diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval-inline.hh b/src/libexpr/eval-inline.hh
index 6fa34b062..d5ce238b2 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval-inline.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval-inline.hh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "print.hh"
 #include "eval.hh"
 #include "eval-error.hh"
+#include "eval-settings.hh"
 
 namespace nix {
 
@@ -138,5 +139,12 @@ inline void EvalState::forceList(Value & v, const PosIdx pos, std::string_view e
     }
 }
 
+[[gnu::always_inline]]
+inline CallDepth EvalState::addCallDepth(const PosIdx pos) {
+    if (callDepth > settings.maxCallDepth)
+        error<EvalError>("stack overflow; max-call-depth exceeded").atPos(pos).debugThrow();
+
+    return CallDepth(callDepth);
+};
 
 }
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index c9101678c..0e70ca262 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -1471,26 +1471,9 @@ void ExprLambda::eval(EvalState & state, Env & env, Value & v)
     v.mkLambda(&env, this);
 }
 
-namespace {
-/** Increments a count on construction and decrements on destruction.
- */
-class CallDepth {
-  size_t & count;
-public:
-  CallDepth(size_t & count) : count(count) {
-    ++count;
-  }
-  ~CallDepth() {
-    --count;
-  }
-};
-};
-
 void EvalState::callFunction(Value & fun, size_t nrArgs, Value * * args, Value & vRes, const PosIdx pos)
 {
-    if (callDepth > settings.maxCallDepth)
-        error<EvalError>("stack overflow; max-call-depth exceeded").atPos(pos).debugThrow();
-    CallDepth _level(callDepth);
+    auto _level = addCallDepth(pos);
 
     auto trace = settings.traceFunctionCalls
         ? std::make_unique<FunctionCallTrace>(positions[pos])
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.hh b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
index ddf5dcf94..9fd31e904 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
@@ -41,6 +41,21 @@ namespace eval_cache {
     class EvalCache;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Increments a count on construction and decrements on destruction.
+ */
+class CallDepth {
+  size_t & count;
+
+public:
+  CallDepth(size_t & count) : count(count) {
+    ++count;
+  }
+  ~CallDepth() {
+    --count;
+  }
+};
+
 /**
  * Function that implements a primop.
  */
@@ -649,6 +664,11 @@ private:
 
 public:
 
+    /**
+     * Check that the call depth is within limits, and increment it, until the returned object is destroyed.
+     */
+    inline CallDepth addCallDepth(const PosIdx pos);
+
     /**
      * Do a deep equality test between two values.  That is, list
      * elements and attributes are compared recursively.