diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index 7c32caf..9e1133e 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ Parsers = "2.5.1"
 julia = "1.6"
 
 [extras]
-Test = "8dfed614-e22c-5e08-85e1-65c5234f0b40"
+JET = "c3a54625-cd67-489e-a8e7-0a5a0ff4e31b"
 OrderedCollections = "bac558e1-5e72-5ebc-8fee-abe8a469f55d"
+Test = "8dfed614-e22c-5e08-85e1-65c5234f0b40"
 
 [targets]
-test = ["Test", "OrderedCollections"]
+test = ["Test", "JET", "OrderedCollections"]
diff --git a/src/JSONBase.jl b/src/JSONBase.jl
index 239c0d3..5f3ad0f 100644
--- a/src/JSONBase.jl
+++ b/src/JSONBase.jl
@@ -27,6 +27,70 @@ include("binary.jl")
 include("materialize.jl")
 include("json.jl")
 
+# HACK to avoid inference recursion limit and the de-optimization:
+# This works since know the inference recursion will terminate due to the fact that this
+# method is only called when materializing a struct with definite number of fields, i.e.
+# that is not self-referencing, so it is guaranteed that there are no cycles in a recursive
+# `materialize` call. Especially, the `fieldcount` call in the struct fallback case within
+# the `materialize` should have errored for this case.
+# TODO we should revisit this hack when we start to support https://github.com/quinnj/JSONBase.jl/issues/3
+function validate_recursion_relation_sig(f, nargs::Int, sig)
+    @nospecialize f sig
+    sig = Base.unwrap_unionall(sig)
+    @assert sig isa DataType "unexpected `recursion_relation` call"
+    @assert sig.name === Tuple.name "unexpected `recursion_relation` call"
+    @assert length(sig.parameters) == nargs "unexpected `recursion_relation` call"
+    @assert sig.parameters[1] == typeof(f) "unexpected `recursion_relation` call"
+    return sig
+end
+@static if hasfield(Method, :recursion_relation)
+    let applyobject_recursion_relation = function (
+            method::Method, topmost::Union{Nothing,Method},
+            @nospecialize(sig), @nospecialize(topmostsig))
+            # Core.println("applyobject")
+            # Core.println("  method = ", method)
+            # Core.println("  topmost = ", topmost)
+            # Core.println("  sig = ", sig)
+            # Core.println("  topmostsig = ", topmostsig)
+            sig = validate_recursion_relation_sig(applyobject, 3, sig)
+            topmostsig = validate_recursion_relation_sig(applyobject, 3, topmostsig)
+            return sig.parameters[2] ≠ topmostsig.parameters[2]
+        end
+        method = only(methods(applyobject, (Any,LazyValues,)))
+        method.recursion_relation = applyobject_recursion_relation
+    end
+    let applyfield_recursion_relation = function (
+            method::Method, topmost::Union{Nothing,Method},
+            @nospecialize(sig), @nospecialize(topmostsig))
+            # Core.println("applyfield")
+            # Core.println("  method = ", method)
+            # Core.println("  topmost = ", topmost)
+            # Core.println("  sig = ", sig)
+            # Core.println("  topmostsig = ", topmostsig)
+            sig = validate_recursion_relation_sig(applyfield, 6, sig)
+            topmostsig = validate_recursion_relation_sig(applyfield, 6, topmostsig)
+            return sig.parameters[2] ≠ topmostsig.parameters[2]
+        end
+        method = only(methods(applyfield, (Type,Type,Any,Any,Any)))
+        method.recursion_relation = applyfield_recursion_relation
+    end
+    let _materialize_recursion_relation = function (
+            method::Method, topmost::Union{Nothing,Method},
+            @nospecialize(sig), @nospecialize(topmostsig))
+            # Core.println("_materialize")
+            # Core.println("  method = ", method)
+            # Core.println("  topmost = ", topmost)
+            # Core.println("  sig = ", sig)
+            # Core.println("  topmostsig = ", topmostsig)
+            sig = validate_recursion_relation_sig(_materialize, 5, sig)
+            topmostsig = validate_recursion_relation_sig(_materialize, 5, topmostsig)
+            return sig.parameters[4] ≠ topmostsig.parameters[4]
+        end
+        method = only(methods(_materialize, (Any,LazyValue,Type,Type)))
+        method.recursion_relation = _materialize_recursion_relation
+    end
+end
+
 # a helper higher-order function that converts an
 # API.applyeach function that operates potentially on a
 # PtrString to one that operates on a String
@@ -84,4 +148,4 @@ end # module
  # package docs
  # topretty
  # allow materialize on any ObjectLike? i.e. Dicts? (would need applyobject on Dict)
- # checkout JSON5, Amazon Ion?
\ No newline at end of file
+ # checkout JSON5, Amazon Ion?
diff --git a/src/lazy.jl b/src/lazy.jl
index 2d8eb3e..808631b 100644
--- a/src/lazy.jl
+++ b/src/lazy.jl
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ _applyobject(f::F, x) where {F} = applyobject(f, x)
         # we're now positioned at the start of the value
         val = lazy(buf, pos, len, b, opts)
         ret = keyvalfunc(key, val)
-        # if ret is not an Continue, then we're 
+        # if ret is not an Continue, then we're
         # short-circuiting parsing via e.g. selection syntax
         # so return immediately
         ret isa Continue || return ret
diff --git a/test/optimization.jl b/test/optimization.jl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81de451
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/optimization.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+using JSONBase, JET
+
+struct OptimizationFailureChecker end
+function JET.configured_reports(::OptimizationFailureChecker, reports::Vector{JET.InferenceErrorReport})
+    return filter(reports) do @nospecialize report::JET.InferenceErrorReport
+        isa(report, JET.OptimizationFailureReport)
+    end
+end
+
+# https://github.com/quinnj/JSONBase.jl/issues/2
+struct RecursiveInferenceTest1
+    a::Int
+    b::Int
+end
+@test_opt annotate_types=true report_config=OptimizationFailureChecker() JSONBase.materialize("""{ "a": 1, "b": 2 }""", RecursiveInferenceTest1)
+
+struct RecursiveInferenceTest2Inner
+    b::Int
+end
+struct RecursiveInferenceTest2
+    a::Int
+    b::RecursiveInferenceTest2Inner
+end
+@test_opt annotate_types=true report_config=OptimizationFailureChecker() JSONBase.materialize("""{ "a": 1, "b": { "b": 2 } }""", RecursiveInferenceTest2)
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index 501d83c..3d61734 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ struct File end
     ["Gilbert", "2013", 24, true]
     ["Alexa", "2013", 29, true]
     ["May", "2012B", 14, false]
-    ["Deloise", "2012A", 19, true] 
+    ["Deloise", "2012A", 19, true]
     """; jsonlines=true, float64=true) ==
     [["Name", "Session", "Score", "Completed"],
      ["Gilbert", "2013", 24.0, true],
@@ -294,3 +294,6 @@ end
 include("struct.jl")
 include("json.jl")
 include("numbers.jl")
+@static if VERSION ≥ v"1.8"
+    @testset "Optimization test with JET" include("optimization.jl")
+end