diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2cc07641..d5adcc92 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 ## Added
 - REPL (https://github.com/buzz-language/buzz/issues/17) available by running buzz without any argument
 - Function argument names and object property names can be ommitted if the provided value is a named variable with the same name (https://github.com/buzz-language/buzz/issues/204)
+- Sandboxing build options `memory_limit` and `cycle_limit` (https://github.com/buzz-language/buzz/issues/182)
 
 ## Changed
 - Map type notation has changed from `{K, V}` to `{K: V}`. Similarly map expression with specified typed went from `{<K, V>, ...}` to `{<K: V>, ...}` (https://github.com/buzz-language/buzz/issues/253)
diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index f2e4ce3e..f430f7ec 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const BuzzGCOptions = struct {
     initial_gc: usize,
     next_gc_ratio: usize,
     next_full_gc_ratio: usize,
+    memory_limit: ?usize,
 
     pub fn step(self: BuzzGCOptions, options: *Build.Step.Options) void {
         options.addOption(@TypeOf(self.debug), "gc_debug", self.debug);
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ const BuzzGCOptions = struct {
         options.addOption(@TypeOf(self.initial_gc), "initial_gc", self.initial_gc);
         options.addOption(@TypeOf(self.next_gc_ratio), "next_gc_ratio", self.next_gc_ratio);
         options.addOption(@TypeOf(self.next_full_gc_ratio), "next_full_gc_ratio", self.next_full_gc_ratio);
+        options.addOption(@TypeOf(self.memory_limit), "memory_limit", self.memory_limit);
     }
 };
 
@@ -62,12 +64,14 @@ const BuzzBuildOptions = struct {
     gc: BuzzGCOptions,
     jit: BuzzJITOptions,
     target: Build.ResolvedTarget,
+    cycle_limit: ?u128,
 
     pub fn step(self: @This(), b: *Build) *Build.Module {
         var options = b.addOptions();
         options.addOption(@TypeOf(self.version), "version", self.version);
         options.addOption(@TypeOf(self.sha), "sha", self.sha);
         options.addOption(@TypeOf(self.mimalloc), "mimalloc", self.mimalloc);
+        options.addOption(@TypeOf(self.cycle_limit), "cycle_limit", self.cycle_limit);
 
         self.debug.step(options);
         self.gc.step(options);
@@ -138,6 +142,11 @@ pub fn build(b: *Build) !void {
             }).stdout,
             "\n \t",
         ),
+        .cycle_limit = b.option(
+            usize,
+            "cycle_limit",
+            "Amount of bytecode (x 1000) the script is allowed to run (WARNING: this disables JIT compilation)",
+        ) orelse null,
         .mimalloc = b.option(
             bool,
             "mimalloc",
@@ -211,6 +220,11 @@ pub fn build(b: *Build) !void {
                 "next_full_gc_ratio",
                 "Ratio applied to get the next full GC threshold",
             ) orelse 4,
+            .memory_limit = b.option(
+                usize,
+                "memory_limit",
+                "Memory limit in bytes",
+            ) orelse null,
         },
         .jit = .{
             .debug = b.option(
diff --git a/src/Codegen.zig b/src/Codegen.zig
index c6950c24..d0e2f42b 100644
--- a/src/Codegen.zig
+++ b/src/Codegen.zig
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ pub const Error = error{
     CantCompile,
     UnwrappedNull,
     OutOfBound,
+    ReachedMaximumMemoryUsage,
 } || std.mem.Allocator.Error || std.fmt.BufPrintError;
 
 pub const Frame = struct {
diff --git a/src/Jit.zig b/src/Jit.zig
index e95a0124..05b05c54 100644
--- a/src/Jit.zig
+++ b/src/Jit.zig
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@ const ZigType = @import("zigtypes.zig").Type;
 const ExternApi = @import("jit_extern_api.zig").ExternApi;
 const api = @import("lib/buzz_api.zig");
 
