diff --git a/src/cmd/vet/testdata/print.go b/src/cmd/vet/testdata/print.go
index b2289bc2ac..994902d01d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/vet/testdata/print.go
+++ b/src/cmd/vet/testdata/print.go
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ 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) // ERROR "Printf format %x has arg recursiveStruct1V\.next of wrong type \*testdata\.RecursiveStruct2"
 	Printf("%p %x", recursiveSliceV, recursiveSliceV)
 	Printf("%p %x", recursiveMapV, recursiveMapV)
 	// Special handling for Log.
@@ -670,4 +670,12 @@ func PointersToCompoundTypes() {
 
 	intMap := map[int]int{3: 4}
 	fmt.Printf("%s", &intMap) // ERROR "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"}}) // ERROR "Printf format %s has arg T1{&T2{.x.}} of wrong type testdata\.T1"
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/vet/types.go b/src/cmd/vet/types.go
index 78823aed97..8cb0e8e77d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/vet/types.go
+++ b/src/cmd/vet/types.go
@@ -227,9 +227,13 @@ func (f *File) matchArgTypeInternal(t printfArgType, typ types.Type, arg ast.Exp
 			// 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 f.matchArgTypeInternal(t, under, arg, inProgress)
 
 	case *types.Struct: