diff --git a/src/libmain/shared.hh b/src/libmain/shared.hh
index 0cc56d47d..3c37fd627 100644
--- a/src/libmain/shared.hh
+++ b/src/libmain/shared.hh
@@ -113,5 +113,25 @@ struct PrintFreed
 /* Install a SIGSEGV handler to detect stack overflows. */
 void detectStackOverflow();
 
+/* Pluggable behavior to run in case of a stack overflow.
+
+   Default value: defaultStackOverflowHandler.
+
+   This is called by the handler installed by detectStackOverflow().
+
+   This gives Nix library consumers a limit opportunity to report the error
+   condition. The handler should exit the process.
+   See defaultStackOverflowHandler() for a reference implementation.
+
+   NOTE: Use with diligence, because this runs in the signal handler, with very
+   limited stack space and a potentially a corrupted heap, all while the failed
+   thread is blocked indefinitely. All functions called must be reentrant. */
+extern std::function<void(siginfo_t * info, void * ctx)> stackOverflowHandler;
+
+/* The default, robust implementation of stackOverflowHandler.
+
+   Prints an error message directly to stderr using a syscall instead of the
+   logger. Exits the process immediately after. */
+void defaultStackOverflowHandler(siginfo_t * info, void * ctx);
 
 }
diff --git a/src/libmain/stack.cc b/src/libmain/stack.cc
index b0a4a4c5d..10f71c1dc 100644
--- a/src/libmain/stack.cc
+++ b/src/libmain/stack.cc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "error.hh"
+#include "shared.hh"
 
 #include <cstring>
 #include <cstddef>
@@ -29,9 +30,7 @@ static void sigsegvHandler(int signo, siginfo_t * info, void * ctx)
         ptrdiff_t diff = (char *) info->si_addr - sp;
         if (diff < 0) diff = -diff;
         if (diff < 4096) {
-            char msg[] = "error: stack overflow (possible infinite recursion)\n";
-            [[gnu::unused]] auto res = write(2, msg, strlen(msg));
-            _exit(1); // maybe abort instead?
+            nix::stackOverflowHandler(info, ctx);
         }
     }
 
@@ -67,5 +66,12 @@ void detectStackOverflow()
 #endif
 }
 
+std::function<void(siginfo_t * info, void * ctx)> stackOverflowHandler(defaultStackOverflowHandler);
+
+void defaultStackOverflowHandler(siginfo_t * info, void * ctx) {
+    char msg[] = "error: stack overflow (possible infinite recursion)\n";
+    [[gnu::unused]] auto res = write(2, msg, strlen(msg));
+    _exit(1); // maybe abort instead?
+}
 
 }