diff --git a/Lib/test/test_threading.py b/Lib/test/test_threading.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_threading.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_threading.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import weakref
 import os
 from test.script_helper import assert_python_ok, assert_python_failure
+import subprocess
 
 from test import lock_tests
 
@@ -703,6 +704,37 @@
         lock = threading.Lock()
         self.assertRaises(RuntimeError, lock.release)
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(sys.platform == 'darwin', 'test macosx problem')
+    def test_recursion_limit(self):
+        # Issue 9670
+        # test that excessive recursion within a non-main thread causes
+        # an exception rather than crashing the interpreter on platforms
+        # like Mac OS X or FreeBSD which have small default stack sizes
+        # for threads
+        script = """if True:
+            import threading
+
+            def recurse():
+                return recurse()
+
+            def outer():
+                try:
+                    recurse()
+                except RuntimeError:
+                    pass
+
+            w = threading.Thread(target=outer)
+            w.start()
+            w.join()
+            print('end of main thread')
+            """
+        expected_output = "end of main thread\n"
+        p = subprocess.Popen([sys.executable, "-c", script],
+                             stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+        stdout, stderr = p.communicate()
+        data = stdout.decode().replace('\r', '')
+        self.assertEqual(p.returncode, 0, "Unexpected error")
+        self.assertEqual(data, expected_output)
 
 class LockTests(lock_tests.LockTests):
     locktype = staticmethod(threading.Lock)
diff --git a/Python/thread_pthread.h b/Python/thread_pthread.h
--- a/Python/thread_pthread.h
+++ b/Python/thread_pthread.h
@@ -18,6 +18,18 @@
 #ifndef THREAD_STACK_SIZE
 #define THREAD_STACK_SIZE       0       /* use default stack size */
 #endif
+
+#if (defined(__APPLE__) || defined(__FreeBSD__)) && defined(THREAD_STACK_SIZE) && THREAD_STACK_SIZE == 0
+   /* The default stack size for new threads on OSX is small enough that
+    * we'll get hard crashes instead of 'maximum recursion depth exceeded'
+    * exceptions.
+    *
+    * The default stack size below is the minimal stack size where a
+    * simple recursive function doesn't cause a hard crash.
+    */
+#undef  THREAD_STACK_SIZE
+#define THREAD_STACK_SIZE       0x400000
+#endif
 /* for safety, ensure a viable minimum stacksize */
 #define THREAD_STACK_MIN        0x8000  /* 32kB */
 #else  /* !_POSIX_THREAD_ATTR_STACKSIZE */