goto &function is completely different than the type of goto that you've been told to avoid (see the docs). Using tail-recursion is a common and efficient technique in some other languages. Using goto for tail-recursion in perl is (supposed to be) efficient memory-wise (though the OP has proven otherwise), but not at all efficient speed-wise, so the while loop (or some other normal iteration) as you suggest would generally be preferred (if speed is at all an issue).