diff --git a/x/compute/internal/keeper/handler_plugin.go b/x/compute/internal/keeper/handler_plugin.go
index 4508f7b29..f3268b896 100644
--- a/x/compute/internal/keeper/handler_plugin.go
+++ b/x/compute/internal/keeper/handler_plugin.go
@@ -610,21 +610,6 @@ func (h SDKMessageHandler) handleSdkMessage(ctx sdk.Context, contractAddr sdk.Ad
 	return nil, sdkerrors.ErrUnknownRequest.Wrapf("can't route message %+v", msg)
 }
 
-// callDepthMessageHandler is a wrapper around a Messenger that checks the call depth before dispatching a message.
-type callDepthMessageHandler struct {
-	Messenger
-	MaxCallDepth uint32
-}
-
-func (h callDepthMessageHandler) DispatchMsg(ctx sdk.Context, contractAddr sdk.AccAddress, contractIBCPortID string, msg v1wasmTypes.CosmosMsg) (events []sdk.Event, data [][]byte, err error) {
-	ctx, err = checkAndIncreaseCallDepth(ctx, h.MaxCallDepth)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
-	}
-
-	return h.Messenger.DispatchMsg(ctx, contractAddr, contractIBCPortID, msg)
-}
-
 // convertWasmIBCTimeoutHeightToCosmosHeight converts a wasm type ibc timeout height to ibc module type height
 func convertWasmIBCTimeoutHeightToCosmosHeight(ibcTimeoutBlock *v1wasmTypes.IBCTimeoutBlock) ibcclienttypes.Height {
 	if ibcTimeoutBlock == nil {
diff --git a/x/compute/internal/keeper/keeper.go b/x/compute/internal/keeper/keeper.go
index 2df0d1f6e..7c2cf5e02 100644
--- a/x/compute/internal/keeper/keeper.go
+++ b/x/compute/internal/keeper/keeper.go
@@ -165,8 +165,6 @@ func NewKeeper(
 		LastMsgManager: lastMsgManager,
 		authority:      authority,
 	}
-	// always wrap the messenger, even if it was replaced by an option
-	keeper.messenger = callDepthMessageHandler{keeper.messenger, keeper.maxCallDepth}
 	keeper.queryPlugins = DefaultQueryPlugins(govKeeper, distKeeper, mintKeeper, bankKeeper, stakingKeeper, queryRouter, &keeper, channelKeeper).Merge(customPlugins)
 
 	return keeper
@@ -1476,6 +1474,11 @@ func (k *Keeper) handleContractResponse(
 	}
 
 	responseHandler := NewContractResponseHandler(NewMessageDispatcher(k.messenger, k))
+	// keep track of call depth
+	ctx, err := checkAndIncreaseCallDepth(ctx, k.maxCallDepth)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	return responseHandler.Handle(ctx, contractAddr, ibcPort, msgs, data, ogTx, ogSigInfo)
 }
 
diff --git a/x/compute/internal/types/types.go b/x/compute/internal/types/types.go
index 0d5ca9276..2a6f0478a 100644
--- a/x/compute/internal/types/types.go
+++ b/x/compute/internal/types/types.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	DefaultMaxCallDepth        = uint32(500)
+	DefaultMaxCallDepth        = uint32(100)
 	defaultLRUCacheSize        = uint64(0)
 	defaultEnclaveLRUCacheSize = uint16(100)
 	defaultQueryGasLimit       = uint64(10_000_000)