diff --git a/src/ocrmypdf/pdfinfo/__init__.py b/src/ocrmypdf/pdfinfo/__init__.py
index 9832c0f5..4f0f4886 100644
--- a/src/ocrmypdf/pdfinfo/__init__.py
+++ b/src/ocrmypdf/pdfinfo/__init__.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from enum import Enum
 from math import hypot, isclose
 from pathlib import Path
 from unittest.mock import Mock
+from warnings import warn
 import re
 
 from pikepdf import PdfMatrix
@@ -136,6 +137,13 @@ def _interpret_contents(contentstream, initial_shorthand=UNIT_SQUARE):
     page.
 
     PDF units suit our needs so we initialize ctm to the identity matrix.
+
+    According to the PDF specification, the maximum stack depth is 32. Other
+    viewers tolerate some amount beyond this.  We issue a warning if the
+    stack depth exceeds the spec limit and set a hard limit beyond this to
+    bound our memory requirements.  If the stack underflows behavior is
+    undefined in the spec, but we just pretend nothing happened and leave the
+    CTM unchanged.
     """
 
     stack = []
@@ -150,18 +158,20 @@ def _interpret_contents(contentstream, initial_shorthand=UNIT_SQUARE):
     for n, graphobj in enumerate(_normalize_stack(
             pikepdf.parse_content_stream(contentstream, operator_whitelist))):
         operands, operator = graphobj
-
         if operator == 'q':
             stack.append(ctm)
-            if len(stack) > 32:
-                raise RuntimeError(
-                    "PDF graphics stack overflow, operator %i" % n)
+            if len(stack) > 32:  # See docstring
+                if len(stack) > 128:
+                    raise RuntimeError(
+                        "PDF graphics stack overflowed hard limit, operator %i" % n)
+                warn("PDF graphics stack overflowed spec limit")
         elif operator == 'Q':
             try:
                 ctm = stack.pop()
             except IndexError:
-                raise RuntimeError(
-                    "PDF graphics stack underflow, operator %i" % n)
+                # Keeping the ctm the same seems to be the only sensible thing
+                # to do. Just pretend nothing happened, keep calm and carry on.
+                warn("PDF graphics stack underflowed - PDF may be malformed")
         elif operator == 'cm':
             ctm = PdfMatrix(operands) @ ctm
         elif operator == 'Do':
diff --git a/tests/test_pdfinfo.py b/tests/test_pdfinfo.py
index c27a847d..9726ed1a 100644
--- a/tests/test_pdfinfo.py
+++ b/tests/test_pdfinfo.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import shutil
 import pytest
 import img2pdf
 import sys
-import PyPDF2 as pypdf
 import pikepdf
 import pickle
 
@@ -196,3 +195,22 @@ def test_corrupt_font_detection(resources, testfile):
 
     pdf = pdfinfo.PdfInfo(filename, detailed_page_analysis=True)
     assert pdf[0].has_corrupt_text
+
+
+def test_stack_abuse():
+    p = pikepdf.Pdf.new()
+
+    stream = pikepdf.Stream(p, b'q ' * 35)
+    with pytest.warns(None) as record:
+        pdfinfo._interpret_contents(stream)
+    assert 'overflowed' in str(record[0].message)
+
+    stream = pikepdf.Stream(p, b'q Q Q Q Q')
+    with pytest.warns(None) as record:
+        pdfinfo._interpret_contents(stream)
+    assert 'underflowed' in str(record[0].message)
+
+    stream = pikepdf.Stream(p, b'q ' * 135)
+    with pytest.warns(None):
+        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+            pdfinfo._interpret_contents(stream)