diff --git a/src/encoding.rs b/src/encoding.rs
index 60b55204a..344d2dc86 100644
--- a/src/encoding.rs
+++ b/src/encoding.rs
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ pub struct DecodeContext {
     /// customized. The recursion limit can be ignored by building the Prost
     /// crate with the `no-recursion-limit` feature.
     #[cfg(not(feature = "no-recursion-limit"))]
-    recurse_count: u32,
+    pub recurse_count: u32,
 }
 
 #[cfg(not(feature = "no-recursion-limit"))]
diff --git a/src/message.rs b/src/message.rs
index a190f6b47..76a56bed3 100644
--- a/src/message.rs
+++ b/src/message.rs
@@ -116,6 +116,20 @@ pub trait Message: Debug + Send + Sync {
         Self::merge(&mut message, &mut buf).map(|_| message)
     }
 
+    /// Decodes an instance of the message from a buffer.
+    ///
+    /// The entire buffer will be consumed.
+    ///
+    /// This is an alternative to `decode`, which allows users to specify a `DecodeContext`.
+    fn decode_with_context<B>(mut buf: B, ctx: DecodeContext) -> Result<Self, DecodeError>
+    where
+        B: Buf,
+        Self: Default,
+    {
+        let mut message = Self::default();
+        Self::merge_with_context(&mut message, &mut buf, ctx).map(|_| message)
+    }
+
     /// Decodes a length-delimited instance of the message from the buffer.
     fn decode_length_delimited<B>(buf: B) -> Result<Self, DecodeError>
     where
@@ -130,12 +144,22 @@ pub trait Message: Debug + Send + Sync {
     /// Decodes an instance of the message from a buffer, and merges it into `self`.
     ///
     /// The entire buffer will be consumed.
-    fn merge<B>(&mut self, mut buf: B) -> Result<(), DecodeError>
+    fn merge<B>(&mut self, buf: B) -> Result<(), DecodeError>
+    where
+        B: Buf,
+        Self: Sized,
+    {
+        self.merge_with_context(buf, DecodeContext::default())
+    }
+
+    /// Decodes an instance of the message from a buffer, and merges it into `self`.
+    ///
+    /// The entire buffer will be consumed.
+    fn merge_with_context<B>(&mut self, mut buf: B, ctx: DecodeContext) -> Result<(), DecodeError>
     where
         B: Buf,
         Self: Sized,
     {
-        let ctx = DecodeContext::default();
         while buf.has_remaining() {
             let (tag, wire_type) = decode_key(&mut buf)?;
             self.merge_field(tag, wire_type, &mut buf, ctx.clone())?;
diff --git a/tests/src/lib.rs b/tests/src/lib.rs
index a9818d682..55b38db36 100644
--- a/tests/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tests/src/lib.rs
@@ -405,6 +405,29 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(build_and_roundtrip(101).is_err());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_deep_nesting_with_custom_recursion_limit() {
+        fn build_and_roundtrip(depth: usize) -> Result<(), prost::DecodeError> {
+            use crate::nesting::A;
+            use prost::encoding::DecodeContext;
+
+            let mut a = Box::new(A::default());
+            for _ in 0..depth {
+                let mut next = Box::new(A::default());
+                next.a = Some(a);
+                a = next;
+            }
+
+            let mut buf = Vec::new();
+            a.encode(&mut buf).unwrap();
+            A::decode_with_context(&*buf, DecodeContext { recurse_count: 200 }).map(|_| ())
+        }
+
+        assert!(build_and_roundtrip(100).is_ok());
+        assert!(build_and_roundtrip(200).is_ok());
+        assert!(build_and_roundtrip(201).is_err());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_deep_nesting_oneof() {
         fn build_and_roundtrip(depth: usize) -> Result<(), prost::DecodeError> {