diff --git a/test/test-stress.c b/test/test-stress.c
index bb428072..4b6ec22d 100644
--- a/test/test-stress.c
+++ b/test/test-stress.c
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ terms of the MIT license.
 
 // argument defaults
 static int THREADS = 32;    // more repeatable if THREADS <= #processors
-static int N       = 20;    // scaling factor
+static int N       = 20;    // scaling factor 
+static int ITER    = 10;    // N full iterations re-creating all threads
 
 // static int THREADS = 8;    // more repeatable if THREADS <= #processors
 // static int N       = 100;  // scaling factor
@@ -159,14 +160,17 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 
   //bench_start_program();
   mi_stats_reset();
-  memset((void*)transfer, 0, TRANSFERS*sizeof(void*));
-  run_os_threads(THREADS);
-  for (int i = 0; i < TRANSFERS; i++) {
-    free_items((void*)transfer[i]);
+  for (int i = 0; i < ITER; i++) {
+    memset((void*)transfer, 0, TRANSFERS * sizeof(void*));
+    run_os_threads(THREADS);
+    for (int i = 0; i < TRANSFERS; i++) {
+      free_items((void*)transfer[i]);
+    }
   }
-  #ifndef NDEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
   mi_collect(false);
-  #endif
+#endif
+
   mi_stats_print(NULL);
   //bench_end_program();
   return 0;