diff --git a/src/engine/surface_load.c b/src/engine/surface_load.c
index 385d48430..2422a5487 100644
--- a/src/engine/surface_load.c
+++ b/src/engine/surface_load.c
@@ -764,6 +764,10 @@ void load_object_collision_model(void) {
         LOG_ERROR("Object collisions had invalid vertex count");
         return;
     }
+    if (numVertices >= 4096) {
+        LOG_ERROR("Object collisions had too many vertices");
+        return;
+    }
 
     static s32 sVertexDataCount = 0;
     static s16* sVertexData = NULL;
diff --git a/src/game/memory.c b/src/game/memory.c
index 01f1f3d2a..82c0bfc8a 100644
--- a/src/game/memory.c
+++ b/src/game/memory.c
@@ -135,13 +135,19 @@ void* growing_pool_alloc(struct GrowingPool *pool, u32 size) {
     }
 
     // search for space in nodes
-    struct GrowingPoolNode* node = pool->tail;
-    u32 depth = 0;
-    while (node) {
-        depth++;
-        s64 freeSpace = (s64)pool->nodeSize - (s64)node->usedSpace;
-        if (freeSpace > size) { break; }
-        node = node->prev;
+    struct GrowingPoolNode* node = NULL;
+    if (size < pool->nodeSize) {
+        node = pool->tail;
+        u32 depth = 0;
+        while (node && depth < 128) {
+            depth++;
+            s64 freeSpace = (s64)pool->nodeSize - (s64)node->usedSpace;
+            if (freeSpace > size) { break; }
+            node = node->prev;
+        }
+        if (depth >= 128) {
+            node = NULL;
+        }
     }
 
     // allocate new node