-pub const Error = error{ CantCompile, UnwrappedNull, OutOfBound } || std.mem.Allocator.Error || std.fmt.BufPrintError;
+pub const Error = error{
+    CantCompile,
+    UnwrappedNull,
+    OutOfBound,
+    ReachedMaximumMemoryUsage,
+} || std.mem.Allocator.Error || std.fmt.BufPrintError;
 
 const OptJump = struct {
     current_insn: std.ArrayList(m.MIR_insn_t),
diff --git a/src/Parser.zig b/src/Parser.zig
index 04cf6b88..afb01bf6 100644
--- a/src/Parser.zig
+++ b/src/Parser.zig
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ pub const Error = error{
     CantCompile,
     UnwrappedNull,
     OutOfBound,
+    ReachedMaximumMemoryUsage,
 } || std.mem.Allocator.Error || std.fmt.BufPrintError || CompileError;
 
 const ParseFn = *const fn (*Self, bool) Error!Ast.Node.Index;
@@ -708,6 +709,10 @@ pub fn parse(self: *Self, source: []const u8, file_name: []const u8) !?Ast {
             }
         } else {
             if (self.declaration() catch |err| {
+                if (err == error.ReachedMaximumMemoryUsage) {
+                    return err;
+                }
+
                 if (BuildOptions.debug) {
                     std.debug.print("Parsing failed with error {}\n", .{err});
                 }
@@ -7076,7 +7081,7 @@ fn importStatement(self: *Self) Error!Ast.Node.Index {
 }
 
 fn zdefStatement(self: *Self) Error!Ast.Node.Index {
-    if (!BuildOptions.jit) {
+    if (!BuildOptions.jit and BuildOptions.cycle_limit == null) {
         self.reportError(.zdef, "zdef can't be used, this instance of buzz was built with JIT compiler disabled");
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index e45460fe..03e3a987 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ fn runFile(allocator: Allocator, file_name: []const u8, args: [][:0]u8, flavor:
     };
     var imports = std.StringHashMap(Parser.ScriptImport).init(allocator);
     var vm = try VM.init(&gc, &import_registry, flavor);
-    vm.jit = if (BuildOptions.jit)
+    vm.jit = if (BuildOptions.jit and BuildOptions.cycle_limit == null)
         JIT.init(&vm)
     else
         null;
@@ -264,9 +264,10 @@ pub fn main() !void {
 
     if (flavor == .Repl) {
         repl(allocator) catch |err| {
-            if (BuildOptions.debug) {
-                std.debug.print("Failed with error {}\n", .{err});
-            }
+            std.io.getStdErr().writer().print(
+                "Failed with error {s}\n",
+                .{@errorName(err)},
+            ) catch unreachable;
 
             std.os.exit(1);
         };
@@ -277,9 +278,10 @@ pub fn main() !void {
             positionals.items[1..],
             flavor,
         ) catch |err| {
-            if (BuildOptions.debug) {
-                std.debug.print("Failed with error {}\n", .{err});
-            }
+            std.io.getStdErr().writer().print(
+                "Failed with error {s}\n",
+                .{@errorName(err)},
+            ) catch unreachable;
 
             std.os.exit(1);
         };
diff --git a/src/memory.zig b/src/memory.zig
index d832e688..c51cbf2b 100644
--- a/src/memory.zig
+++ b/src/memory.zig
@@ -215,6 +215,10 @@ pub const GarbageCollector = struct {
             try self.collectGarbage();
         }
 
+        if (BuildOptions.memory_limit != null and self.bytes_allocated > BuildOptions.memory_limit.?) {
+            return error.ReachedMaximumMemoryUsage;
+        }
+
         const allocated = try self.allocator.create(T);
 
         if (BuildOptions.gc_debug) {
diff --git a/src/obj.zig b/src/obj.zig
index c3724c4f..ddd02da1 100644
--- a/src/obj.zig
+++ b/src/obj.zig
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ pub const Obj = struct {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn typeOf(self: *Self, gc: *GarbageCollector) error{ OutOfMemory, NoSpaceLeft }!*ObjTypeDef {
+    pub fn typeOf(self: *Self, gc: *GarbageCollector) error{ OutOfMemory, NoSpaceLeft, ReachedMaximumMemoryUsage }!*ObjTypeDef {
         return switch (self.obj_type) {
             .String => try gc.type_registry.getTypeDef(.{ .def_type = .String }),
             .Pattern => try gc.type_registry.getTypeDef(.{ .def_type = .Pattern }),
diff --git a/src/repl.zig b/src/repl.zig
index 8b7de618..23319e55 100644
--- a/src/repl.zig
+++ b/src/repl.zig
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ pub fn printBanner(out: std.fs.File.Writer, full: bool) void {
 
