diff --git a/mlir/include/mlir/IR/MLIRContext.h b/mlir/include/mlir/IR/MLIRContext.h
--- a/mlir/include/mlir/IR/MLIRContext.h
+++ b/mlir/include/mlir/IR/MLIRContext.h
@@ -98,16 +98,22 @@
         }));
   }
 
+  /// Return true if the given dialect is currently loading.
+  bool isDialectLoading(StringRef dialectNamespace);
+
   /// Load a dialect in the context.
   template <typename Dialect>
   void loadDialect() {
-    getOrLoadDialect<Dialect>();
+    // Do not load the dialect if it is currently loading. This can happen if a
+    // dialect initializer triggers loading the same dialect recursively.
+    if (!isDialectLoading(Dialect::getDialectNamespace()))
+      getOrLoadDialect<Dialect>();
   }
 
   /// Load a list dialects in the context.
   template <typename Dialect, typename OtherDialect, typename... MoreDialects>
   void loadDialect() {
-    getOrLoadDialect<Dialect>();
+    loadDialect<Dialect>();
     loadDialect<OtherDialect, MoreDialects...>();
   }
 
diff --git a/mlir/lib/IR/MLIRContext.cpp b/mlir/lib/IR/MLIRContext.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/IR/MLIRContext.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/IR/MLIRContext.cpp
@@ -429,9 +429,11 @@
           ") while in a multi-threaded execution context (maybe "
           "the PassManager): this can indicate a "
           "missing `dependentDialects` in a pass for example.");
-#endif
-    std::unique_ptr<Dialect> &dialect =
-        impl.loadedDialects.insert({dialectNamespace, ctor()}).first->second;
+#endif // NDEBUG
+    // nullptr indicates that the dialect is currently being loaded.
+    impl.loadedDialects[dialectNamespace] = nullptr;
+    std::unique_ptr<Dialect> &dialect = impl.loadedDialects[dialectNamespace] =
+        ctor();
     assert(dialect && "dialect ctor failed");
 
     // Refresh all the identifiers dialect field, this catches cases where a
@@ -449,6 +451,14 @@
     return dialect.get();
   }
 
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+  if (dialectIt->second == nullptr)
+    llvm::report_fatal_error(
+        "Loading (and getting) a dialect (" + dialectNamespace +
+        ") while the same dialect is still loading: use loadDialect instead "
+        "of getOrLoadDialect.");
+#endif // NDEBUG
+
   // Abort if dialect with namespace has already been registered.
   std::unique_ptr<Dialect> &dialect = dialectIt->second;
   if (dialect->getTypeID() != dialectID)
@@ -458,6 +468,12 @@
   return dialect.get();
 }
 
+bool MLIRContext::isDialectLoading(StringRef dialectNamespace) {
+  auto it = getImpl().loadedDialects.find(dialectNamespace);
+  // nullptr indicates that the dialect is currently being loaded.
+  return it != getImpl().loadedDialects.end() && it->second == nullptr;
+}
+
 DynamicDialect *MLIRContext::getOrLoadDynamicDialect(
     StringRef dialectNamespace, function_ref<void(DynamicDialect *)> ctor) {
   auto &impl = getImpl();
diff --git a/mlir/tools/mlir-tblgen/DialectGen.cpp b/mlir/tools/mlir-tblgen/DialectGen.cpp
--- a/mlir/tools/mlir-tblgen/DialectGen.cpp
+++ b/mlir/tools/mlir-tblgen/DialectGen.cpp
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
 /// Registration for a single dependent dialect: to be inserted in the ctor
 /// above for each dependent dialect.
 const char *const dialectRegistrationTemplate = R"(
-    getContext()->getOrLoadDialect<{0}>();
+    getContext()->loadDialect<{0}>();
 )";
 
 /// The code block for the attribute parser/printer hooks.