diff --git a/go/analysis/passes/printf/testdata/src/a/a.go b/go/analysis/passes/printf/testdata/src/a/a.go
index 40e8f2f77c..603179bccb 100644
--- a/go/analysis/passes/printf/testdata/src/a/a.go
+++ b/go/analysis/passes/printf/testdata/src/a/a.go
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func PrintfTests() {
 	Printf("%T", someFunction) // ok: maybe someone wants to see the type
 	// Bug: used to recur forever.
 	Printf("%p %x", recursiveStructV, recursiveStructV.next)
-	Printf("%p %x", recursiveStruct1V, recursiveStruct1V.next)
+	Printf("%p %x", recursiveStruct1V, recursiveStruct1V.next) // want `Printf format %x has arg recursiveStruct1V\.next of wrong type \*a\.RecursiveStruct2`
 	Printf("%p %x", recursiveSliceV, recursiveSliceV)
 	Printf("%p %x", recursiveMapV, recursiveMapV)
 	// Special handling for Log.
@@ -678,6 +678,14 @@ func PointersToCompoundTypes() {
 
 	intMap := map[int]int{3: 4}
 	fmt.Printf("%s", &intMap) // want `Printf format %s has arg &intMap of wrong type \*map\[int\]int`
+
+	type T2 struct {
+		X string
+	}
+	type T1 struct {
+		X *T2
+	}
+	fmt.Printf("%s\n", T1{&T2{"x"}}) // want `Printf format %s has arg T1{&T2{.x.}} of wrong type a\.T1`
 }
 
 // Printf wrappers from external package
diff --git a/go/analysis/passes/printf/types.go b/go/analysis/passes/printf/types.go
index 28d94e1f94..0ebc8107f3 100644
--- a/go/analysis/passes/printf/types.go
+++ b/go/analysis/passes/printf/types.go
@@ -108,9 +108,13 @@ func matchArgTypeInternal(pass *analysis.Pass, t printfArgType, typ types.Type,
 			// Check whether the rest can print pointers.
 			return t&argPointer != 0
 		}
-		// If it's a pointer to a struct, array, slice, or map, that's
-		// equivalent in our analysis to whether we can print the type
-		// being pointed to.
+		// If it's a top-level pointer to a struct, array, slice, or
+		// map, that's equivalent in our analysis to whether we can
+		// print the type being pointed to. Pointers in nested levels
+		// are not supported to minimize fmt running into loops.
+		if len(inProgress) > 1 {
+			return false
+		}
 		return matchArgTypeInternal(pass, t, under, arg, inProgress)
 
 	case *types.Struct: