diff --git a/greenlet.c b/greenlet.c
index d88c0ff2..16a0bd6c 100644
--- a/greenlet.c
+++ b/greenlet.c
@@ -507,9 +507,14 @@ g_switch(PyGreenlet* target, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwargs)
 			break;
 		}
 		if (!PyGreenlet_STARTED(target)) {
+			int err;
 			void* dummymarker;
 			ts_target = target;
-			if (g_initialstub(&dummymarker) < 0) {
+			err = g_initialstub(&dummymarker);
+			if (err == 1) {
+				continue; /* retry the switch */
+			}
+			else if (err < 0) {
 				g_passaround_clear();
 				return NULL;
 			}
@@ -590,11 +595,14 @@ static int GREENLET_NOINLINE(g_initialstub)(void* mark)
 	int err;
 	PyObject* o;
 	PyObject *exc, *val, *tb;
+	PyGreenlet* self = ts_target;
+	PyObject* args = ts_passaround_args;
+	PyObject* kwargs = ts_passaround_kwargs;
 
 	/* save exception in case getattr clears it */
 	PyErr_Fetch(&exc, &val, &tb);
-	/* ts_target.run is the object to call in the new greenlet */
-	PyObject* run = PyObject_GetAttrString((PyObject*) ts_target, "run");
+	/* self.run is the object to call in the new greenlet */
+	PyObject* run = PyObject_GetAttrString((PyObject*) self, "run");
 	if (run == NULL) {
 		Py_XDECREF(exc);
 		Py_XDECREF(val);
@@ -603,27 +611,48 @@ static int GREENLET_NOINLINE(g_initialstub)(void* mark)
 	}
 	/* restore saved exception */
 	PyErr_Restore(exc, val, tb);
+
+	/* recheck the state in case getattr caused thread switches */
+	if (!STATE_OK) {
+		Py_DECREF(run);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	/* by the time we got here another start could happen elsewhere,
+	 * that means it should now be a regular switch
+	 */
+	if (PyGreenlet_STARTED(self)) {
+		Py_DECREF(run);
+		ts_passaround_args = args;
+		ts_passaround_kwargs = kwargs;
+		return 1;
+	}
+	/* restore arguments in case they are clobbered */
+	ts_target = self;
+	ts_passaround_args = args;
+	ts_passaround_kwargs = kwargs;
+
 	/* now use run_info to store the statedict */
-	o = ts_target->run_info;
-	ts_target->run_info = green_statedict(ts_target->parent);
-	Py_INCREF(ts_target->run_info);
+	o = self->run_info;
+	self->run_info = green_statedict(self->parent);
+	Py_INCREF(self->run_info);
 	Py_XDECREF(o);
 
 	/* start the greenlet */
-	ts_target->stack_start = NULL;
-	ts_target->stack_stop = (char*) mark;
+	self->stack_start = NULL;
+	self->stack_stop = (char*) mark;
 	if (ts_current->stack_start == NULL) {
 		/* ts_current is dying */
-		ts_target->stack_prev = ts_current->stack_prev;
+		self->stack_prev = ts_current->stack_prev;
 	}
 	else {
-		ts_target->stack_prev = ts_current;
+		self->stack_prev = ts_current;
 	}
-	ts_target->top_frame = NULL;
-	ts_target->exc_type = NULL;
-	ts_target->exc_value = NULL;
-	ts_target->exc_traceback = NULL;
-	ts_target->recursion_depth = PyThreadState_GET()->recursion_depth;
+	self->top_frame = NULL;
+	self->exc_type = NULL;
+	self->exc_value = NULL;
+	self->exc_traceback = NULL;
+	self->recursion_depth = PyThreadState_GET()->recursion_depth;
 	err = g_switchstack();
 	/* returns twice!
 	   The 1st time with err=1: we are in the new greenlet
@@ -631,15 +660,10 @@ static int GREENLET_NOINLINE(g_initialstub)(void* mark)
 	*/
 	if (err == 1) {
 		/* in the new greenlet */
-		PyObject* args;
-		PyObject* kwargs;
 		PyObject* result;
 		PyGreenlet* parent;
-		PyGreenlet* ts_self = ts_current;
-		ts_self->stack_start = (char*) 1;  /* running */
+		self->stack_start = (char*) 1;  /* running */
 
-		args = ts_passaround_args;
-		kwargs = ts_passaround_kwargs;
 		if (args == NULL) {
 			/* pending exception */
 			result = NULL;
@@ -654,8 +678,8 @@ static int GREENLET_NOINLINE(g_initialstub)(void* mark)
 		result = g_handle_exit(result);
 
 		/* jump back to parent */
-		ts_self->stack_start = NULL;  /* dead */
-		for (parent = ts_self->parent; parent != NULL; parent = parent->parent) {
+		self->stack_start = NULL;  /* dead */
+		for (parent = self->parent; parent != NULL; parent = parent->parent) {
 			result = g_switch(parent, result, NULL);
 			/* Return here means switch to parent failed,
 			 * in which case we throw *current* exception
@@ -663,7 +687,7 @@ static int GREENLET_NOINLINE(g_initialstub)(void* mark)
 			 */
 		}
 		/* We ran out of parents, cannot continue */
-		PyErr_WriteUnraisable((PyObject *) ts_self);
+		PyErr_WriteUnraisable((PyObject *) self);
 		Py_FatalError("greenlets cannot continue");
 	}
 	/* back in the parent */
diff --git a/tests/test_greenlet.py b/tests/test_greenlet.py
index d151d00b..a467c88e 100644
--- a/tests/test_greenlet.py
+++ b/tests/test_greenlet.py
@@ -344,3 +344,19 @@ def creator():
         t.start()
         t.join()
         self.assertRaises(greenlet.error, result[0].throw, SomeError())
+
+    def test_recursive_startup(self):
+        class convoluted(greenlet):
+            def __init__(self):
+                greenlet.__init__(self)
+                self.count = 0
+            def __getattribute__(self, name):
+                if name == 'run' and self.count == 0:
+                    self.count = 1
+                    self.switch(43)
+                return greenlet.__getattribute__(self, name)
+            def run(self, value):
+                while True:
+                    self.parent.switch(value)
+        g = convoluted()
+        self.assertEqual(g.switch(42), 43)