diff --git a/packages/blaze/materializer.js b/packages/blaze/materializer.js
index 373963cc30..a28c5c2bc6 100644
--- a/packages/blaze/materializer.js
+++ b/packages/blaze/materializer.js
@@ -7,49 +7,79 @@
 // - `intoArray`: the array of DOM nodes and DOMRanges to push the output
 //   into (required)
 // - `parentView`: the View we are materializing content for (optional)
+//
+// Returns `intoArray`, which is especially useful if you pass in `[]`.
 Blaze._materializeDOM = function (htmljs, intoArray, parentView) {
+  // In order to use fewer stack frames, materializeDOMInner can push
+  // tasks onto `workStack`, and they will be popped off
+  // and run, last first, after materializeDOMInner returns.  The
+  // reason we use a stack instead of a queue is so that we recurse
+  // depth-first, doing newer tasks first.
+  var workStack = [];
+  materializeDOMInner(htmljs, intoArray, parentView, workStack);
+
+  // A "task" is either an array of arguments to materializeDOM or
+  // a function to execute.  If we only allowed functions as tasks,
+  // we would have to generate the functions using _.bind or close
+  // over a loop variable, either of which is a little less efficient.
+  while (workStack.length) {
+    // Note that running the workStack task may push new items onto
+    // the workStack.
+    var task = workStack.pop();
+    if (typeof task === 'function') {
+      task();
+    } else {
+      // assume array
+      materializeDOMInner(task[0], task[1], task[2], workStack);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return intoArray;
+};
+
+var materializeDOMInner = function (htmljs, intoArray, parentView, workStack) {
   if (htmljs == null) {
     // null or undefined
-    return intoArray;
+    return;
   }
 
   switch (typeof htmljs) {
   case 'string': case 'boolean': case 'number':
     intoArray.push(document.createTextNode(String(htmljs)));
-    return intoArray;
+    return;
   case 'object':
     if (htmljs.htmljsType) {
       switch (htmljs.htmljsType) {
       case HTML.Tag.htmljsType:
-        intoArray.push(materializeTag(htmljs, parentView));
-        return intoArray;
+        intoArray.push(materializeTag(htmljs, parentView, workStack));
+        return;
       case HTML.CharRef.htmljsType:
         intoArray.push(document.createTextNode(htmljs.str));
-        return intoArray;
+        return;
       case HTML.Comment.htmljsType:
         intoArray.push(document.createComment(htmljs.sanitizedValue));
-        return intoArray;
+        return;
       case HTML.Raw.htmljsType:
         // Get an array of DOM nodes by using the browser's HTML parser
         // (like innerHTML).
         var nodes = Blaze._DOMBackend.parseHTML(htmljs.value);
         for (var i = 0; i < nodes.length; i++)
           intoArray.push(nodes[i]);
-        return intoArray;
+        return;
       }
     } else if (HTML.isArray(htmljs)) {
-      for (var i = 0; i < htmljs.length; i++) {
-        Blaze._materializeDOM(htmljs[i], intoArray, parentView);
+      for (var i = htmljs.length-1; i >= 0; i--) {
+        workStack.push([htmljs[i], intoArray, parentView]);
       }
-      return intoArray;
+      return;
     } else {
       if (htmljs instanceof Blaze.Template) {
         htmljs = htmljs.constructView();
         // fall through to Blaze.View case below
       }
       if (htmljs instanceof Blaze.View) {
-        intoArray.push(Blaze._materializeView(htmljs, parentView));
-        return intoArray;
+        Blaze._materializeView(htmljs, parentView, workStack, intoArray);
+        return;
       }
     }
   }
@@ -57,7 +87,7 @@ Blaze._materializeDOM = function (htmljs, intoArray, parentView) {
   throw new Error("Unexpected object in htmljs: " + htmljs);
 };
 
-var materializeTag = function (tag, parentView) {
+var materializeTag = function (tag, parentView, workStack) {
   var tagName = tag.tagName;
   var elem;
   if ((HTML.isKnownSVGElement(tagName) || isSVGAnchor(tag))
@@ -118,13 +148,20 @@ var materializeTag = function (tag, parentView) {
     });
   }
 
-  var childNodesAndRanges = Blaze._materializeDOM(children, [], parentView);
-  for (var i = 0; i < childNodesAndRanges.length; i++) {
-    var x = childNodesAndRanges[i];
-    if (x instanceof Blaze._DOMRange)
-      x.attach(elem);
-    else
-      elem.appendChild(x);
+  if (children.length) {
+    var childNodesAndRanges = [];
+    // push this function first so that it's done last
+    workStack.push(function () {
+      for (var i = 0; i < childNodesAndRanges.length; i++) {
+        var x = childNodesAndRanges[i];
+        if (x instanceof Blaze._DOMRange)
+          x.attach(elem);
+        else
+          elem.appendChild(x);
+      }
+    });
+    // now push the task that calculates childNodesAndRanges
+    workStack.push([children, childNodesAndRanges, parentView]);
   }
 
   return elem;
diff --git a/packages/blaze/view.js b/packages/blaze/view.js
index aa10596726..b5c105c6e9 100644
--- a/packages/blaze/view.js
+++ b/packages/blaze/view.js
@@ -281,7 +281,46 @@ Blaze._createView = function (view, parentView, forExpansion) {
   Blaze._fireCallbacks(view, 'created');
 };
 
