diff --git a/src/highlighters.cc b/src/highlighters.cc
index 41953aa4..864c7449 100644
--- a/src/highlighters.cc
+++ b/src/highlighters.cc
@@ -1581,6 +1581,14 @@ struct ReferenceHighlighter : Highlighter
 private:
     void do_highlight(HighlightContext context, DisplayBuffer& display_buffer, BufferRange range) override
     {
+        static Vector<std::pair<StringView, BufferRange>> running_refs;
+        const std::pair<StringView, BufferRange> desc{m_name, range};
+        if (contains(running_refs, desc))
+            return write_to_debug_buffer(format("highlighting recursion detected with ref to {}", m_name));
+
+        running_refs.push_back(desc);
+        auto pop_desc = on_scope_end([] { running_refs.pop_back(); });
+
         try
         {
             DefinedHighlighters::instance().get_child(m_name).highlight(context, display_buffer, range);
diff --git a/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/cmd b/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/cmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8b137891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/cmd
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
diff --git a/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/display b/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/display
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c74fa31e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/display
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "draw", "params": [[[{ "face": { "fg": "black", "bg": "white", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "\"" }, { "face": { "fg": "magenta", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "\"\">>> " }, { "face": { "fg": "default", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "\"\"\"\u000a" }]], { "fg": "default", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, { "fg": "blue", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "menu_hide", "params": [] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "info_hide", "params": [] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "draw_status", "params": [[], [{ "face": { "fg": "default", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "out 1:1 " }, { "face": { "fg": "black", "bg": "yellow", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "" }, { "face": { "fg": "default", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": " " }, { "face": { "fg": "blue", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "1 sel" }, { "face": { "fg": "default", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": " - unnamed0@[kak-tests]" }], { "fg": "cyan", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "set_cursor", "params": ["buffer", { "line": 0, "column": 0 }] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "refresh", "params": [true] }
diff --git a/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/in b/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2a40350c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+""">>> """
diff --git a/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/rc b/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/rc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..909f53ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/1920-crash-on-python-in-docstring/rc
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+source "%val{runtime}/colors/default.kak"
+source "%val{runtime}/rc/core/python.kak"
+set buffer filetype python