diff --git a/reflect.go b/reflect.go
index 39acb320..7f7a7275 100644
--- a/reflect.go
+++ b/reflect.go
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ func _createEncoderOfType(ctx *ctx, typ reflect2.Type) ValEncoder {
 	kind := typ.Kind()
 	switch kind {
 	case reflect.Interface:
-		return &dynamicEncoder{typ}
+		return &dynamicEncoder{valType: typ, seen: make(map[unsafe.Pointer]bool, 1)}
 	case reflect.Struct:
 		return encoderOfStruct(ctx, typ)
 	case reflect.Array:
diff --git a/reflect_dynamic.go b/reflect_dynamic.go
index 8b6bc8b4..fce985d1 100644
--- a/reflect_dynamic.go
+++ b/reflect_dynamic.go
@@ -1,16 +1,25 @@
 package jsoniter
 
 import (
-	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 	"reflect"
 	"unsafe"
+
+	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 )
 
 type dynamicEncoder struct {
 	valType reflect2.Type
+	seen    map[unsafe.Pointer]bool
 }
 
 func (encoder *dynamicEncoder) Encode(ptr unsafe.Pointer, stream *Stream) {
+	if encoder.seen[ptr] {
+		stream.Error = ErrEncounterCycle
+		return
+	}
+	encoder.seen[ptr] = true
+	defer delete(encoder.seen, ptr)
+
 	obj := encoder.valType.UnsafeIndirect(ptr)
 	stream.WriteVal(obj)
 }
diff --git a/reflect_extension.go b/reflect_extension.go
index 74a97bfe..b79951bf 100644
--- a/reflect_extension.go
+++ b/reflect_extension.go
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@ package jsoniter
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"unicode"
 	"unsafe"
+
+	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 )
 
 var typeDecoders = map[string]ValDecoder{}
@@ -325,7 +326,7 @@ func _getTypeEncoderFromExtension(ctx *ctx, typ reflect2.Type) ValEncoder {
 		typePtr := typ.(*reflect2.UnsafePtrType)
 		encoder := typeEncoders[typePtr.Elem().String()]
 		if encoder != nil {
-			return &OptionalEncoder{encoder}
+			return &OptionalEncoder{ValueEncoder: encoder, seen: make(map[unsafe.Pointer]bool, 1)}
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/reflect_optional.go b/reflect_optional.go
index fa71f474..c6422fca 100644
--- a/reflect_optional.go
+++ b/reflect_optional.go
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 package jsoniter
 
 import (
-	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 	"unsafe"
+
+	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 )
 
 func decoderOfOptional(ctx *ctx, typ reflect2.Type) ValDecoder {
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ func encoderOfOptional(ctx *ctx, typ reflect2.Type) ValEncoder {
 	ptrType := typ.(*reflect2.UnsafePtrType)
 	elemType := ptrType.Elem()
 	elemEncoder := encoderOfType(ctx, elemType)
-	encoder := &OptionalEncoder{elemEncoder}
+	encoder := &OptionalEncoder{ValueEncoder: elemEncoder, seen: make(map[unsafe.Pointer]bool, 1)}
 	return encoder
 }
 
@@ -61,13 +62,22 @@ func (decoder *dereferenceDecoder) Decode(ptr unsafe.Pointer, iter *Iterator) {
 
 type OptionalEncoder struct {
 	ValueEncoder ValEncoder
+	seen         map[unsafe.Pointer]bool
 }
 
 func (encoder *OptionalEncoder) Encode(ptr unsafe.Pointer, stream *Stream) {
-	if *((*unsafe.Pointer)(ptr)) == nil {
+	ptr = *((*unsafe.Pointer)(ptr))
+	if encoder.seen[ptr] {
+		stream.Error = ErrEncounterCycle
+		return
+	}
+	encoder.seen[ptr] = true
+	defer delete(encoder.seen, ptr)
+
+	if ptr == nil {
 		stream.WriteNil()
 	} else {
-		encoder.ValueEncoder.Encode(*((*unsafe.Pointer)(ptr)), stream)
+		encoder.ValueEncoder.Encode(ptr, stream)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/reflect_struct_encoder.go b/reflect_struct_encoder.go
index 152e3ef5..6347907a 100644
--- a/reflect_struct_encoder.go
+++ b/reflect_struct_encoder.go
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@ package jsoniter
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 	"io"
 	"reflect"
 	"unsafe"
+
+	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 )
 
