diff --git a/scripts/insert-includes.py b/scripts/insert-includes.py
index bcf39a60..d29847c2 100755
--- a/scripts/insert-includes.py
+++ b/scripts/insert-includes.py
@@ -61,6 +61,36 @@ def find_include(file_name, inc_dirs):
     return None
 
 
+def process_helper(in_fname, out_f, inc_dirs, replaced_includes):
+    """
+    Helper function to DFS through include files and replace includes.
+    """
+    print(f"DFS state: {replaced_includes}")
+    include_regex = re.compile(r"^ *`include +\"(.*)\"")
+    # slurp the input file.
+    # this avoids having a bunch of fds open during recursion
+    with open(in_fname, "r", encoding="utf-8") as in_file:
+        lines = in_file.readlines()
+
+    for num, line in enumerate(lines, 1):
+        match = re.match(include_regex, line)
+        if not match or match.group(1) == "uvm_macros.svh":
+            # copy the line as is
+            out_f.write(line)
+            continue
+        if match.group(1) in replaced_includes:
+            print_info("Skipping duplicate include")
+            continue
+
+        print_info(
+            f"Replacing includes for {match.group(1)}" f" at line {num}"
+        )
+        # search for include and replace
+        inc_file_name = find_include(match.group(1), inc_dirs)
+        replaced_includes.add(match.group(1))
+        process_helper(inc_file_name, out_f, inc_dirs, replaced_includes)
+
+
 def process(in_fname, out_fname, inc_dirs=None):
     """
     Replace include directives in a file with the full include file.
@@ -71,28 +101,8 @@ def process(in_fname, out_fname, inc_dirs=None):
         inc_dirs (list): list of directories to search for includes
     """
     replaced_includes = set()
-    with open(in_fname, "r", encoding="utf-8") as in_file:
-        with open(out_fname, "w", encoding="utf-8") as out_file:
-            # for each include found, search through all dirs
-            # and replace if found, error if not
-            for num, line in enumerate(in_file, 1):
-                match = re.match(r"^ *`include +\"(.*)\"", line)
-                if not match or match.group(1) == "uvm_macros.svh":
-                    # copy the line as is
-                    out_file.write(line)
-                    continue
-                if match.group(1) in replaced_includes:
-                    print_info("Skipping duplicate include")
-                    continue
-
-                print_info(
-                    f"Replacing includes for {match.group(1)}" f" at line {num}"
-                )
-                # search for include and replace
-                inc_file_name = find_include(match.group(1), inc_dirs)
-                with open(inc_file_name, "r", encoding="utf-8") as inc_file:
-                    out_file.writelines(inc_file)
-                replaced_includes.add(match.group(1))
+    with open(out_fname, "w", encoding="utf-8") as out_file:
+        process_helper(in_fname, out_file, inc_dirs, replaced_includes)
 
 
 def main():