diff --git a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Val.scala b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Val.scala
index b5d1ae62..a547efd5 100644
--- a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Val.scala
+++ b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Val.scala
@@ -71,13 +71,18 @@ final class LazyExpr(
     private var scope: ValScope,
     private var ev: Evaluator)
     extends Lazy {
+  private var evaluating: Boolean = false
   def value: Val = {
     if (ev == null) exprOrVal.asInstanceOf[Val]
-    else {
+    else if (evaluating) {
+      Error.fail("Infinite recursion detected (self-referential thunk)")
+    } else {
+      evaluating = true
       val r = ev.visitExpr(exprOrVal.asInstanceOf[Expr])(scope)
       exprOrVal = r // cache result
       scope = null.asInstanceOf[sjsonnet.ValScope] // allow GC
       ev = null // sentinel: marks as computed
+      evaluating = false
       r
     }
   }
diff --git a/sjsonnet/test/resources/new_test_suite/error.self_referential_thunk.jsonnet b/sjsonnet/test/resources/new_test_suite/error.self_referential_thunk.jsonnet
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f566a092
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sjsonnet/test/resources/new_test_suite/error.self_referential_thunk.jsonnet
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+local x = x; x
diff --git a/sjsonnet/test/resources/new_test_suite/error.self_referential_thunk.jsonnet.golden b/sjsonnet/test/resources/new_test_suite/error.self_referential_thunk.jsonnet.golden
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..eb6d47c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sjsonnet/test/resources/new_test_suite/error.self_referential_thunk.jsonnet.golden
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+sjsonnet.Error: Infinite recursion detected (self-referential thunk)
+    at [<root>].(error.self_referential_thunk.jsonnet:1:7)