-Blaze._materializeView = function (view, parentView) {
+var doFirstRender = function (view, initialContent) {
+  var domrange = new Blaze._DOMRange(initialContent);
+  view._domrange = domrange;
+  domrange.view = view;
+  view.isRendered = true;
+  Blaze._fireCallbacks(view, 'rendered');
+
+  var teardownHook = null;
+
+  domrange.onAttached(function attached(range, element) {
+    view._isAttached = true;
+
+    teardownHook = Blaze._DOMBackend.Teardown.onElementTeardown(
+      element, function teardown() {
+        Blaze._destroyView(view, true /* _skipNodes */);
+      });
+  });
+
+  // tear down the teardown hook
+  view.onViewDestroyed(function () {
+    teardownHook && teardownHook.stop();
+    teardownHook = null;
+  });
+
+  return domrange;
+};
+
+// Take an uncreated View `view` and create and render it to DOM,
+// setting up the autorun that updates the View.  Returns a new
+// DOMRange, which has been associated with the View.
+//
+// The private arguments `_workStack` and `_intoArray` are passed in
+// by Blaze._materializeDOM.  If provided, then we avoid the mutual
+// recursion of calling back into Blaze._materializeDOM so that deep
+// View hierarchies don't blow the stack.  Instead, we push tasks onto
+// workStack for the initial rendering and subsequent setup of the
+// View, and they are done after we return.  When there is a
+// _workStack, we do not return the new DOMRange, but instead push it
+// into _intoArray from a _workStack task.
+Blaze._materializeView = function (view, parentView, _workStack, _intoArray) {
   Blaze._createView(view, parentView);
 
   var domrange;
@@ -298,20 +337,16 @@ Blaze._materializeView = function (view, parentView) {
       var htmljs = view._render();
       view._isInRender = false;
 
-      Tracker.nonreactive(function doMaterialize() {
-        var rangesAndNodes = Blaze._materializeDOM(htmljs, [], view);
-        if (c.firstRun || ! Blaze._isContentEqual(lastHtmljs, htmljs)) {
-          if (c.firstRun) {
-            domrange = new Blaze._DOMRange(rangesAndNodes);
-            view._domrange = domrange;
-            domrange.view = view;
-            view.isRendered = true;
-          } else {
+      if (! c.firstRun) {
+        Tracker.nonreactive(function doMaterialize() {
+          // re-render
+          var rangesAndNodes = Blaze._materializeDOM(htmljs, [], view);
+          if (! Blaze._isContentEqual(lastHtmljs, htmljs)) {
             domrange.setMembers(rangesAndNodes);
+            Blaze._fireCallbacks(view, 'rendered');
           }
-          Blaze._fireCallbacks(view, 'rendered');
-        }
-      });
+        });
+      }
       lastHtmljs = htmljs;
 
       // Causes any nested views to stop immediately, not when we call
@@ -323,25 +358,37 @@ Blaze._materializeView = function (view, parentView) {
       });
     }, undefined, 'materialize');
 
-    var teardownHook = null;
-
-    domrange.onAttached(function attached(range, element) {
-      view._isAttached = true;
-
-      teardownHook = Blaze._DOMBackend.Teardown.onElementTeardown(
-        element, function teardown() {
-          Blaze._destroyView(view, true /* _skipNodes */);
-        });
-    });
-
-    // tear down the teardown hook
-    view.onViewDestroyed(function () {
-      teardownHook && teardownHook.stop();
-      teardownHook = null;
-    });
+    // first render.  lastHtmljs is the first htmljs.
+    var initialContents;
+    if (! _workStack) {
+      initialContents = Blaze._materializeDOM(lastHtmljs, [], view);
+      domrange = doFirstRender(view, initialContents);
+      initialContents = null; // help GC because we close over this scope a lot
+    } else {
+      // We're being called from Blaze._materializeDOM, so to avoid
+      // recursion and save stack space, provide a description of the
+      // work to be done instead of doing it.  Tasks pushed onto
+      // _workStack will be done in LIFO order after we return.
+      // The work will still be done within a Tracker.nonreactive,
+      // because it will be done by some call to Blaze._materializeDOM
+      // (which is always called in a Tracker.nonreactive).
+      initialContents = [];
+      // push this function first so that it happens last
+      _workStack.push(function () {
+        domrange = doFirstRender(view, initialContents);
+        initialContents = null; // help GC because of all the closures here
+        _intoArray.push(domrange);
+      });
+      // now push the task that calculates initialContents
+      _workStack.push([lastHtmljs, initialContents, view]);
+    }
   });
 
-  return domrange;
+  if (! _workStack) {
+    return domrange;
+  } else {
+    return null;
+  }
 };
 
 // Expands a View to HTMLjs, calling `render` recursively on all