diff --git a/cores/esp8266/StackThunk.cpp b/cores/esp8266/StackThunk.cpp
index 7456fcaeeb..0d2a8a3541 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/StackThunk.cpp
+++ b/cores/esp8266/StackThunk.cpp
@@ -142,11 +142,12 @@ void stack_thunk_dump_stack()
   ets_printf("<<<stack<<<\n");
 }
 
-/* Called when the stack overflow is detected by a thunk.  Main memory is corrupted at this point.  Do not return. */
-void stack_thunk_fatal_overflow()
+/* Called when the stack overflow is detected by a thunk.  Main memory is corrupted at this point.
+ * Do not return, use libssp-compatible function to notify postmortem and immediately reboot. */
+void stack_thunk_fatal_smashing()
 {
-    ets_printf("FATAL ERROR: BSSL stack overflow\n");
-    abort();
+    ets_printf("FATAL ERROR: BSSL stack smashing detected\n");
+    __stack_chk_fail();
 }
 
-};
+}
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/StackThunk.h b/cores/esp8266/StackThunk.h
index ffaeb32947..e72e0efb9f 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/StackThunk.h
+++ b/cores/esp8266/StackThunk.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ extern uint32_t stack_thunk_get_stack_bot();
 extern uint32_t stack_thunk_get_cont_sp();
 extern uint32_t stack_thunk_get_max_usage();
 extern void stack_thunk_dump_stack();
-extern void stack_thunk_fatal_overflow();
+extern void stack_thunk_fatal_smashing();
 
 // Globals required for thunking operation
 extern uint32_t *stack_thunk_ptr;
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ thunk_"#fcnToThunk":\n\
   l32i.n a15, a15, 0    /* A15 now has contents of last stack entry */\n\
   l32r a0, .LC_STACK_VALUE"#fcnToThunk" /* A0 now has the check value */\n\
   beq a0, a15, .L1"#fcnToThunk"\n\
-  call0 stack_thunk_fatal_overflow\n\
+  call0 stack_thunk_fatal_smashing\n\
 .L1"#fcnToThunk":\n\
   movi a15, stack_thunk_save  /* Restore A1(SP) */\n\
   l32i.n a1, a15, 0\n\
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/cont.h b/cores/esp8266/cont.h
index 6932416b68..ba6d432a88 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/cont.h
+++ b/cores/esp8266/cont.h
@@ -62,9 +62,8 @@ void cont_run(cont_t*, void (*pfn)(void));
 // execution state (registers and stack)
 void cont_suspend(cont_t*);
 
-// Check guard bytes around the stack. Return 0 in case everything is ok,
-// return 1 if guard bytes were overwritten.
-int cont_check(cont_t* cont);
+// Check guard bytes around the stack. Immediately panics on failure.
+void cont_check(cont_t*);
 
 // Go through stack and check how many bytes are most probably still unchanged
 // and thus weren't used by the user code. i.e. that stack space is free. (high water mark)
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/cont_util.cpp b/cores/esp8266/cont_util.cpp
index fd72ee5d18..746dcccbfd 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/cont_util.cpp
+++ b/cores/esp8266/cont_util.cpp
@@ -18,14 +18,18 @@
  Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
  */
 
-#include "cont.h"
+#include <ets_sys.h>
+
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include "ets_sys.h"
 
-extern "C" {
+#include "cont.h"
+#include "debug.h"
 
-#define CONT_STACKGUARD 0xfeefeffe
+extern "C"
+{
+
+static constexpr unsigned int CONT_STACKGUARD { 0xfeefeffe };
 
 void cont_init(cont_t* cont) {
     memset(cont, 0, sizeof(cont_t));
@@ -42,10 +46,15 @@ void cont_init(cont_t* cont) {
     }
 }
 
-int IRAM_ATTR cont_check(cont_t* cont) {
-    if(cont->stack_guard1 != CONT_STACKGUARD || cont->stack_guard2 != CONT_STACKGUARD) return 1;
+void IRAM_ATTR cont_check(cont_t* cont) {
+    if ((cont->stack_guard1 == CONT_STACKGUARD)
+     && (cont->stack_guard2 == CONT_STACKGUARD))
+    {
+        return;
+    }
 
