# C Compilers Only Recently Adopted Tail-Call Optimization

Tail-call optimization, which converts recursive functions into loops to prevent stack overflow, has only recently been implemented in mainstream C compilers. Unlike languages like Scheme, where it has long been mandatory, C's support is new and not guaranteed by the standard. This matters for C developers seeking safe deep recursion.

**Importance:** 3/5

## Sources

### Technology
- [Hacker News](https://lwn.net/Articles/1034703/) — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:34:40 +0000