diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/cffLib/specializer.py b/Lib/fontTools/cffLib/specializer.py
index 3db5b3882..e61ad26f8 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/cffLib/specializer.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/cffLib/specializer.py
@@ -509,6 +509,19 @@ def _addArgs(a, b):
     return a + b
 
 
+def _argsStackUse(args):
+    stackLen = 0
+    maxLen = 0
+    for arg in args:
+        if type(arg) is list:
+            # Blended arg
+            maxLen = max(maxLen, stackLen + _argsStackUse(arg))
+            stackLen += arg[-1]
+        else:
+            stackLen += 1
+    return max(stackLen, maxLen)
+
+
 def specializeCommands(
     commands,
     ignoreErrors=False,
@@ -751,7 +764,7 @@ def specializeCommands(
 
         # Make sure the stack depth does not exceed (maxstack - 1), so
         # that subroutinizer can insert subroutine calls at any point.
-        if new_op and len(args1) + len(args2) < maxstack:
+        if new_op and _argsStackUse(args1) + _argsStackUse(args2) < maxstack:
             commands[i - 1] = (new_op, args1 + args2)
             del commands[i]
 
diff --git a/Tests/cffLib/specializer_test.py b/Tests/cffLib/specializer_test.py
index bcbd3d718..08c137ada 100644
--- a/Tests/cffLib/specializer_test.py
+++ b/Tests/cffLib/specializer_test.py
@@ -585,17 +585,19 @@ class CFFSpecializeProgramTest:
 
     # maxstack CFF2=513, specializer uses up to 512
     def test_maxstack_blends(self):
-        getNumRegions = lambda iv: 15
-        blend_one = "0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 blend"
+        numRegions = 15
+        numOps = 2000
+        getNumRegions = lambda iv: numRegions
+        blend_one = " ".join([str(i) for i in range(1 + numRegions)] + ["1", "blend"])
         operands = " ".join([blend_one] * 6)
         operator = "rrcurveto"
-        charstr = " ".join([operands, operator] * 10)
+        charstr = " ".join([operands, operator] * numOps)
         expected = charstr
         specialized = charstr_specialize(
             charstr, getNumRegions=getNumRegions, maxstack=maxStack
         )
         stack_use = charstr_stack_use(specialized, getNumRegions=getNumRegions)
-        assert stack_use < maxStack
+        assert maxStack - numRegions < stack_use < maxStack
 
 
 class CFF2VFTestSpecialize(DataFilesHandler):