diff --git a/src/subtype.c b/src/subtype.c
index 841ea17ff3584..4aadeef340440 100644
--- a/src/subtype.c
+++ b/src/subtype.c
@@ -2750,7 +2750,7 @@ static jl_value_t *intersect_sub_datatype(jl_datatype_t *xd, jl_datatype_t *yd,
     jl_value_t *isuper = R ? intersect((jl_value_t*)yd, (jl_value_t*)xd->super, e, param) :
                              intersect((jl_value_t*)xd->super, (jl_value_t*)yd, e, param);
     if (isuper == jl_bottom_type) return jl_bottom_type;
-    if (jl_nparams(xd) == 0 || jl_nparams(xd->super) == 0)
+    if (jl_nparams(xd) == 0 || jl_nparams(xd->super) == 0 || !jl_has_free_typevars(xd))
         return (jl_value_t*)xd;
     jl_value_t *super_pattern=NULL;
     JL_GC_PUSH2(&isuper, &super_pattern);
diff --git a/test/subtype.jl b/test/subtype.jl
index d528a2230fca9..11589afdf1271 100644
--- a/test/subtype.jl
+++ b/test/subtype.jl
@@ -1757,3 +1757,10 @@ s26065 = Ref{Tuple{T,Ref{Union{Ref{Tuple{Ref{Union{Ref{Ref{Tuple{Ref{Tuple{Union
 # issue 36100
 @test NamedTuple{(:a, :b), Tuple{Missing, Union{}}} == NamedTuple{(:a, :b), Tuple{Missing, Union{}}}
 @test Val{Tuple{Missing, Union{}}} === Val{Tuple{Missing, Union{}}}
+
+# issue #36869
+struct F36869{T, V} <: AbstractArray{Union{T, V}, 1}
+end
+@testintersect(Tuple{Type{T}, AbstractVector{T}} where T,
+               Tuple{Union, F36869{Int64, Missing}},
+               Tuple{Union, F36869{Int64, Missing}})