diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48619.go2 b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48619.go2
index 870bacd0bd2..3d4f1b4707f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48619.go2
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48619.go2
@@ -2,23 +2,26 @@
 // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
-// This issue has been re-opened.
+// This issue is still open:
+// - the error messages could be better or are incorrect
+// - unification fails due to stack overflow that is caught
 
 package p
 
 func f[P any](a, _ P) {
-	// var x int
-	// f(a, x /* ERROR type int of x does not match P */)
-	// f(x, a /* ERROR type P of a does not match inferred type int for P */)
+	var x int
+	// TODO(gri) these error messages, while correct, could be better
+	f(a, x /* ERROR type int of x does not match P */)
+	f(x, a /* ERROR type P of a does not match inferred type int for P */)
 }
 
 func g[P any](a, b P) {
-	// g(a, b)
-	// g(&a, &b)
-	// g([]P{}, []P{})
-}
+	g(a, b)
+	// TODO(gri) these error messages are incorrect because the code is valid
+	g(&a, & /* ERROR type \*P of &b does not match inferred type \*P for P */ b)
+	g([]P{}, [ /* ERROR type \[\]P of \[\]P{} does not match inferred type \[\]P for P */ ]P{})
 
-func h[P any](a, b P) {
-	// h(&a, &b)
-	// h([]P{a}, []P{b})
+	// work-around: provide type argument explicitly
+	g[*P](&a, &b)
+	g[[]P]([]P{}, []P{})
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48656.go2 b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48656.go2
index 652f8ce37a3..bea3dc14a0e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48656.go2
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48656.go2
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@
 // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
-// This issue is still open.
+// This issue is still open:
+// - the error messages are unclear
+// - unification fails due to stack overflow that is caught
 
 package p
 
-func f[P *Q, Q any](p P, q Q) {
-	// _ = f[P]
-        // _ = f[/* ERROR cannot infer P */ *P]
+func f[P *Q, Q any](P, Q) {
+	// TODO(gri) these error messages are unclear
+	_ = f[ /* ERROR P does not match \*Q */ P]
+	_ = f[ /* ERROR cannot infer P */ *P]
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/unify.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/unify.go
index f663beec38b..8762bae559b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/unify.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/unify.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ import (
 // by setting up one of them (using init) and then assigning its value
 // to the other.
 
+// Upper limit for recursion depth. Used to catch infinite recursions
+// due to implementation issues (e.g., see issues #48619, #48656).
+const unificationDepthLimit = 50
+
 // A unifier maintains the current type parameters for x and y
 // and the respective types inferred for each type parameter.
 // A unifier is created by calling newUnifier.
@@ -40,6 +44,7 @@ type unifier struct {
 	exact bool
 	x, y  tparamsList // x and y must initialized via tparamsList.init
 	types []Type      // inferred types, shared by x and y
+	depth int         // recursion depth during unification
 }
 
 // newUnifier returns a new unifier.
@@ -237,6 +242,18 @@ func (u *unifier) nifyEq(x, y Type, p *ifacePair) bool {
 // code the corresponding changes should be made here.
 // Must not be called directly from outside the unifier.
 func (u *unifier) nify(x, y Type, p *ifacePair) bool {
+	// Stop gap for cases where unification fails.
+	if u.depth >= unificationDepthLimit {
+		if debug {
+			panic("unification reached recursion depth limit")
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+	u.depth++
+	defer func() {
+		u.depth--
+	}()
+
 	if !u.exact {
 		// If exact unification is known to fail because we attempt to
 		// match a type name against an unnamed type literal, consider
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48619.go2 b/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48619.go2
index 870bacd0bd2..d33040d78f0 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48619.go2
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48619.go2
@@ -2,23 +2,26 @@
 // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
-// This issue has been re-opened.
+// This issue is still open:
+// - the error messages could be better or are incorrect
+// - unification fails due to stack overflow that is caught
 
 package p
 
 func f[P any](a, _ P) {
-	// var x int
-	// f(a, x /* ERROR type int of x does not match P */)
-	// f(x, a /* ERROR type P of a does not match inferred type int for P */)
+	var x int
+	// TODO(gri) these error messages, while correct, could be better
+	f(a, x /* ERROR type int of x does not match P */)
+	f(x, a /* ERROR type P of a does not match inferred type int for P */)
 }
 
 func g[P any](a, b P) {
-	// g(a, b)
-	// g(&a, &b)
-	// g([]P{}, []P{})
-}
+	g(a, b)
+	// TODO(gri) these error messages are incorrect because the code is valid
+	g(&a, & /* ERROR type \*P of &b does not match inferred type \*P for P */ b)
+	g([]P{}, [ /* ERROR type \[\]P of \(\[\]P literal\) does not match inferred type \[\]P for P */ ]P{})
 
-func h[P any](a, b P) {
-	// h(&a, &b)
-	// h([]P{a}, []P{b})
+	// work-around: provide type argument explicitly
+	g[*P](&a, &b)
+	g[[]P]([]P{}, []P{})
 }
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48656.go2 b/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48656.go2
index 52863d446b6..493f220e98d 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48656.go2
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue48656.go2
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@
 // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
 // license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
-// This issue is still open.
+// This issue is still open:
+// - the error messages are unclear
+// - unification fails due to stack overflow that is caught
 
 package p
 
-func f[P interface{*Q}, Q any](p P, q Q) {
-	// _ = f[P]
-        // _ = f[/* ERROR cannot infer P */ *P]
+func f[P *Q, Q any](P, Q) {
+	// TODO(gri) these error messages are unclear
+	_ = f /* ERROR P does not match \*Q */ [P]
+	_ = f /* ERROR cannot infer P */ [*P]
 }
diff --git a/src/go/types/unify.go b/src/go/types/unify.go
index 5dcb35f6eca..ad6d316227a 100644
--- a/src/go/types/unify.go
+++ b/src/go/types/unify.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ import (
 // by setting up one of them (using init) and then assigning its value
 // to the other.
 
+// Upper limit for recursion depth. Used to catch infinite recursions
+// due to implementation issues (e.g., see issues #48619, #48656).
+const unificationDepthLimit = 50
+
 // A unifier maintains the current type parameters for x and y
 // and the respective types inferred for each type parameter.
 // A unifier is created by calling newUnifier.
@@ -40,6 +44,7 @@ type unifier struct {
 	exact bool
 	x, y  tparamsList // x and y must initialized via tparamsList.init
 	types []Type      // inferred types, shared by x and y
+	depth int         // recursion depth during unification
 }
 
 // newUnifier returns a new unifier.
@@ -237,6 +242,18 @@ func (u *unifier) nifyEq(x, y Type, p *ifacePair) bool {
 // code the corresponding changes should be made here.
 // Must not be called directly from outside the unifier.
 func (u *unifier) nify(x, y Type, p *ifacePair) bool {
+	// Stop gap for cases where unification fails.
+	if u.depth >= unificationDepthLimit {
+		if debug {
+			panic("unification reached recursion depth limit")
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+	u.depth++
+	defer func() {
+		u.depth--
+	}()
+
 	if !u.exact {
 		// If exact unification is known to fail because we attempt to
 		// match a type name against an unnamed type literal, consider