diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 43369c08..632ac3fd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -144,6 +144,9 @@ include/chibi/install.h: Makefile
 sexp.o: sexp.c gc.c opt/bignum.c $(INCLUDES) Makefile
 	$(CC) -c $(XCPPFLAGS) $(XCFLAGS) $(CLIBFLAGS) -o $@ $<
 
+sexp-ulimit.o: sexp.c gc.c opt/bignum.c $(INCLUDES) Makefile
+	$(CC) -c $(XCPPFLAGS) $(XCFLAGS) $(CLIBFLAGS) -DSEXP_USE_LIMITED_MALLOC -o $@ $<
+
 eval.o: eval.c opcodes.c vm.c opt/simplify.c $(INCLUDES) include/chibi/eval.h Makefile
 	$(CC) -c $(XCPPFLAGS) $(XCFLAGS) $(CLIBFLAGS) -o $@ $<
 
@@ -162,6 +165,9 @@ chibi-scheme$(EXE): main.o libchibi-scheme$(SO)
 chibi-scheme-static$(EXE): main.o eval.o sexp.o
 	$(CC) $(XCFLAGS) $(STATICFLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(LDFLAGS) $(GCLDFLAGS) -lm
 
+chibi-scheme-ulimit$(EXE): main.o eval.o sexp-ulimit.o
+	$(CC) $(XCFLAGS) $(STATICFLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(LDFLAGS) $(GCLDFLAGS) -lm
+
 clibs.c: $(GENSTATIC) lib lib/chibi lib/srfi chibi-scheme$(EXE) libs
 	$(CHIBI) $< > $@
 
@@ -214,7 +220,7 @@ test-basic: chibi-scheme$(EXE)
 	    fi; \
 	done
 
-test-memory:
+test-memory: chibi-scheme-ulimit$(EXE)
 	./tests/memory/memory-tests.sh
 
 test-build:
diff --git a/tests/memory/memory-tests.sh b/tests/memory/memory-tests.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..5dc69550
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/memory/memory-tests.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+for f in tests/memory/*.scm; do
+    ./chibi-scheme-ulimit $f >${f%.scm}.out 2>${f%.scm}.err
+    if diff -q ${f%.scm}.out ${f%.scm}.res \
+        && diff -q ${f%.scm}.err ${f%.scm}.err-res; then
+        echo "[PASS] ${f%.scm}"
+        rm -f ${f%.scm}.out ${f%.scm}.err
+    else
+        echo "[FAIL] ${f%.scm}"
+    fi
+done
diff --git a/tests/memory/test00-read-string.err-res b/tests/memory/test00-read-string.err-res
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5ebc44a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/memory/test00-read-string.err-res
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ERROR: out of memory
diff --git a/tests/memory/test00-read-string.res b/tests/memory/test00-read-string.res
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d0b82be5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/memory/test00-read-string.res
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+string: "aaa...
diff --git a/tests/memory/test00-read-string.scm b/tests/memory/test00-read-string.scm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8a1ca665
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/memory/test00-read-string.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+
+(define (show-string str)
+  (display "string: ")
+  (display (substring str 0 (min (string-length str) 4)))
+  (display "...\n"))
+
+(define str-length (inexact->exact (round (* 2 1024 1024)))) ;; 2MB
+(define str1
+  (let ((tmp (make-string str-length #\a)))
+    (string-set! tmp 0 #\")
+    (string-set! tmp (- str-length 1) #\")
+    tmp))
+(show-string str1)
+
+(define str2 (call-with-input-string str1 read))
+(show-string str2)
diff --git a/tests/memory/test01-read-symbol.err-res b/tests/memory/test01-read-symbol.err-res
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5ebc44a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/memory/test01-read-symbol.err-res
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ERROR: out of memory
diff --git a/tests/memory/test01-read-symbol.res b/tests/memory/test01-read-symbol.res
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..60902799
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/memory/test01-read-symbol.res
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+string: aaaa...
diff --git a/tests/memory/test01-read-symbol.scm b/tests/memory/test01-read-symbol.scm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c4a72e36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/memory/test01-read-symbol.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+
+(define (show-string str)
+  (display "string: ")
+  (display (substring str 0 (min (string-length str) 4)))
+  (display "...\n"))
+
+(define str-length (inexact->exact (round (* 2 1024 1024)))) ;; 2MB
+(define str1 (make-string str-length #\a))
+(show-string str1)
+
+(define str2 (call-with-input-string str1 read))
+(show-string str2)