diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/tpd.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/tpd.scala
index e48d89f842ea..785dadce8006 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/tpd.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/ast/tpd.scala
@@ -1083,6 +1083,37 @@ object tpd extends Trees.Instance[Type] with TypedTreeInfo {
     }
   }
 
+  inline val MapRecursionLimit = 10
+
+  extension (trees: List[Tree])
+
+    /** A map that expands to a recursive function. It's equivalent to
+     *
+     *    flatten(trees.mapConserve(op))
+     *
+     *  and falls back to it after `MaxRecursionLimit` recursions.
+     *  Before that it uses a simpler method that uses stackspace
+     *  instead of heap.
+     *  Note `op` is duplicated in the generated code, so it should be
+     *  kept small.
+     */
+    inline def mapInline(inline op: Tree => Tree): List[Tree] =
+      def recur(trees: List[Tree], count: Int): List[Tree] =
+        if count > MapRecursionLimit then
+          // use a slower implementation that avoids stack overflows
+          flatten(trees.mapConserve(op))
+        else trees match
+          case tree :: rest =>
+            val tree1 = op(tree)
+            val rest1 = recur(rest, count + 1)
+            if (tree1 eq tree) && (rest1 eq rest) then trees
+            else tree1 match
+              case Thicket(elems1) => elems1 ::: rest1
+              case _ => tree1 :: rest1
+          case nil => nil
+      recur(trees, 0)
+  end extension
+
   /** Map Inlined nodes, NamedArgs, Blocks with no statements and local references to underlying arguments.
    *  Also drops Inline and Block with no statements.
    */
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/MegaPhase.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/MegaPhase.scala
index 2947a2e98ff1..f9aa04fe6c09 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/MegaPhase.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/MegaPhase.scala
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ class MegaPhase(val miniPhases: Array[MiniPhase]) extends Phase {
       case _ => transformTree(stat, start)(using ctx.exprContext(stat, exprOwner))
     }
     val nestedCtx = prepStats(trees, start)
-    val trees1 = flatten(trees.mapConserve(transformStat(_)(using nestedCtx)))
+    val trees1 = trees.mapInline(transformStat(_)(using nestedCtx))
     goStats(trees1, start)(using nestedCtx)
   }
 
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ class MegaPhase(val miniPhases: Array[MiniPhase]) extends Phase {
   }
 
   def transformTrees(trees: List[Tree], start: Int)(using Context): List[Tree] =
-    flatten(trees.mapConserve(transformTree(_, start)))
+    trees.mapInline(transformTree(_, start))
 
   def transformSpecificTrees[T <: Tree](trees: List[T], start: Int)(using Context): List[T] =
     transformTrees(trees, start).asInstanceOf[List[T]]