diff -urp make-3.81/job.c make-3.81-pm/job.c
--- make-3.81/job.c	2008-03-25 18:15:38.000000000 +0100
+++ make-3.81-pm/job.c	2008-03-25 17:51:11.000000000 +0100
@@ -2079,6 +2079,9 @@ exec_command (char **argv, char **envp)
 # else
 
   /* Run the program.  */
+#ifdef SET_STACK_SIZE
+  restore_original_stack_rlimit ();
+#endif
   environ = envp;
   execvp (argv[0], argv);
 
diff -urp make-3.81/main.c make-3.81-pm/main.c
--- make-3.81/main.c	2008-03-25 18:15:38.000000000 +0100
+++ make-3.81-pm/main.c	2008-03-25 18:14:04.000000000 +0100
@@ -44,12 +44,53 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth 
 # include <fcntl.h>
 #endif
 
-#if defined(HAVE_SYS_RESOURCE_H) && defined(HAVE_GETRLIMIT) && defined(HAVE_SETRLIMIT)
-# define SET_STACK_SIZE
-#endif
-
 #ifdef SET_STACK_SIZE
 # include <sys/resource.h>
+/* Whether the rlimit was set successfuly */
+static int setrlimit_succeeded = 0;
+/* Original rlim_cur */
+static rlim_t setrlimit_orig_cur = 0;
+
+/* Get rid of any avoidable limit on stack size so that alloca does
+   not fail. */
+void
+set_max_stack_rlimit (void)
+{
+  struct rlimit rlim;
+
+  /* Back off if the limit is still set, probably due to failure in
+     restore_original_stack_rlimit. */
+  if (setrlimit_succeeded)
+    return;
+
+  if (getrlimit (RLIMIT_STACK, &rlim) == 0)
+    {
+      setrlimit_orig_cur = rlim.rlim_cur;
+      rlim.rlim_cur = rlim.rlim_max;
+      if (setrlimit (RLIMIT_STACK, &rlim) != -1)
+	setrlimit_succeeded = 1;
+    }
+}
+
+/* Set the rlimit back to its original value.  To be called before
+   process spawn. */
+void
+restore_original_stack_rlimit (void)
+{
+  struct rlimit rlim;
+
+  if (!setrlimit_succeeded)
+    return;
+
+  if (getrlimit (RLIMIT_STACK, &rlim) == 0)
+    {
+      rlim.rlim_cur = setrlimit_orig_cur;
+      setrlimit (RLIMIT_STACK, &rlim);
+      /* Don't reset the setrlimit_succeeded flag.  This can be called
+	 after vfork, in which case the flag is in memory shared with
+	 the parent. */
+    }
+}
 #endif
 
 #ifdef _AMIGA
@@ -915,17 +956,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv, char **envp
 #endif
 
 #ifdef SET_STACK_SIZE
- /* Get rid of any avoidable limit on stack size.  */
-  {
-    struct rlimit rlim;
-
-    /* Set the stack limit huge so that alloca does not fail.  */
-    if (getrlimit (RLIMIT_STACK, &rlim) == 0)
-      {
-        rlim.rlim_cur = rlim.rlim_max;
-        setrlimit (RLIMIT_STACK, &rlim);
-      }
-  }
+  set_max_stack_rlimit ();
 #endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_ATEXIT
diff -urp make-3.81/make.h make-3.81-pm/make.h
--- make-3.81/make.h	2008-03-25 18:15:38.000000000 +0100
+++ make-3.81-pm/make.h	2008-03-25 17:51:10.000000000 +0100
@@ -346,6 +346,13 @@ extern int strcmpi (const char *,const c
 #define N_(msgid)           gettext_noop (msgid)
 #define S_(msg1,msg2,num)   ngettext (msg1,msg2,num)
 
+/* Handle rlimit */
+#if defined(HAVE_SYS_RESOURCE_H) && defined(HAVE_GETRLIMIT) && defined(HAVE_SETRLIMIT)
+# define SET_STACK_SIZE
+void set_max_stack_rlimit (void);
+void restore_original_stack_rlimit (void);
+#endif
+
 /* Handle other OSs.  */
 #if defined(HAVE_DOS_PATHS)
 # define PATH_SEPARATOR_CHAR ';'
diff -urp make-3.81/w32/Makefile make-3.81-pm/w32/Makefile