diff --git a/src/linker/lnk_error.h b/src/linker/lnk_error.h
index a86b9086..65d0170d 100644
--- a/src/linker/lnk_error.h
+++ b/src/linker/lnk_error.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ typedef enum
   LNK_Error_SectRefsDiscardedMemory,
   LNK_Error_IllegalSectionMerge,
   LNK_Error_IllegalRelocation,
+  LNK_Error_CircularMerge,
   LNK_Error_StopLast,
   
   LNK_Error_First,
diff --git a/src/linker/lnk_section_table.c b/src/linker/lnk_section_table.c
index ed83c1fa..cb2dee47 100644
--- a/src/linker/lnk_section_table.c
+++ b/src/linker/lnk_section_table.c
@@ -275,6 +275,19 @@ lnk_section_table_merge(LNK_SectionTable *sectab, LNK_MergeDirectiveList merge_l
         }
       }
     }
+
+    // guard against circular merges
+    {
+      if (str8_match(merge_node->data.dst, merge_node->data.src, 0)) {
+        lnk_error(LNK_Error_CircularMerge, "detected circular /MERGE:%S=%S", merge_node->data.src, merge_node->data.dst);
+      }
+      for (LNK_SectionNode *sect_n = sectab->merge_list.first; sect_n != 0; sect_n = sect_n->next) {
+        if (str8_match(sect_n->data.name, merge_node->data.dst, 0) ||
+            str8_match(sect_n->data.name, merge_node->data.src, 0)) {
+          lnk_error(LNK_Error_CircularMerge, "detected circular /MERGE:%S=%S", merge_node->data.src, merge_node->data.dst);
+        }
+      }
+    }
     
     // are we trying to merge section that was already merged?
     LNK_Section *merge_sect = 0;