diff --git a/tape/dynamic.go b/tape/dynamic.go
index 5b90ff9..01345ea 100644
--- a/tape/dynamic.go
+++ b/tape/dynamic.go
@@ -46,9 +46,16 @@ func EncodeAny(encoder *Encoder, value any, tag Tag) (n int, err error) {
 	case reflect.Uint32: return encoder.WriteUint32(uint32(reflectValue.Uint()))
 	case reflect.Int64:  return encoder.WriteInt64(int64(reflectValue.Int()))
 	case reflect.Uint64: return encoder.WriteUint64(uint64(reflectValue.Uint()))
-	case reflect.String: return EncodeAny(encoder, []byte(reflectValue.String()), tag)
+	case reflect.String:
+		if reflectValue.Len() > MaxStructureLength {
+			return 0, ErrTooLong
+		}
+		return EncodeAny(encoder, []byte(reflectValue.String()), tag)
 	}
 	if reflectValue.CanConvert(reflect.TypeOf(dummyBuffer)) {
+		if reflectValue.Len() > MaxStructureLength {
+			return 0, ErrTooLong
+		}
 		if tag.Is(LBA) {
 			nn, err := encoder.WriteUintN(uint64(reflectValue.Len()), tag.CN() + 1)
 			n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
@@ -64,8 +71,13 @@ func EncodeAny(encoder *Encoder, value any, tag Tag) (n int, err error) {
 	case reflect.Slice:
 		return encodeAnySlice(encoder, value, tag)
 	// case reflect.Array:
+		// TODO: we can encode arrays. but can we decode into them?
+		// that's the fucken question. maybe we just do the first
 		// return encodeAnySlice(encoder, reflect.ValueOf(value).Slice(0, reflectType.Len()).Interface(), tag)
 	case reflect.Map:
+		if reflectValue.Len() > MaxStructureLength {
+			return 0, ErrTooLong
+		}
 		if reflectType.Key() == reflect.TypeOf(uint16(0)) {
 			return encodeAnyMap(encoder, value, tag)
 		}