     if (full) {
         out.print(
-            "Built with Zig {} {s}\nAllocator: {s}\nJIT: {s}\n",
+            "Built with Zig {} {s}\nAllocator: {s}, Memory limit: {} {s}\nJIT: {s}, CPU limit: {} {s}\n",
             .{
                 builtin.zig_version,
                 switch (builtin.mode) {
@@ -59,10 +59,20 @@ pub fn printBanner(out: std.fs.File.Writer, full: bool) void {
                 if (builtin.mode == .Debug)
                     "gpa"
                 else if (BuildOptions.mimalloc) "mimalloc" else "c_allocator",
-                if (BuildOptions.jit)
+                if (BuildOptions.memory_limit) |ml|
+                    ml
+                else
+                    0,
+                if (BuildOptions.memory_limit != null)
+                    "bytes"
+                else
+                    "(unlimited)",
+                if (BuildOptions.jit and BuildOptions.cycle_limit == null)
                     "on"
                 else
                     "off",
+                if (BuildOptions.cycle_limit) |cl| cl else 0,
+                if (BuildOptions.cycle_limit != null) "cycles" else "(unlimited)",
             },
         ) catch unreachable;
     }
@@ -83,7 +93,7 @@ pub fn repl(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !void {
     };
     var imports = std.StringHashMap(Parser.ScriptImport).init(allocator);
     var vm = try VM.init(&gc, &import_registry, .Repl);
-    vm.jit = if (BuildOptions.jit)
+    vm.jit = if (BuildOptions.jit and BuildOptions.cycle_limit == null)
         JIT.init(&vm)
     else
         null;
diff --git a/src/vm.zig b/src/vm.zig
index 43159afb..dece25a0 100644
--- a/src/vm.zig
+++ b/src/vm.zig
@@ -322,6 +322,8 @@ pub const Fiber = struct {
 pub const VM = struct {
     const Self = @This();
 
+    var cycles: u128 = 0;
+
     pub const Error = error{
         UnwrappedNull,
         OutOfBound,
@@ -329,6 +331,8 @@ pub const VM = struct {
         NotInFiber,
         FiberOver,
         BadNumber,
+        ReachedMaximumMemoryUsage,
+        ReachedMaximumCPUUsage,
         Custom, // TODO: remove when user can use this set directly in buzz code
     } || Allocator.Error || std.fmt.BufPrintError;
 
@@ -722,6 +726,21 @@ pub const VM = struct {
             self.gc.where = current_frame.closure.function.chunk.lines.items[current_frame.ip - 1];
         }
 
+        if (BuildOptions.cycle_limit) |limit| {
+            cycles += 1;
+
+            if (cycles > limit * 1000) {
+                self.throw(
+                    Error.ReachedMaximumCPUUsage,
+                    (self.gc.copyString("Maximum CPU usage reached") catch @panic("Maximum CPU usage reached")).toValue(),
+                    null,
+                    null,
+                ) catch @panic("Maximum CPU usage reached");
+
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
         // Tail call
         @call(
             .always_tail,
@@ -3927,7 +3946,7 @@ pub const VM = struct {
     }
 
     // A JIT compiled function pops its stack on its own
-    fn callCompiled(self: *Self, closure: ?*ObjClosure, native: NativeFn, arg_count: u8, catch_value: ?Value) !void {
+    fn callCompiled(self: *Self, closure: *ObjClosure, native: NativeFn, arg_count: u8, catch_value: ?Value) !void {
         const was_in_native_call = self.currentFrame() != null and self.currentFrame().?.in_native_call;
         if (self.currentFrame()) |frame| {
             frame.in_native_call = true;
@@ -3936,8 +3955,8 @@ pub const VM = struct {
 
         var ctx = NativeCtx{
             .vm = self,
-            .globals = if (closure) |uclosure| uclosure.globals.items.ptr else &[_]Value{},
-            .upvalues = if (closure) |uclosure| uclosure.upvalues.items.ptr else &[_]*ObjUpValue{},
+            .globals = closure.globals.items.ptr,
+            .upvalues = closure.upvalues.items.ptr,
             .base = self.current_fiber.stack_top - arg_count - 1,
             .stack_top = &self.current_fiber.stack_top,
         };
diff --git a/tests/bench/001-btree.buzz b/tests/bench/001-btree.buzz
index be0e24f5..f9ff1de2 100644
--- a/tests/bench/001-btree.buzz
+++ b/tests/bench/001-btree.buzz
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ fun btree(int N) > void {
 }
 
 fun main([str] args) > void !> any {
-    int N = if (args.len() > 0) parseInt(args[0]) ?? 0 else 0;
+    int N = if (args.len() > 0) parseInt(args[0]) ?? 3 else 3;
 
     btree(N);
 }
\ No newline at end of file