diff --git a/src/librustc_trait_selection/traits/select/candidate_assembly.rs b/src/librustc_trait_selection/traits/select/candidate_assembly.rs
index d42c31a5474b2..2bd0acb3cc0f1 100644
--- a/src/librustc_trait_selection/traits/select/candidate_assembly.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_trait_selection/traits/select/candidate_assembly.rs
@@ -331,6 +331,16 @@ impl<'cx, 'tcx> SelectionContext<'cx, 'tcx> {
     ) -> Result<(), SelectionError<'tcx>> {
         debug!("assemble_candidates_from_impls(obligation={:?})", obligation);
 
+        // Essentially any user-written impl will match with an error type,
+        // so creating `ImplCandidates` isn't useful. However, we might
+        // end up finding a candidate elsewhere (e.g. a `BuiltinCandidate` for `Sized)
+        // This helps us avoid overflow: see issue #72839
+        // Since compilation is already guarnateed to fail, this is just
+        // to try to show the 'nicest' possible errors to the user.
+        if obligation.references_error() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
         self.tcx().for_each_relevant_impl(
             obligation.predicate.def_id(),
             obligation.predicate.skip_binder().trait_ref.self_ty(),
diff --git a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-72839-error-overflow.rs b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-72839-error-overflow.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..6562d228409f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-72839-error-overflow.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// Regression test for issue #72839
+// Tests that we do not overflow during trait selection after
+// a type error occurs
+use std::ops::Rem;
+trait Foo {}
+struct MyStruct<T>(T);
+
+impl<T, U> Rem<MyStruct<T>> for MyStruct<U> where MyStruct<U>: Rem<MyStruct<T>> {
+    type Output = u8;
+    fn rem(self, _: MyStruct<T>) -> Self::Output {
+        panic!()
+    }
+}
+
+fn main() {}
+
+fn foo() {
+    if missing_var % 8 == 0 {} //~ ERROR cannot find
+}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-72839-error-overflow.stderr b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-72839-error-overflow.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c4b6f90ca69a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-72839-error-overflow.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+error[E0425]: cannot find value `missing_var` in this scope
+  --> $DIR/issue-72839-error-overflow.rs:18:8
+   |
+LL |     if missing_var % 8 == 0 {}
+   |        ^^^^^^^^^^^ not found in this scope
+
+error: aborting due to previous error
+
+For more information about this error, try `rustc --explain E0425`.