diff --git a/lib/Template/Directive.pm b/lib/Template/Directive.pm
index 52869cd1..0a9a0db5 100644
--- a/lib/Template/Directive.pm
+++ b/lib/Template/Directive.pm
@@ -574,12 +574,12 @@ sub while {
 
 # WHILE
 do {
-    my \$_tt_failsafe = $WHILE_MAX;
+    my \$_tt_failsafe = \$Template::Directive::WHILE_MAX;
 $label:
     while (($expr) && --\$_tt_failsafe >= 0) {
 $block
     }
-    die "WHILE loop terminated (> $WHILE_MAX iterations)\\n"
+    die "WHILE loop terminated (> " . \$Template::Directive::WHILE_MAX . " iterations)\\n"
         if \$_tt_failsafe < 0;
 };
 EOF
diff --git a/t/while_max_runtime.t b/t/while_max_runtime.t
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..08843e55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/while_max_runtime.t
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#============================================================= -*-perl-*-
+#
+# t/while_max_runtime.t
+#
+# Test that WHILE_MAX is read at runtime, not baked at compile-time
+#
+#========================================================================
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+use lib qw( ./lib ../lib );
+use Template;
+use Template::Directive;
+use File::Temp qw(tempdir);
+use Test::More tests => 6;
+
+# Set a low initial WHILE_MAX
+$Template::Directive::WHILE_MAX = 10;
+
+my $tt = Template->new();
+my $output;
+
+my $tmpl = '[% TRY; WHILE 1; "."; END; CATCH; error.info; END %]';
+
+# Process with WHILE_MAX = 10
+$tt->process(\$tmpl, {}, \$output) || die $tt->error;
+like($output, qr/^\.{10}WHILE loop terminated/,
+    'WHILE stops at 10 iterations when WHILE_MAX is 10');
+
+# Change WHILE_MAX to 20 at runtime — same template engine, no recompilation
+$Template::Directive::WHILE_MAX = 20;
+$output = '';
+$tt->process(\$tmpl, {}, \$output) || die $tt->error;
+like($output, qr/^\.{20}WHILE loop terminated/,
+    'WHILE stops at 20 iterations after changing WHILE_MAX at runtime');
+
+# Verify the error message also uses the runtime value
+like($output, qr/> 20 iterations/,
+    'error message reflects runtime WHILE_MAX value');
+
+# Change back to verify it works in both directions
+$Template::Directive::WHILE_MAX = 5;
+$output = '';
+$tt->process(\$tmpl, {}, \$output) || die $tt->error;
+like($output, qr/^\.{5}WHILE loop terminated.*> 5 iterations/,
+    'WHILE stops at 5 iterations after lowering WHILE_MAX');
+
+# Test with compiled-to-disk templates: WHILE_MAX should be read
+# from the package variable at execution time, not from the compiled file
+my $srcdir  = tempdir(CLEANUP => 1);
+my $compdir = tempdir(CLEANUP => 1);
+
+# Write a template file
+open my $fh, '>', "$srcdir/loop.tt" or die "Can't write: $!";
+print $fh '[% TRY; WHILE 1; "."; END; CATCH; error.info; END %]';
+close $fh;
+
+# Compile with WHILE_MAX = 15
+$Template::Directive::WHILE_MAX = 15;
+my $tt_comp = Template->new({
+    INCLUDE_PATH => $srcdir,
+    COMPILE_DIR  => $compdir,
+    COMPILE_EXT  => '.ttc',
+});
+$output = '';
+$tt_comp->process('loop.tt', {}, \$output) || die $tt_comp->error;
+like($output, qr/^\.{15}WHILE loop terminated.*> 15 iterations/,
+    'compiled template respects WHILE_MAX = 15');
+
+# Change WHILE_MAX and re-process the same compiled template
+$Template::Directive::WHILE_MAX = 8;
+$output = '';
+$tt_comp->process('loop.tt', {}, \$output) || die $tt_comp->error;
+like($output, qr/^\.{8}WHILE loop terminated.*> 8 iterations/,
+    'compiled-to-disk template picks up WHILE_MAX = 8 at runtime');