diff --git a/src/gf.c b/src/gf.c
index eeefe02300b00..3fc75f862500a 100644
--- a/src/gf.c
+++ b/src/gf.c
@@ -317,10 +317,19 @@ jl_code_info_t *jl_type_infer(jl_method_instance_t *mi, size_t world, int force)
         src = (jl_code_info_t*)jl_apply(fargs, 3);
     }
     JL_CATCH {
-        jl_printf((JL_STREAM*)STDERR_FILENO, "Internal error: encountered unexpected error in runtime:\n");
-        jl_static_show((JL_STREAM*)STDERR_FILENO, jl_current_exception());
-        jl_printf((JL_STREAM*)STDERR_FILENO, "\n");
-        jlbacktrace(); // written to STDERR_FILENO
+        jl_value_t *e = jl_current_exception();
+        if (e == jl_stackovf_exception) {
+            jl_printf((JL_STREAM*)STDERR_FILENO, "Internal error: stack overflow in type inference of ");
+            jl_static_show_func_sig((JL_STREAM*)STDERR_FILENO, (jl_value_t*)mi->specTypes);
+            jl_printf((JL_STREAM*)STDERR_FILENO, ".\n");
+            jl_printf((JL_STREAM*)STDERR_FILENO, "This might be caused by recursion over very long tuples or argument lists.\n");
+        }
+        else {
+            jl_printf((JL_STREAM*)STDERR_FILENO, "Internal error: encountered unexpected error in runtime:\n");
+            jl_static_show((JL_STREAM*)STDERR_FILENO, e);
+            jl_printf((JL_STREAM*)STDERR_FILENO, "\n");
+            jlbacktrace(); // written to STDERR_FILENO
+        }
         src = NULL;
     }
     ct->world_age = last_age;