diff --git a/Include/cpython/pystate.h b/Include/cpython/pystate.h
index ed7dd829d4b6f0..d5500b1751e096 100644
--- a/Include/cpython/pystate.h
+++ b/Include/cpython/pystate.h
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ struct _ts {
 #  define Py_C_RECURSION_LIMIT 1200
 #else
    // This value is duplicated in Lib/test/support/__init__.py
-#  define Py_C_RECURSION_LIMIT 8000
+#  define Py_C_RECURSION_LIMIT 4000
 #endif
 
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/support/__init__.py b/Lib/test/support/__init__.py
index e5fb725a30b5b8..ded30cea1cc08f 100644
--- a/Lib/test/support/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/test/support/__init__.py
@@ -2377,7 +2377,7 @@ def _get_c_recursion_limit():
         return _testcapi.Py_C_RECURSION_LIMIT
     except (ImportError, AttributeError):
         # Originally taken from Include/cpython/pystate.h .
-        return 8000
+        return 4000
 
 # The default C recursion limit.
 Py_C_RECURSION_LIMIT = _get_c_recursion_limit()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_functools.py b/Lib/test/test_functools.py
index 0ef45d3c670e85..6e45c0babc2de4 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_functools.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_functools.py
@@ -1876,8 +1876,7 @@ def fib(n):
 
         if not support.Py_DEBUG:
             with support.infinite_recursion():
-                fib(2500)
-
+                self.assertRaises(RecursionError, fib, 2000)
 
 @py_functools.lru_cache()
 def py_cached_func(x, y):