diff --git a/src/go/types/api_test.go b/src/go/types/api_test.go
index e6c209dda0d..9ca24db1de6 100644
--- a/src/go/types/api_test.go
+++ b/src/go/types/api_test.go
@@ -1817,3 +1817,26 @@ func f(x T) T { return foo.F(x) }
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestInstantiate(t *testing.T) {
+	// eventually we like more tests but this is a start
+	const src = genericPkg + "p; type T[P any] *T[P]"
+	pkg, err := pkgFor(".", src, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// type T should have one type parameter
+	T := pkg.Scope().Lookup("T").Type().(*Named)
+	if n := len(T.TParams()); n != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 type parameter; found %d", n)
+	}
+
+	// instantiation should succeed (no endless recursion)
+	res := Instantiate(token.NoPos, T, []Type{Typ[Int]})
+
+	// instantiated type should point to itself
+	if res.Underlying().(*Pointer).Elem() != res {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected result type: %s", res)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/go/types/subst.go b/src/go/types/subst.go
index 4809b8c47a3..64146be27eb 100644
--- a/src/go/types/subst.go
+++ b/src/go/types/subst.go
@@ -237,15 +237,27 @@ func (check *Checker) subst(pos token.Pos, typ Type, smap *substMap) Type {
 	}
 
 	// general case
-	subst := subster{check, pos, make(map[Type]Type), smap}
+	var subst subster
+	subst.pos = pos
+	subst.smap = smap
+	if check != nil {
+		subst.check = check
+		subst.typMap = check.typMap
+	} else {
+		// If we don't have a *Checker and its global type map,
+		// use a local version. Besides avoiding duplicate work,
+		// the type map prevents infinite recursive substitution
+		// for recursive types (example: type T[P any] *T[P]).
+		subst.typMap = make(map[string]*Named)
+	}
 	return subst.typ(typ)
 }
 
 type subster struct {
-	check *Checker
-	pos   token.Pos
-	cache map[Type]Type
-	smap  *substMap
+	pos    token.Pos
+	smap   *substMap
+	check  *Checker // nil if called via Instantiate
+	typMap map[string]*Named
 }
 
 func (subst *subster) typ(typ Type) Type {
@@ -390,22 +402,16 @@ func (subst *subster) typ(typ Type) Type {
 		// before creating a new named type, check if we have this one already
 		h := instantiatedHash(t, newTargs)
 		dump(">>> new type hash: %s", h)
-		if subst.check != nil {
-			if named, found := subst.check.typMap[h]; found {
-				dump(">>> found %s", named)
-				subst.cache[t] = named
-				return named
-			}
+		if named, found := subst.typMap[h]; found {
+			dump(">>> found %s", named)
+			return named
 		}
 
-		// create a new named type and populate caches to avoid endless recursion
+		// create a new named type and populate typMap to avoid endless recursion
 		tname := NewTypeName(subst.pos, t.obj.pkg, t.obj.name, nil)
 		named := subst.check.newNamed(tname, t, t.Underlying(), t.TParams(), t.methods) // method signatures are updated lazily
 		named.targs = newTargs
-		if subst.check != nil {
-			subst.check.typMap[h] = named
-		}
-		subst.cache[t] = named
+		subst.typMap[h] = named
 
 		// do the substitution
 		dump(">>> subst %s with %s (new: %s)", t.underlying, subst.smap, newTargs)