diff --git a/tests/stack_overflow_exception/enc/enc.c b/tests/stack_overflow_exception/enc/enc.c
index a62aeaea77..cc89da8ce1 100644
--- a/tests/stack_overflow_exception/enc/enc.c
+++ b/tests/stack_overflow_exception/enc/enc.c
@@ -53,10 +53,13 @@ oe_result_t enc_initialize_exception_handler()
 
 void enc_stack_overflow_exception()
 {
-    uint8_t data[8192]; // Over-allocate stack
+    uint8_t data[1024];
 
+    // Force stack allocation and do the recursive call untill
+    // the stack overflows
     asm volatile("leaq %0, %%r8\n\t"
-                 "movw $0, 8191(%%r8)\n\t"
+                 "movw $1, 1023(%%r8)\n\t"
+                 "call enc_stack_overflow_exception\n\t"
                  :
                  : "m"(data)
                  : "r8");
diff --git a/tests/stack_overflow_exception/host/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/stack_overflow_exception/host/CMakeLists.txt
index 74ea98b5c0..2517fc145b 100644
--- a/tests/stack_overflow_exception/host/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/stack_overflow_exception/host/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ add_executable(stack_overflow_exception_host host.c
                                              stack_overflow_exception_u.c)
 
 string(TOUPPER ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE} BUILD_TYPE_UPPER)
-if (BUILD_TYPE_UPPER STREQUAL "DEBUG")
+if (BUILD_TYPE_UPPER STREQUAL "DEBUG" OR USE_DEBUG_MALLOC)
   target_compile_definitions(stack_overflow_exception_host PRIVATE DEBUG_BUILD)
 endif ()
 
diff --git a/tests/stack_overflow_exception/host/host.c b/tests/stack_overflow_exception/host/host.c
index 6312ddbca7..689ad66603 100644
--- a/tests/stack_overflow_exception/host/host.c
+++ b/tests/stack_overflow_exception/host/host.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[])
          * therefore an internal buffer on the heap is not freed  */
         OE_TEST(result == OE_MEMORY_LEAK);
 #else
-        OE_TEST(result == OE_OK);
+        OE_TEST_CODE(result, OE_OK);
 #endif
     }
     else