 func encoderOfStruct(ctx *ctx, typ reflect2.Type) ValEncoder {
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ func createCheckIsEmpty(ctx *ctx, typ reflect2.Type) checkIsEmpty {
 	kind := typ.Kind()
 	switch kind {
 	case reflect.Interface:
-		return &dynamicEncoder{typ}
+		return &dynamicEncoder{valType: typ, seen: make(map[unsafe.Pointer]bool, 1)}
 	case reflect.Struct:
 		return &structEncoder{typ: typ}
 	case reflect.Array:
diff --git a/stream.go b/stream.go
index 23d8a3ad..7c8c41ed 100644
--- a/stream.go
+++ b/stream.go
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 package jsoniter
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"io"
 )
 
+var ErrEncounterCycle = errors.New("encountered a cycle")
+
 // stream is a io.Writer like object, with JSON specific write functions.
 // Error is not returned as return value, but stored as Error member on this stream instance.
 type Stream struct {
diff --git a/value_tests/map_test.go b/value_tests/map_test.go
index 02a1895a..c36451a6 100644
--- a/value_tests/map_test.go
+++ b/value_tests/map_test.go
@@ -57,9 +57,13 @@ func init() {
         "2018-12-14": true
     	}`,
 	}, unmarshalCase{
-		ptr: (*map[customKey]string)(nil),
+		ptr:   (*map[customKey]string)(nil),
 		input: `{"foo": "bar"}`,
 	})
+
+	selfRecursive := map[string]interface{}{}
+	selfRecursive["me"] = selfRecursive
+	marshalSelfRecursiveCases = append(marshalSelfRecursiveCases, selfRecursive)
 }
 
 type MyInterface interface {
diff --git a/value_tests/slice_test.go b/value_tests/slice_test.go
index 3731cbe1..d60494c2 100644
--- a/value_tests/slice_test.go
+++ b/value_tests/slice_test.go
@@ -24,4 +24,8 @@ func init() {
 		ptr:   (*[]byte)(nil),
 		input: `"c3ViamVjdHM\/X2Q9MQ=="`,
 	})
+
+	selfRecursive := []interface{}{nil}
+	selfRecursive[0] = selfRecursive
+	marshalSelfRecursiveCases = append(marshalSelfRecursiveCases, selfRecursive)
 }
diff --git a/value_tests/struct_test.go b/value_tests/struct_test.go
index 181e12fc..24bf2eb0 100644
--- a/value_tests/struct_test.go
+++ b/value_tests/struct_test.go
@@ -205,6 +205,10 @@ func init() {
 			"should not marshal",
 		},
 	)
+
+	selfRecursive := &structRecursive{}
+	selfRecursive.Me = selfRecursive
+	marshalSelfRecursiveCases = append(marshalSelfRecursiveCases, selfRecursive)
 }
 
 type StructVarious struct {
diff --git a/value_tests/value_test.go b/value_tests/value_test.go
index 95cfdd56..79a93b43 100644
--- a/value_tests/value_test.go
+++ b/value_tests/value_test.go
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@ package test
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/json-iterator/go"
+	"testing"
+
+	jsoniter "github.com/json-iterator/go"
 	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"testing"
 )
 
 type unmarshalCase struct {
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ var marshalCases = []interface{}{
 	nil,
 }
 
+var marshalSelfRecursiveCases = []interface{}{}
+
 type selectedMarshalCase struct {
 	marshalCase interface{}
 }
@@ -78,3 +81,15 @@ func Test_marshal(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_marshal_self_recursive(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, testCase := range marshalSelfRecursiveCases {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("[%v]%s", i, reflect2.TypeOf(testCase).String()), func(t *testing.T) {
+			should := require.New(t)
+			_, err1 := json.Marshal(testCase)
+			should.ErrorContains(err1, "encountered a cycle")
+			_, err2 := jsoniter.ConfigCompatibleWithStandardLibrary.Marshal(testCase)
+			should.ErrorContains(err2, "encountered a cycle")
+		})
+	}
+}