-    return 0;
+    __stack_chk_fail();
+    __builtin_unreachable();
 }
 
 // No need for this to be in IRAM, not expected to be IRQ called
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/core_esp8266_main.cpp b/cores/esp8266/core_esp8266_main.cpp
index 430808f19d..cf6dd669f6 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/core_esp8266_main.cpp
+++ b/cores/esp8266/core_esp8266_main.cpp
@@ -245,21 +245,21 @@ static void loop_wrapper() {
     }
     loop();
     loop_end();
+    cont_check(g_pcont);
     if (serialEventRun) {
         serialEventRun();
     }
     esp_schedule();
 }
 
+extern "C" void __stack_chk_fail(void);
+
 static void loop_task(os_event_t *events) {
     (void) events;
     s_cycles_at_resume = ESP.getCycleCount();
     ESP.resetHeap();
     cont_run(g_pcont, &loop_wrapper);
     ESP.setDramHeap();
-    if (cont_check(g_pcont) != 0) {
-        panic();
-    }
 }
 
 extern "C" {
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/core_esp8266_postmortem.cpp b/cores/esp8266/core_esp8266_postmortem.cpp
index 2279401b54..ce2817aaf6 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/core_esp8266_postmortem.cpp
+++ b/cores/esp8266/core_esp8266_postmortem.cpp
@@ -42,9 +42,12 @@ static int s_panic_line = 0;
 static const char* s_panic_func = 0;
 static const char* s_panic_what = 0;
 
+// Our wiring for abort() and C++ exceptions
 static bool s_abort_called = false;
 static const char* s_unhandled_exception = NULL;
 
+// Common way to notify about where the stack smashing happened
+// (but, **only** if caller uses our handler function)
 static uint32_t s_stacksmash_addr = 0;
 
 void abort() __attribute__((noreturn));
@@ -154,7 +157,7 @@ void __wrap_system_restart_local() {
         ets_printf_P(PSTR("\nSoft WDT reset\n"));
     }
     else if (rst_info.reason == REASON_USER_STACK_SMASH) {
-        ets_printf_P(PSTR("\nStack overflow detected.\n"));
+        ets_printf_P(PSTR("\nStack smashing detected.\n"));
         ets_printf_P(PSTR("\nException (%d):\nepc1=0x%08x epc2=0x%08x epc3=0x%08x excvaddr=0x%08x depc=0x%08x\n"),
             5 /* Alloca exception, closest thing to stack fault*/, s_stacksmash_addr, 0, 0, 0, 0);
    }
@@ -310,8 +313,6 @@ void __panic_func(const char* file, int line, const char* func) {
 uintptr_t __stack_chk_guard = 0x08675309 ^ RANDOM_REG32;
 void __stack_chk_fail(void) {
     s_user_reset_reason = REASON_USER_STACK_SMASH;
-    ets_printf_P(PSTR("\nPANIC: Stack overrun"));
-
     s_stacksmash_addr = (uint32_t)__builtin_return_address(0);
 
     if (gdb_present())
@@ -319,8 +320,7 @@ void __stack_chk_fail(void) {
 
     __wrap_system_restart_local();
 
-    while (1); // never reached, needed to satisfy "noreturn" attribute
+    __builtin_unreachable(); // never reached, needed to satisfy "noreturn" attribute
 }
 
-
-};
+} // extern "C"
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/debug.h b/cores/esp8266/debug.h
index c6ea8230ef..e6dc124c57 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/debug.h
+++ b/cores/esp8266/debug.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ void hexdump(const void* mem, uint32_t len, uint8_t cols);
 extern "C"
 {
 #endif
-
+    void __stack_chk_fail(void) __attribute__((noreturn));
     void __unhandled_exception(const char* str) __attribute__((noreturn));
     void __panic_func(const char* file, int line, const char* func) __attribute__((noreturn));
 #define panic() __panic_func(PSTR(__FILE__), __LINE__, __func__)