diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldFormatter/EntityReferenceEntityFormatter.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldFormatter/EntityReferenceEntityFormatter.php
index c2f23cf..a1f74dd 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldFormatter/EntityReferenceEntityFormatter.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Field/Plugin/Field/FieldFormatter/EntityReferenceEntityFormatter.php
@@ -29,6 +29,13 @@
 class EntityReferenceEntityFormatter extends EntityReferenceFormatterBase implements ContainerFactoryPluginInterface {
 
   /**
+   * The number of times this formatter allows rendering the same entity.
+   *
+   * @var int
+   */
+  public static $recursiveRenderLimit = 20;
+
+  /**
    * The logger factory.
    *
    * @var \Drupal\Core\Logger\LoggerChannelFactoryInterface
@@ -36,6 +43,13 @@ class EntityReferenceEntityFormatter extends EntityReferenceFormatterBase implem
   protected $loggerFactory;
 
   /**
+   * Counter for the recursive rendering protection.
+   *
+   * @var array
+   */
+  protected static $recursiveRenderDepth = [];
+
+  /**
    * Constructs a StringFormatter instance.
    *
    * @param string $plugin_id
@@ -122,15 +136,27 @@ public function viewElements(FieldItemListInterface $items, $langcode) {
     $elements = array();
 
     foreach ($this->getEntitiesToView($items, $langcode) as $delta => $entity) {
-      // Protect ourselves from recursive rendering.
-      static $depth = 0;
-      $depth++;
-      if ($depth > 20) {
-        $this->loggerFactory->get('entity')->error('Recursive rendering detected when rendering entity @entity_type @entity_id. Aborting rendering.', array('@entity_type' => $entity->getEntityTypeId(), '@entity_id' => $entity->id()));
-        return $elements;
-      }
-
       if ($entity->id()) {
+        // Generate a string that contains all the relevant information about
+        // this field and the referenced entity that is being rendered.
+        $recursive_render_id = $items->getFieldDefinition()->getTargetEntityTypeId()
+          . $items->getFieldDefinition()->getTargetBundle()
+          . $items->getName()
+          . $entity->id();
+
+        // Protect ourselves from recursive rendering.
+        if (isset(static::$recursiveRenderDepth[$recursive_render_id])) {
+          static::$recursiveRenderDepth[$recursive_render_id]++;
+        }
+        else {
+          static::$recursiveRenderDepth[$recursive_render_id] = 1;
+        }
+
+        if (static::$recursiveRenderDepth[$recursive_render_id] > static::$recursiveRenderLimit) {
+          $this->loggerFactory->get('entity')->error('Recursive rendering detected when rendering entity @entity_type @entity_id. Aborting rendering.', array('@entity_type' => $entity->getEntityTypeId(), '@entity_id' => $entity->id()));
+          return $elements;
+        }
+
         $elements[$delta] = entity_view($entity, $view_mode, $entity->language()->getId());
 
         // Add a resource attribute to set the mapping property's value to the
@@ -144,7 +170,6 @@ public function viewElements(FieldItemListInterface $items, $langcode) {
         // This is an "auto_create" item.
         $elements[$delta] = array('#markup' => $entity->label());
       }
-      $depth = 0;
     }
 
     return $elements;
diff --git a/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceFormatterTest.php b/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceFormatterTest.php
index cc41f7d..1aa360f 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceFormatterTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/src/Tests/EntityReference/EntityReferenceFormatterTest.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Cache\Cache;
 use Drupal\Core\Cache\CacheableMetadata;
 use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldStorageDefinitionInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Field\Plugin\Field\FieldFormatter\EntityReferenceEntityFormatter;
 use Drupal\field\Entity\FieldStorageConfig;
 use Drupal\filter\Entity\FilterFormat;
 use Drupal\system\Tests\Entity\EntityUnitTestBase;
@@ -199,6 +200,34 @@ public function testEntityFormatter() {
     // Test the second field item.
     $renderer->renderRoot($build[1]);
     $this->assertEqual($build[1]['#markup'], $this->unsavedReferencedEntity->label(), sprintf('The markup returned by the %s formatter is correct for an item with a unsaved entity.', $formatter));
+
+    // Test the recursive rendering protection.
+    $referencing_entity = entity_create($this->entityType, ['name' => $this->randomMachineName()]);
+    $referencing_entity->save();
+
+    // Create a self-reference.
+    $referencing_entity->{$this->fieldName}->entity = $referencing_entity;
+    $referencing_entity->save();
+    $items = $referencing_entity->get($this->fieldName);
+
+    // Set the default view mode to use the 'entity_reference_entity_view'
+    // formatter.
+    entity_get_display($this->entityType, $this->bundle, 'default')
+      ->setComponent($this->fieldName, [
+        'type' => $formatter,
+      ])
+      ->save();
+
+    // Check that the recursive rendering stops after it reaches the specified
+    // limit.
+    $build = $items->view(['type' => $formatter, 'settings' => ['view_mode' => 'default']]);
+    $output = $renderer->renderRoot($build);
+
+    // The entity title is printed by default so we have to multiply the
+    // limit by 2.
+    $expected_occurences = EntityReferenceEntityFormatter::$recursiveRenderLimit * 2;
+    $actual_occurences = substr_count($output, $referencing_entity->name->value);
+    $this->assertEqual($actual_occurences, $expected_occurences);
   }
 
   /**