diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9a11219e..8b4b2c7e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ See [Options](#options) section for details about each setting.
 | IndefLength | **IndefLengthAllowed**, IndefLengthForbidden |
 | TagsMd | **TagsAllowed**, TagsForbidden |
 | ExtraReturnErrors | **ExtraDecErrorNone**, ExtraDecErrorUnknownField |
-| MaxNestedLevels | **32**, can be set to [4, 256] |
+| MaxNestedLevels | **32**, can be set to [4, 65535] |
 | MaxArrayElements | **131072**, can be set to [16, 2147483647] |
 | MaxMapPairs | **131072**, can be set to [16, 2147483647] |
 
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ If `IntDecConvertedSigned` is used and value overflows int64, UnmarshalTypeError
 
 | DecOptions.MaxNestedLevels | Description |
 | -------------------------- | ----------- |
-| 32 (default) | allowed setting is [4, 256] |
+| 32 (default) | allowed setting is [4, 65535] |
 
 <br>
 
diff --git a/decode.go b/decode.go
index 79ccaf80..f7ec8822 100644
--- a/decode.go
+++ b/decode.go
@@ -287,7 +287,8 @@ type DecOptions struct {
 	TimeTag DecTagMode
 
 	// MaxNestedLevels specifies the max nested levels allowed for any combination of CBOR array, maps, and tags.
-	// Default is 32 levels and it can be set to [4, 256].
+	// Default is 32 levels and it can be set to [4, 65535]. Note that higher maximum levels of nesting can
+	// require larger amounts of stack to deserialize. Don't increase this higher than you require.
 	MaxNestedLevels int
 
 	// MaxArrayElements specifies the max number of elements for CBOR arrays.
@@ -402,8 +403,8 @@ func (opts DecOptions) decMode() (*decMode, error) {
 	}
 	if opts.MaxNestedLevels == 0 {
 		opts.MaxNestedLevels = 32
-	} else if opts.MaxNestedLevels < 4 || opts.MaxNestedLevels > 256 {
-		return nil, errors.New("cbor: invalid MaxNestedLevels " + strconv.Itoa(opts.MaxNestedLevels) + " (range is [4, 256])")
+	} else if opts.MaxNestedLevels < 4 || opts.MaxNestedLevels > 65535 {
+		return nil, errors.New("cbor: invalid MaxNestedLevels " + strconv.Itoa(opts.MaxNestedLevels) + " (range is [4, 65535])")
 	}
 	if opts.MaxArrayElements == 0 {
 		opts.MaxArrayElements = defaultMaxArrayElements
diff --git a/decode_test.go b/decode_test.go
index dc7ee132..3c1725e9 100644
--- a/decode_test.go
+++ b/decode_test.go
@@ -3131,6 +3131,44 @@ func TestUnmarshalIntoMapError(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestUnmarshalDeepNesting(t *testing.T) {
+	// Construct this object rather than embed such a large constant in the code
+	type TestNode struct {
+		Value int
+		Child *TestNode
+	}
+	n := &TestNode{Value: 0}
+	root := n
+	for i := 0; i < 65534; i++ {
+		child := &TestNode{Value: i}
+		n.Child = child
+		n = child
+	}
+	em, err := EncOptions{}.EncMode()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("EncMode() returned error %v", err)
+	}
+	cborData, err := em.Marshal(root)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Marshal() deeply nested object returned error %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Try unmarshal it
+	dm, err := DecOptions{MaxNestedLevels: 65535}.DecMode()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("DecMode() returned error %v", err)
+	}
+	var readback TestNode
+	err = dm.Unmarshal(cborData, &readback)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Unmarshal() of deeply nested object returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(root, &readback) {
+		t.Errorf("Unmarshal() of deeply nested object did not match\nGot: %#v\n Want: %#v\n",
+			&readback, root)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestStructToArrayError(t *testing.T) {
 	type coseHeader struct {
 		Alg int    `cbor:"1,keyasint,omitempty"`
@@ -3291,12 +3329,12 @@ func TestDecModeInvalidMaxNestedLevel(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:         "MaxNestedLevels < 4",
 			opts:         DecOptions{MaxNestedLevels: 1},
-			wantErrorMsg: "cbor: invalid MaxNestedLevels 1 (range is [4, 256])",
+			wantErrorMsg: "cbor: invalid MaxNestedLevels 1 (range is [4, 65535])",
 		},
 		{
-			name:         "MaxNestedLevels > 256",
-			opts:         DecOptions{MaxNestedLevels: 257},
-			wantErrorMsg: "cbor: invalid MaxNestedLevels 257 (range is [4, 256])",
+			name:         "MaxNestedLevels > 65535",
+			opts:         DecOptions{MaxNestedLevels: 65536},
+			wantErrorMsg: "cbor: invalid MaxNestedLevels 65536 (range is [4, 65535])",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {