diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index cd37da7..ee5b29c 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ var fs = require('fs'),
   defaultOptions = {
     extensions: ['js', 'json', 'coffee'],
     recurse: true,
+    maxDepth: -1, // no max depth
     rename: function (name) {
       return name;
     },
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ function checkFileInclusion(path, filename, options) {
   );
 }
 
-function requireDirectory(m, path, options) {
+function _requireDirectory(m, path, options, depth) {
   var retval = {};
 
   // path is optional
@@ -62,9 +63,9 @@ function requireDirectory(m, path, options) {
       key,
       obj;
 
-    if (fs.statSync(joined).isDirectory() && options.recurse) {
+    if (fs.statSync(joined).isDirectory() && options.recurse && (options.maxDepth < 0 || depth < options.maxDepth)) {
       // this node is a directory; recurse
-      files = requireDirectory(m, joined, options);
+      files = _requireDirectory(m, joined, options, depth + 1);
       // exclude empty directories
       if (Object.keys(files).length) {
         retval[options.rename(filename, joined, filename)] = files;
@@ -82,5 +83,9 @@ function requireDirectory(m, path, options) {
   return retval;
 }
 
+function requireDirectory(m, path, options) {
+  return _requireDirectory(m, path, options, 0);
+}
+
 module.exports = requireDirectory;
 module.exports.defaults = defaultOptions;
diff --git a/test/example/level1/level2/level3/three.js b/test/example/level1/level2/level3/three.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..787a4ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/example/level1/level2/level3/three.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+module.exports = "three";
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/example/level1/level2/two.js b/test/example/level1/level2/two.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f351dff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/example/level1/level2/two.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+module.exports = "two";
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/example/level1/one.js b/test/example/level1/one.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bdab7b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/example/level1/one.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+module.exports = "one";
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index bfbe798..4641763 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -209,6 +209,34 @@
       assert.equal('baz!', bar.baz);
       assert.equal('gone and done it', funResult);
     });
+
+    test('should recurse 0 times', function () {
+      //arrange
+      //act
+      var test = reqdir(module, PATH_TO_EXAMPLE, {maxDepth: 0});
+      //assert
+      assert.equal(undefined, test.level1);
+    });
+
+    test('should only recurse 2 times', function () {
+      //arrange
+      //act
+      var test = reqdir(module, PATH_TO_EXAMPLE, {maxDepth: 2});
+      //assert
+      assert.equal('one', test.level1.one);
+      assert.equal('two', test.level1.level2.two);
+      assert.equal(undefined, test.level1.level2.level3);
+    });
+
+    test('should still be able to disable recursion with maxDepth set', function () {
+      //arrange
+      //act
+      var test = reqdir(module, PATH_TO_EXAMPLE, {recurse: false, maxDepth: 2});
+
+      //assert
+      assert.equal('foo!', test.foo);
+      assert.equal(undefined, test.bar);
+    });
   });
 
 }());