode_on_small_thread(|| repeat_chain(REPEAT_LEVELS), 1 << 20);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn box_chain_at_the_bound_decodes_on_a_2_mib_thread() {
+    decode_on_small_thread(|| box_chain(BOX_LEVELS), 2 << 20);
+}
diff --git a/crates/thing-contract/tests/goldens.rs b/crates/thing-contract/tests/goldens.rs
index 71a5c23..9529874 100644
--- a/crates/thing-contract/tests/goldens.rs
+++ b/crates/thing-contract/tests/goldens.rs
@@ -665,13 +665,6 @@ fn refusal_cases() {
 
 #[test]
 fn deep_tree() {
-    // Decoding a Node costs tens of KiB of debug stack per nesting level, so the chain runs on a
-    // thread that has the room; the 2 MiB default does not. The hazard is CultCache's, owned by
-    // cultlib-gaps:follow_up:decode-stack-safety; the test stays on the big thread until it lands.
-    std::thread::Builder::new().stack_size(16 * 1024 * 1024).spawn(deep_tree_body).unwrap().join().unwrap();
-}
-
-fn deep_tree_body() {
     // A 64-deep Box chain.
     let mut chain = text("leaf", "bottom");
     for depth in (0..64).rev() {