diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/MessageQueueThreadImpl.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/MessageQueueThreadImpl.java
index 5593cb02f7a..41a191faed8 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/MessageQueueThreadImpl.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/MessageQueueThreadImpl.java
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public class MessageQueueThreadImpl implements MessageQueueThread {
       case MAIN_UI:
         return createForMainThread(spec.getName(), exceptionHandler);
       case NEW_BACKGROUND:
-        return startNewBackgroundThread(spec.getName(), exceptionHandler);
+        return startNewBackgroundThread(spec.getName(), spec.getStackSize(), exceptionHandler);
       default:
         throw new RuntimeException("Unknown thread type: " + spec.getThreadType());
     }
@@ -165,17 +165,27 @@ public class MessageQueueThreadImpl implements MessageQueueThread {
     return mqt;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Creates  and starts a new MessageQueueThreadImpl encapsulating a new Thread with a new Looper
-   * running on it. Give it a name for easier debugging. When this method exits, the new
-   * MessageQueueThreadImpl is ready to receive events.
-   */
   public static MessageQueueThreadImpl startNewBackgroundThread(
       final String name,
       QueueThreadExceptionHandler exceptionHandler) {
+    return startNewBackgroundThread(
+        name,
+        MessageQueueThreadSpec.DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE_BYTES,
+        exceptionHandler);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Creates and starts a new MessageQueueThreadImpl encapsulating a new Thread with a new Looper
+   * running on it. Give it a name for easier debugging and optionally a suggested stack size.
+   * When this method exits, the new MessageQueueThreadImpl is ready to receive events.
+   */
+  public static MessageQueueThreadImpl startNewBackgroundThread(
+      final String name,
+      long stackSize,
+      QueueThreadExceptionHandler exceptionHandler) {
     final SimpleSettableFuture<Looper> looperFuture = new SimpleSettableFuture<>();
     final SimpleSettableFuture<MessageQueueThread> mqtFuture = new SimpleSettableFuture<>();
-    Thread bgThread = new Thread(
+    Thread bgThread = new Thread(null,
         new Runnable() {
           @Override
           public void run() {
@@ -186,7 +196,7 @@ public class MessageQueueThreadImpl implements MessageQueueThread {
 
             Looper.loop();
           }
-        }, "mqt_" + name);
+        }, "mqt_" + name, stackSize);
     bgThread.start();
 
     Looper myLooper = looperFuture.getOrThrow();
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/MessageQueueThreadSpec.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/MessageQueueThreadSpec.java
index 89673016cad..1ff61fdf4e5 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/MessageQueueThreadSpec.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/MessageQueueThreadSpec.java
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ public class MessageQueueThreadSpec {
   private static final MessageQueueThreadSpec MAIN_UI_SPEC =
       new MessageQueueThreadSpec(ThreadType.MAIN_UI, "main_ui");
 
+  // The Thread constructor interprets zero the same as not specifying a stack size
+  public static final long DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE_BYTES = 0;
+
   protected static enum ThreadType {
     MAIN_UI,
     NEW_BACKGROUND,
@@ -26,16 +29,26 @@ public class MessageQueueThreadSpec {
     return new MessageQueueThreadSpec(ThreadType.NEW_BACKGROUND, name);
   }
 
+  public static MessageQueueThreadSpec newBackgroundThreadSpec(String name, long stackSize) {
+    return new MessageQueueThreadSpec(ThreadType.NEW_BACKGROUND, name, stackSize);
+  }
+
   public static MessageQueueThreadSpec mainThreadSpec() {
     return MAIN_UI_SPEC;
   }
 
   private final ThreadType mThreadType;
   private final String mName;
+  private final long mStackSize;
 
   private MessageQueueThreadSpec(ThreadType threadType, String name) {
+    this(threadType, name, DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE_BYTES);
+  }
+
+  private MessageQueueThreadSpec(ThreadType threadType, String name, long stackSize) {
     mThreadType = threadType;
     mName = name;
+    mStackSize = stackSize;
   }
 
   public ThreadType getThreadType() {
@@ -45,4 +58,8 @@ public class MessageQueueThreadSpec {
   public String getName() {
     return mName;
   }
+
+  public long getStackSize() {
+    return mStackSize;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/ReactQueueConfigurationSpec.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/ReactQueueConfigurationSpec.java
index aceeba6aa9c..133504887a0 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/ReactQueueConfigurationSpec.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/bridge/queue/ReactQueueConfigurationSpec.java
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 package com.facebook.react.bridge.queue;
 
+import android.os.Build;
+
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
 import com.facebook.infer.annotation.Assertions;
@@ -21,6 +23,8 @@ import com.facebook.infer.annotation.Assertions;
  */
 public class ReactQueueConfigurationSpec {
 
+  private static final long LEGACY_STACK_SIZE_BYTES = 2000000;
+
   private final MessageQueueThreadSpec mNativeModulesQueueThreadSpec;
   private final MessageQueueThreadSpec mJSQueueThreadSpec;
 
@@ -44,10 +48,12 @@ public class ReactQueueConfigurationSpec {
   }
 
   public static ReactQueueConfigurationSpec createDefault() {
+    MessageQueueThreadSpec spec = Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < 21 ?
+        MessageQueueThreadSpec.newBackgroundThreadSpec("native_modules", LEGACY_STACK_SIZE_BYTES) :
+        MessageQueueThreadSpec.newBackgroundThreadSpec("native_modules");
     return builder()
         .setJSQueueThreadSpec(MessageQueueThreadSpec.newBackgroundThreadSpec("js"))
-        .setNativeModulesQueueThreadSpec(
-            MessageQueueThreadSpec.newBackgroundThreadSpec("native_modules"))
+        .setNativeModulesQueueThreadSpec(spec)
         .build();
   }