diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/debug.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/debug.go
index d42e11b2fa..7bcbcb3e2c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/debug.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/debug.go
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ type DebugFlags struct {
 	PGOInlineBudget       int    `help:"inline budget for hot functions" concurrent:"ok"`
 	PGODevirtualize       int    `help:"enable profile-guided devirtualization; 0 to disable, 1 to enable interface devirtualization, 2 to enable function devirtualization" concurrent:"ok"`
 	RangeFuncCheck        int    `help:"insert code to check behavior of range iterator functions" concurrent:"ok"`
+	VariableMakeHash      string `help:"hash value for debugging stack allocation of variable-sized make results" concurrent:"ok"`
+	VariableMakeThreshold int    `help:"threshold in bytes for possible stack allocation of variable-sized make results" concurrent:"ok"`
 	WrapGlobalMapDbg      int    `help:"debug trace output for global map init wrapping"`
 	WrapGlobalMapCtl      int    `help:"global map init wrap control (0 => default, 1 => off, 2 => stress mode, no size cutoff)"`
 	ZeroCopy              int    `help:"enable zero-copy string->[]byte conversions" concurrent:"ok"`
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go
index 31ea8622b9..abf85c7e78 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/flag.go
@@ -183,7 +183,8 @@ func ParseFlags() {
 	Debug.InlStaticInit = 1
 	Debug.PGOInline = 1
 	Debug.PGODevirtualize = 2
-	Debug.SyncFrames = -1 // disable sync markers by default
+	Debug.SyncFrames = -1            // disable sync markers by default
+	Debug.VariableMakeThreshold = 32 // 32 byte default for stack allocated make results
 	Debug.ZeroCopy = 1
 	Debug.RangeFuncCheck = 1
 	Debug.MergeLocals = 1
@@ -270,6 +271,9 @@ func ParseFlags() {
 	if Debug.MergeLocalsHash != "" {
 		MergeLocalsHash = NewHashDebug("mergelocals", Debug.MergeLocalsHash, nil)
 	}
+	if Debug.VariableMakeHash != "" {
+		VariableMakeHash = NewHashDebug("variablemake", Debug.VariableMakeHash, nil)
+	}
 
 	if Flag.MSan && !platform.MSanSupported(buildcfg.GOOS, buildcfg.GOARCH) {
 		log.Fatalf("%s/%s does not support -msan", buildcfg.GOOS, buildcfg.GOARCH)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/hashdebug.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/hashdebug.go
index 7a5cc42578..c54b6e17aa 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/hashdebug.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/base/hashdebug.go
@@ -53,10 +53,11 @@ func (d *HashDebug) SetInlineSuffixOnly(b bool) *HashDebug {
 // The default compiler-debugging HashDebug, for "-d=gossahash=..."
 var hashDebug *HashDebug
 
-var FmaHash *HashDebug         // for debugging fused-multiply-add floating point changes
-var LoopVarHash *HashDebug     // for debugging shared/private loop variable changes
-var PGOHash *HashDebug         // for debugging PGO optimization decisions
-var MergeLocalsHash *HashDebug // for debugging local stack slot merging changes
+var FmaHash *HashDebug          // for debugging fused-multiply-add floating point changes
+var LoopVarHash *HashDebug      // for debugging shared/private loop variable changes
+var PGOHash *HashDebug          // for debugging PGO optimization decisions
+var MergeLocalsHash *HashDebug  // for debugging local stack slot merging changes
+var VariableMakeHash *HashDebug // for debugging variable-sized make optimizations
 
 // DebugHashMatchPkgFunc reports whether debug variable Gossahash
 //
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/builtin.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/builtin.go
index 018782211b..2e13daf879 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/builtin.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/builtin.go
@@ -568,7 +568,8 @@ func walkMakeSlice(n *ir.MakeExpr, init *ir.Nodes) ir.Node {
 			// The conv is necessary in case n.Type is named.
 			return walkExpr(typecheck.Expr(typecheck.Conv(s, n.Type())), init)
 		}
-		tryStack = base.Flag.N == 0
+		// Check that this optimization is enabled in general and for this node.
+		tryStack = base.Flag.N == 0 && base.VariableMakeHash.MatchPos(n.Pos(), nil)
 	}
 
 	// The final result is assigned to this variable.
@@ -582,7 +583,7 @@ func walkMakeSlice(n *ir.MakeExpr, init *ir.Nodes) ir.Node {
 		// } else {
 		//     slice = makeslice(elemType, len, cap)
 		// }
-		const maxStackSize = 32
+		maxStackSize := int64(base.Debug.VariableMakeThreshold)
 		K := maxStackSize / t.Elem().Size() // rounds down
 		if K > 0 {                          // skip if elem size is too big.
 			nif := ir.NewIfStmt(base.Pos, ir.NewBinaryExpr(base.Pos, ir.OLE, typecheck.Conv(cap, types.Types[types.TUINT64]), ir.NewInt(base.Pos, K)), nil, nil)