diff --git a/codeOptimizers/src/prog8/optimizer/Inliner.kt b/codeOptimizers/src/prog8/optimizer/Inliner.kt
index 6ce822bcb..5b8a74256 100644
--- a/codeOptimizers/src/prog8/optimizer/Inliner.kt
+++ b/codeOptimizers/src/prog8/optimizer/Inliner.kt
@@ -224,8 +224,11 @@ class Inliner(private val program: Program, private val options: CompilationOpti
                             noModifications
                     }
                     else -> {
-                        sub.hasBeenInlined=true
-                        listOf(IAstModification.ReplaceNode(origNode, toInline.copy(), parent))
+                        if(origNode !== toInline) {
+                            sub.hasBeenInlined = true
+                            listOf(IAstModification.ReplaceNode(origNode, toInline.copy(), parent))
+                        } else
+                            noModifications
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -255,7 +258,7 @@ class Inliner(private val program: Program, private val options: CompilationOpti
                     is Return -> {
                         // is an expression, so we have to have a Return here in the inlined sub
                         // note that we don't have to process any args, because we online inline parameterless subroutines.
-                        if(toInline.value!=null) {
+                        if(toInline.value!=null && functionCallExpr!==toInline.value) {
                             sub.hasBeenInlined=true
                             listOf(IAstModification.ReplaceNode(functionCallExpr, toInline.value!!.copy(), parent))
                         }
diff --git a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/Compiler.kt b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/Compiler.kt
index b15a90b11..403034c1c 100644
--- a/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/Compiler.kt
+++ b/compiler/src/prog8/compiler/Compiler.kt
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ private fun optimizeAst(program: Program, compilerOptions: CompilationOptions, e
     }
 
     removeUnusedCode(program, errors,compilerOptions)
-    while (true) {
+    for(num_cycles in 0..10000) {
         // keep optimizing expressions and statements until no more steps remain
         val optsDone1 = program.simplifyExpressions(errors)
         val optsDone2 = program.optimizeStatements(errors, functions, compilerOptions)
@@ -444,8 +444,13 @@ private fun optimizeAst(program: Program, compilerOptions: CompilationOptions, e
             errors.report()
             break
         }
-        if (optsDone1 + optsDone2 + optsDone3 == 0)
+        val numOpts = optsDone1 + optsDone2 + optsDone3
+        if (numOpts == 0)
             break
+
+        if(num_cycles==10000) {
+            throw InternalCompilerException("optimizeAst() is looping endlessly, numOpts = $numOpts")
+        }
     }
     removeUnusedCode(program, errors, compilerOptions)
     if(errors.noErrors()) {
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index 23abc6cf6..3ec96ba43 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -2,12 +2,7 @@
 %zeropage basicsafe
 
 main {
-    sub start() {
-        txt.print_ub(sys.sizeof_byte)
-        txt.spc()
-        txt.print_ub(sys.sizeof_word)
-        txt.spc()
-        txt.print_ub(sys.sizeof_float)
-        txt.nl()
-    }
+    sub foo() { foo() }
+    sub bar() -> ubyte { return bar() }
+    sub start() { }
 }