diff --git a/decoder.go b/decoder.go
index ed85641..54c88ec 100644
--- a/decoder.go
+++ b/decoder.go
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
+const (
+	defaultMaxSize = 16000
+)
+
 // NewDecoder returns a new Decoder.
 func NewDecoder() *Decoder {
-	return &Decoder{cache: newCache()}
+	return &Decoder{cache: newCache(), maxSize: defaultMaxSize}
 }
 
 // Decoder decodes values from a map[string][]string to a struct.
@@ -22,6 +26,7 @@ type Decoder struct {
 	cache             *cache
 	zeroEmpty         bool
 	ignoreUnknownKeys bool
+	maxSize           int
 }
 
 // SetAliasTag changes the tag used to locate custom field aliases.
@@ -54,6 +59,13 @@ func (d *Decoder) IgnoreUnknownKeys(i bool) {
 	d.ignoreUnknownKeys = i
 }
 
+// MaxSize limits the size of slices for URL nested arrays or object arrays.
+// Choose MaxSize carefully; large values may create many zero-value slice elements.
+// Example: "items.100000=apple" would create a slice with 100,000 empty strings.
+func (d *Decoder) MaxSize(size int) {
+	d.maxSize = size
+}
+
 // RegisterConverter registers a converter function for a custom type.
 func (d *Decoder) RegisterConverter(value interface{}, converterFunc Converter) {
 	d.cache.registerConverter(value, converterFunc)
@@ -302,6 +314,10 @@ func (d *Decoder) decode(v reflect.Value, path string, parts []pathPart, values
 	// Slice of structs. Let's go recursive.
 	if len(parts) > 1 {
 		idx := parts[0].index
+		// a defensive check to avoid creating a large slice based on user input index
+		if idx > d.maxSize {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%v index %d is larger than the configured maxSize %d", v.Kind(), idx, d.maxSize)
+		}
 		if v.IsNil() || v.Len() < idx+1 {
 			value := reflect.MakeSlice(t, idx+1, idx+1)
 			if v.Len() < idx+1 {
diff --git a/decoder_test.go b/decoder_test.go
index 4f3b72a..d01569e 100644
--- a/decoder_test.go
+++ b/decoder_test.go
@@ -2063,7 +2063,7 @@ type S24 struct {
 
 type S24e struct {
 	*S24
-	F2 string `schema:"F2"`	
+	F2 string `schema:"F2"`
 }
 
 func TestUnmarshallToEmbeddedNoData(t *testing.T) {
@@ -2074,13 +2074,14 @@ func TestUnmarshallToEmbeddedNoData(t *testing.T) {
 	s := &S24e{}
 
 	decoder := NewDecoder()
-	err := decoder.Decode(s, data);
-	
+	err := decoder.Decode(s, data)
+
 	expectedErr := `schema: invalid path "F3"`
 	if err.Error() != expectedErr {
 		t.Fatalf("got %q, want %q", err, expectedErr)
 	}
 }
+
 type S25ee struct {
 	F3 string `schema:"F3"`
 }
@@ -2095,14 +2096,13 @@ type S25 struct {
 	F1 string `schema:"F1"`
 }
 
-func TestDoubleEmbedded(t *testing.T){
+func TestDoubleEmbedded(t *testing.T) {
 	data := map[string][]string{
 		"F1": {"raw a"},
 		"F2": {"raw b"},
 		"F3": {"raw c"},
 	}
 
-	
 	s := S25{}
 	decoder := NewDecoder()
 
@@ -2412,3 +2412,118 @@ func TestDefaultsAreNotSupportedForStructsAndStructSlices(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("decoding should fail with error msg %s got %q", expected, err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestDecoder_MaxSize(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	type Nested struct {
+		Val          int
+		NestedValues []struct {
+			NVal int
+		}
+	}
+	type NestedSlices struct {
+		Values []Nested
+	}
+
+	testcases := []struct {
+		name            string
+		maxSize         int
+		decoderInput    func() (dst NestedSlices, src map[string][]string)
+		expectedDecoded NestedSlices
+		expectedErr     MultiError
+	}{
+		{
+			name:    "no error on decoding under max size",
+			maxSize: 10,
+			decoderInput: func() (dst NestedSlices, src map[string][]string) {
+				return dst, map[string][]string{
+					"Values.1.Val":                 {"132"},
+					"Values.1.NestedValues.1.NVal": {"1"},
+					"Values.1.NestedValues.2.NVal": {"2"},
+					"Values.1.NestedValues.3.NVal": {"3"},
+				}
+			},
+			expectedDecoded: NestedSlices{
+				Values: []Nested{
+					{
+						Val:          0,
+						NestedValues: nil,
+					},
+					{
+						Val: 132, NestedValues: []struct{ NVal int }{
+							{NVal: 0},
+							{NVal: 1},
+							{NVal: 2},
+							{NVal: 3},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expectedErr: nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "error on decoding above max size",
+			maxSize: 1,
+			decoderInput: func() (dst NestedSlices, src map[string][]string) {
+				return dst, map[string][]string{
+					"Values.1.Val":                 {"132"},
+					"Values.1.NestedValues.1.NVal": {"1"},
+					"Values.1.NestedValues.2.NVal": {"2"},
+					"Values.1.NestedValues.3.NVal": {"3"},
+				}
+			},
+			expectedErr: MultiError{
+				"Values.1.NestedValues.2.NVal": errors.New("slice index 2 is larger than the configured maxSize 1"),
+				"Values.1.NestedValues.3.NVal": errors.New("slice index 3 is larger than the configured maxSize 1"),
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testcases {
+		tc := tc
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			dec := NewDecoder()
+			dec.MaxSize(tc.maxSize)
+			dst, src := tc.decoderInput()
+			err := dec.Decode(&dst, src)
+
+			if tc.expectedErr != nil {
+				var gotErr MultiError
+				if !errors.As(err, &gotErr) {
+					t.Errorf("decoder error is not of type %T", gotErr)
+				}
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(gotErr, tc.expectedErr) {
+					t.Errorf("expected %v, got %v", tc.expectedErr, gotErr)
+				}
+			} else {
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(dst, tc.expectedDecoded) {
+					t.Errorf("expected %v, got %v", tc.expectedDecoded, dst)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDecoder_SetMaxSize(t *testing.T) {
+
+	t.Run("default maxsize should be equal to given constant", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		dec := NewDecoder()
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(dec.maxSize, defaultMaxSize) {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected default max size")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("configured maxsize should be set properly", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+		configuredMaxSize := 50
+		limitedMaxSizeDecoder := NewDecoder()
+		limitedMaxSizeDecoder.MaxSize(configuredMaxSize)
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(limitedMaxSizeDecoder.maxSize, configuredMaxSize) {
+			t.Errorf("invalid decoder maxsize, expected: %d, got: %d",
+				configuredMaxSize, limitedMaxSizeDecoder.maxSize)
+		}
+	})
+}